BLOG V: On-Line Communication Tools are Fun!

Comprehensive Assignment:

During this lesson, you have learned about online communication tools. For your comprehensive assignment, you will add a new posting (between 400 and 500 words) to your blog in which you will reflect on your learning this week.

In your blog, you should discuss at least the following matters:

1. Have you ever used online communication tools in the classroom before? If so, detail your experiences. If not, what has prevented you from using online communication tools?

In answer to the simple question, I have an appropriately, equally simple answer: Yes, I have used on-line communication tools in the classroom before. I have been in the school system for over five years now, and I have been a special education teacher for approximately two-and-a-half years. I am very technologically savvy, and not a day goes by that I use a variety of communications tools in order to communicate with others teachers, parents, and rarely, students. Naturally, the on-line communication tool which I have utilized the most frequently is e-mail. Microsoft Outlook Live! is a great tool that I've learned to master since the Bullitt County Public School District switched over to it in the spring of 2010 (which really threw a lot of teachers for a loop.) Throughout this past summer, I have used Microsoft Outlook Live! all day, every day, because I don't have to worry about logging off and on each time I want to check my e-mail; I simply leave the e-mail open on my computer and I hear the tone each time I have a new e-mail in my in-box. It is very user friendly, and perhaps best of all, when there are multiple discussions (dialogues) taking place (between one or more participants), the conversations can be viewed easily for reference purposes; it thus only takes a second or two to find out what was communicated in previous communications. Obviously, I could talk about e-mail communication all day long, but there are other communication tools which I have learned, mastered, and utilized extensively within the context of public education. I've also used blogs and chats. In the reading for this week, there were several communication tools which I have never used, nor do I expect to ever use them in the near to not-too-distant future (virtual worlds?)

2. Identify one online communication tool you can use in the classroom and discuss how you will prepare your students for using this communication tool.

Of all of the on-line communication tools I have learned about this past week, it is hard to determine which one(s) would be best to utilize with students. Naturally, the decision would ultimately be determined by the grade level with which I am working. I would probably trust elementary students with Internet privileges far more than I would trust the average middle schooler or high schooler. With elementary students, I might have to worry about them wanting to play silly little kid video games, whereas older kids always want to look at or read something vulgar or immoral. I am a big fan of social net-working, but I would never trust students (any students, young or old) with something like MySpace or Facebook. Chances are, I would stay away from most on-line communication tools such as e-mail or text messaging, because they can be too easily used and abused. Students have a genuine knack for picking up the use of technology with easy, and as soon as they know how to access it, they usually know how to manipulate it for their own devious purposes. I am not a pessimistic or untrusting person, but students have most definitely taken advantage of my naivete in the past, to my humiliation. I believe that the best on-line communication tool for students is THE BLOG. I would teach students how to set up a blog on-line, using something like www.blogger.com. Students would have fun picking out a title for their blog, designing it, and adding posts. Students genuinely love seeing their own handiwork captured in print and published for all the world to see, and as the year progresses, students typically enjoy going back and reading their earlier posts. I will probably try using blogs in my classroom this up-coming school year, and I'm confident that it will be a positive tool for helping students to gain better comprehension of subject matter while simultaneously developing their writing and editing abilities.

BLOG 4: PowerPoint Presentations

Comprehensive Assignment

For your comprehensive assignment, create a new blog entry in which you reflect on your learning for this lesson. This posting should be 400 and 500 words in length.

Create a PowerPoint presentation either in your subject area or at your particular grade level, and use it with your students. If you do not have students, try the presentation with any school-age child, and then answer the following questions on your blog:

1. What was the presentation about and to whom did you present it?

My PowerPoint presentation was about three-dimensional objects. I had to teach at least one math lesson during a formal observation, and the PowerPoint presentation was carefully designed with the appropriate learning objectives firmly in mind. I presented it before a class of third graders (two of which were my own EBD students which were fully-mainstreamed in a regular education environment with minimal pull-out.) The school principal was there to view the presentation, and he was very pleased.

2. Of which item in your presentation are you the most proud?

My presentation was about three-dimensional objects (3D figures.) My presentation showed the objects in different ways, and for that, I am the most pleased, because I was able to clearly communicate the math content while simultaneously demonstrating its real world application. For instance, I might show a circle...Then a sphere...Then a globe and a basketball. The students' own brains were thoroughly stimulated, and they were able to brainstorm about other spheres they encounter during a normal day.

3. What might you do differently if you could create the presentation again?

Unfortunately, I believe that PowerPoint presentations will always bring out the worst in some people--most specifically, people like myself: perfectionists. There will always be something you could have / should have done to make your PowerPoint more interesting, imaginative, creative, or just plain mesmerizing. At some point, you just have to realize that, as long as the students have a high level of comprehension from the presentation itself, then you can certainly consider it a job well done. As soon as I presented my PowerPoint presentation, I had to do a post-observation conference with the school's principal, Mr. David Pate. Mr. Pate thought it was a great slide show, and it was obvious that the students were completely focused on it and perfectly on-task. Students paid attention. Students did not engage in meaningless side conversations. Students were not doodling, or playing with toys, or staring out the window, or even trying to build the three dimensional origami shapes that I had my assistant distribute while the students' eyes were on myself. Mr. Pate did comment, however, that the background on my PowerPoint presentation was too dark, or else the font was too dark. I had to admit, with some regret, that the font throughout my presentation was either dark (navy) blue or dark (blood) red. The background was solid black, so the font did tend to get just a bit washed-out in the black background. I should have noticed that in advance, but when I edited the presentation on a standard flat-screen computer monitor, it looked just fine. Once projected onto the Prometheon board, it left a little to be desired. I'll probably stick with a white font for future reference.

4. How did your students respond to the presentation?

The students with whom I dealt in 3rd grade were very badly behaved and off-task constantly. The homeroom teacher for that class was once an EBD Special Education Teacher, and she had honed her skills as a Special Educator by perfecting her ability to scream angrily at students and, whenever possible, to use Safe Crisis Management techniques to restrain students on the carpet until they were basically crying out in pain and begging to be released (I'm not joking--she should probably have lost her job or else be in prison right about now.) Because of her lack of real-world experience, behavior management and classroom management were sorely lacking (and by that I mean virtually nonexistent.) The students were just plain bad, all the time, and no matter how many negative consequences they experienced, they just didn't care any more. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, these students were the model students throughout the extent of my presentation. They paid attention, remaining quiet and focused on my presentation. They did not move around, get out of their seats, engage in meaningless side dialogue, talk to themselves, play with toys, sharpen their pencils endlessly, touch their papers on their desks, ask to use the bathroom repeatedly, throw papers or other objects, or fall out of their chairs "accidentally" (all typical classroom behaviors for this little group of angels.) Both the homeroom teacher and my instructional assistant were present in the classroom, along with the Principal (whom the students do not intrinsically respect nor fear), and I was the lead lecturer and moderator of the presentation. The students responded extremely well to my teaching via the PowerPoint presentation, and for 45-60 whole minutes, they actually did exactly what they were supposed to do. Either the PowerPoint presentation was miracle-working, or else I just presented the material well in my own way. Any objective observer would have noted that all students were fully engaged in the lesson. The students watched, listened, participated, asked questions, gave examples, and answered questions. A couple of the EBD students began to engage in a very hushed side conversation while I was talking, but it was obvious that the nature of their conversation was directly related to the subject matter at immediate hand. The students are frequently given opportunities to work in teams of two or more during math time, and as long as they are talking about math only, a little talking at low levels is not deemed terribly intolerable (though never encouraged.)

BLOG 3!!! (Due NLT Monday, July 19, 2010)

Comprehensive Assignment:

For your comprehensive assignment, add a new posting to your blog in which you reflect on your learning this week. This posting should be between 400 and 500 words.

Review the different documents you hand out to your students and/or their parents (e.g., flyers, newsletters). On your blog, address the following:

• What makes the item visually appealing? What distracts from the message you are trying to communicate?

• Use a word processor or desktop publishing program to recreate the item and make it more effective. Save the file as a .jpg and upload it to your blog. (Note: You can change addresses, phone numbers, and names for your blog item.)
• If you are not yet teaching, you may use something you have developed for another purpose or you may make something new using what you have learned in this lesson.

I would say that the ideal newsletter needs to be simple, clear, and to the point. Adding extra little inspirational quotes and funny pictures and such will distract your targeted reader from the point of the newsletter in the first place. When I first started teaching, one of the first things I decided to do was produce a weekly newsletter. I spent a lot of time working on it, but I didn't get a lot of positive feedback from parents, and in the end, I gave up on the whole idea. I transitioned to communicating to my parents directly, via e-mail or letter. I'm willing to give newsletters another try in the future, but to be completely, unabashedly honest, no one expects a Special Education Teacher to produce a newsletter unless their students are in a self-contained, resource-type setting. The homeroom teachers usually produce the best newsletters for parents to use as a resource, and we really don't need to expend the extra energy with a duplicity of efforts.

Microsoft Word is probably going to become a thing of the past, as Adobe Acrobat has many awesome features for creating--and sharing--PDF documents.

I have tried a number of different formats for sending newsletters home with students. Students have also been given opportunities to write their own newsletters in a manner similar to a newspaper article.

I love the fact that there are so many different fonts and text features to utilize. Nevertheless, I do realize that some fonts are just too ridiculous to be practical, and I try to limit my students to one of the more easily legible fonts.

Text size makes a big difference. I usually use size 14 or larger, only because a 10 or 12 font is just plain way too small for most people's fatigued eyes. I am 32 years of age, but even I buy large print books just to alleviate or avoid eye strain.

The available options are truly a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you want to be creative and original. On the other hand, too much creativity will lends itself to confusion and frustration on the part of the reader. You want to be able to clearly and succinctly articulate yourself without the person reading your message to get distracted by all the fluff.

Newsletters usually look better/more professional if they are printed in color, although I would advise against using colored paper. Nearly every color I've used tends to diminish the clarity of the black ink text.

I learned a lot about Word Processing and Desktop Publishing this week, and whenever I learn something, I consider the lessons worth-while. I'm going to have to go back and re-read much of the material, though, for fear that I may have missed something. There's just so much to learn!

I realize that this blog posting may have gone beyond the required 400-500 words, but I felt that I had a lot to share on this particular topic. Plus, I'm gunning for an "A." ;o)

BLOG 2 (Due NLT Monday, July 12, 2010)

BLOG # 2:

SPREADSHEETS AND DATABASES

"New technology is common, new thinking is rare." Sir Peter Blake

"The world is changing, but children are the same as they have always been, and as they always will be. Children need to learn the very same things today that they have always needed to learn. The difference today is technology. Children learn differently, and teachers can use technology to determine that the students learn in whatever way they learn best. When I was growing up, I spent all of my time running around outside, exploring nature or else with my nose stuck in a book, expanding my knowledge and strengthening my imagination. These days, many kids do not spend any time outdoors, and they spend much less time reading. Kids are overwhelmed with options that compete for their limited, precious time, and it seems as if 99% of the options have to do with technology. Cell phones, computers, video game systems, television sets--These things monopolize the life of the child outside of the classroom, and when they arrive in the classroom, they almost need to be taught using these various modern mediums. Technology is a two-edged sword...But it is a weapon we must learn to yield or else concede victory to ignorance." Nathan Lawrence German.

Parameters for this week's assignment (Guidance from the professor):

You may use the publisher’s website to help you with the comprehensive assignment as well as some of the resources provided in this course.

For your comprehensive assignment, add a new posting to your blog in which you reflect on your learning this week. This posting should be between 400 and 500 words in length.

Start by doing an Internet search for spreadsheets and databases in the classroom. Review the different ways educators are using both of these tools. Posts on your blog should:

• Provide a URL of one Web site that discusses spreadsheet and/or database use in the classroom.

• Describe something you found that surprised you about how databases or spreadsheets can be utilized in the classroom.

• Discuss how you have used spreadsheets and databases in the past. Include ways you have used them with your students or ways you have used them as an educator.

Useful URL's for Web Sites (spreadsheets / databases in the classroom):

1. http://alicechristie.org/edtech/ss/

2. http://www.trumbull.k12.oh.us/teachers/resources/usingss.htm

3. http://www.amphi.com/~psteffen/excel.html

4. http://www.belmar.k12.nj.us/public/everyday_spreadsheets/

5. http://futureofmath.misterteacher.com/spreadsheets.html

6. http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/pd21byersj/prodtls/spreadsht.html

7. http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110054/Classroom_Activities.html

What surprised me about the use of databases and/or spreadsheets in the classroom:

Teachers are certainly using databases and spreadsheets in intelligent and creative ways. Databases and spreadsheets can be utilized to teach virtually every subject area imaginable, although it stands to reason that math is the one subject area wherein they would probably prove to be the most beneficial. I can't say that I was surprised by very much concerning the use of databases and/or spreadsheets in the classroom. Because I am a Special Education Teacher--specifically, an EBD Teacher--I wanted to find creative ways to utilize databases and/or spreadsheets in order to meet the needs of a diverse classroom where students need differentiated instruction.

I assumed that I would need to find a good spreadsheet program, but Excel was just about the only program that came instantly to mind. I was not even aware of the names of most of the other programs available on the market today, to include the following: Lotus, Quattro Pro, Excel, and Calc.

The idea that I came across that I found to be potentially useful was the use of Excel in order to create a time-line for biographies. I will definitely utilize this activity in the future when my students are required to complete some type of biographical project on a historical figure.

Experience with the use of databases and/or spreadsheets in the classroom:

I am a modern renaissance man. As such, I am ready and willing to utilize the most cutting-edge tools in the area of technology in order to benefit both myself and my students. I can remember a time wherein computers were limited to small computer labs where students could do very little, if anything school related, on them. We have most certainly come a very long ways since then. As Bob Dylan so eloquently sang, "Times, they are a-changing." I realize that I am nostalgic for the "good ol' days" of education, but I also realize that I have to evolve with the ever-changing times. We are rapidly transitioning to a new world in which computers are the centralized source of information from which we will draw our plans and develop lessons/lectures. I have used databases and spreadsheets in the classroom in the past. Primarily, I will admit that I have used spreadsheets primarily for the purpose of keeping grades. As a Special Education Teacher at Zoneton Middle School, I utilized the spreadsheet made available through the Infinite Campus database. From my own personal experience, I have learned that students love using spreadsheets as well, and they especially enjoy creating graphs (line, bar, pie, etc.) To be completely honest, I do not know how I will employ either spreadsheets or databases in the future. I'm sure it will depend largely upon where I am teaching, what subject matter, and what grade level. For the time being, I am willing to assume that I will probably use spreadsheets for the purpose of customized grade book record keeping, if nothing else.

Test Blog / Introduction

Shalom! Welcome to the launch of my brand-new blog. My hope and prayer is that you will find my blog to be both fun and informative, and I will do everything within my power to determine that it is never boring or monotonous.

My name is Nathan L. German, but most people call me "Nate." That's what my niece Samantha calls me, anyways, so it's pretty much the name that I expect others to use as well. I'm 32 years old, single, and very, very good looking and extremely humble. Extremely.

I do not have any kids of my own, but most people know that I love children--especially babies. I have two younger brothers and a younger sister (who is also a schoolteacher.) My niece Sam is one of the loves of my life, and I treasure every second I get to spend with her. I am determined not to spoil her, but I just can't help it most of the time. My last gifts to her were some rather expensive plush dolphins that I found during an Amazon search.

Other than children, I LOVE animals. At the moment, I'm torn whether I love horses or dolphins more. Last month, I spent two weeks in Florida, and I got to swim with dolphins out in the ocean, and also at Gulf World. Dolphins are pretty much My Favorite Things.

I earned my B.S. in Liberal Studies from Excelsior College, which is to say that I earned a general degree from a college that no one has ever heard of. I earned my M.A. in Theological Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and I'm currently registering for a Homiletics class at the Liberty University School of Theology (On-Line Seminary) as well. I have been enrolled at the University of the Cumberlands since 2007, just after I graduated from Southern Seminary. I am also a Captain in the Army Reserves, and I have been in the Army's Chaplain Candidate Program since December of 2003, when I returned from a year in the Republic of Korea (where I was the battalion supply and logistics officer for the First Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment, an elite air-assault infantry unit headquartered at Camp Casey.) In August of 2010, I will officially accession to the Army Chaplain Corps as a full-fledged, fully-qualified Chaplain. The Army has been one of the biggest influences on my young life. Thanks to the Army, I have traveled to and trained at Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Myer / Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia; and on and on. I have completed the Army ROTC Advance Camp, Army Airborne School, Infantry Officers Basic Course, and most of the Chaplain Basic Officers Leadership Course.

Looking back on my life, I can't help but think that I probably should have been a veterinarian. But, like most people, I'm trying not to let my regrets get the best of me. In fact, at least once a day, I tell myself that I WILL be a veterinarian some day. I just don't know how long it will be before I can make my veterinary school dreams a reality.

In my free time, my favorite past-time is reading. I'm currently reading "Refuge in Hell: How Berlin's Jewish Hospital Outlasted the Nazis," by Daniel B. Silver. I am a huge supporter of the nation of Israel, I love reading about Jewish history--everything from the Old Testament, to the Holocaust years, to the wars, to the present and beyond. I have never visited Israel, but I hope to one day soon.

When I am not reading, I am an avid athlete and outdoorsman. I like to swim, mountain bike, and run, and I do calisthenics every day (about 1,000 push-ups every day, no joke.)

My favorite author of all time is John Grisham, and my favorite book of all time is "A Time to Kill." Incidentally, my favorite book is also my favorite movie (starring Matthew McConaughey--my favorite actor.)

I'm a genuine country boy, and like most Kentuckians and Southerners, I LOVE country music. I'm a big Johnny Cash fan, and my favorite singers include guys like Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Gary Allan, the Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, and others. I like all the old timers too, especially Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Jr., Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson.

I am writing this blog in partial fulfillment of Educational Technology at the University of the Cumberlands. Whereas I feel I already have a strong grasp of technology, I am taking this class because it is required in order to garner my M.A.T. I have already taken quite a few classes at the University of the Cumberlands, and I am well on my way to becoming a full-fledged, fully-qualified teacher. I am scheduled to take the PRAXIS II on July 24, 2010, so please feel free to pray for me on that day.

I've been a teacher since April of 2005. I was a substitute teacher, a part-time middle school special education teacher, and a full-time EBD Special Education Teacher in an elementary school. My experiences have been rewarding, and I've actually enjoyed a few of the classes at the University of the Cumberlands. The last class I took was the dreaded (and mandatory) Research Methods class, and it was probably the hardest/worst class I have ever taken anywhere. I am half-way convinced that the class was designed to convince you to reconsider pursuing a Master's degree. I thought the class would never end! Fortunately, one week I actually got to work on my research paper while at a resort in Florida, editing my paper and chatting with my classmates while overlooking both the beach and the ocean.

At the moment, I am not employed ANYWHERE. I have been a teacher since April of 2005, but obviously, the current state of our economy is quite sad indeed. This past year, 2009-2010, I proved to be the best EBD Teacher that Shepherdsville Elementary has ever had, and I was able to personally witness my young students make tremendous strides forward that they had never even come close to achieving previously. In the true spirit of IDEA, I fully mainstreamed my students in regular education classrooms, and for the first time ever, my students actually worked hard and attempted to maximize their potential, if for no other reason than to get to spend some "free time" with me playing games, eating lunch, drawing, reading a book, or watching Cartoon Network for a reward. Thanks to budget cut-backs and personnel reductions, I was unceremoniously terminated at the end of the school year and the special education teacher with slightly higher seniority slid right into my spot (even though she'll be quite terrible even attempting to work with my old students.) I honestly feel that, without my influence and encouragement, some of my students may really suffer this year, even though the severest consequences may not be demonstrated for years to come. The kids that I worked with had some major issues, and students like that all-too-frequently prove to be statistics, ending up being drug and alcohol abusers and/or locked up in prison.

Anyways, I'm hoping to find a good job this summer for the 2010-2011 school year. I may or may not stay in Bullitt County, and I've already invested quite a bit of time working on trying to get a job in Hardin County. I actually tried to apply for a job in Florida (my favorite state), but unfortunately, my current certification in Kentucky isn't good enough. Maybe someday.

Thanks so much for reading my first blog. I look forward to getting to know everyone throughout the duration of this brief summer class, and I'm confident that we'll benefit from learning together. Take care, God bless, and Happy Independence Day!