Response to Mr. Needleman's Video

I was so amazed at how these kids made their own videos. I kept thinking to myself ," if these young kids can do this, why can't I?"

Podcast Experience

I have to admit that I was not aware of things, such as podcast, ever existing. I was totally amazed at how the podcasts worked. Years ago, who would have imagined that you could learn from and listen to such subscriptions? Well, over the weekend, I got some experience with listening to the podcasts and learning how the world can connect in such a way.
The first podcast I listened to was SMARTBoard Lessons Podcast. I visited Teaching with SmartBoard #11 with host Ben Hazzard and hostess Joan Badger. I just could not get over how the two of them were in two different places, and having this podcast over the web. For several minutes, they talked about Ben traveling to Ottawa (who is from Canada). In Ottawa, Ben had received an award at a teaching conference for his thesis. They talked about him going into a market there in Ottawa and buying an Obama cookie.
My next visit was Kidscast #62, podcasting for the classroom. The host was Dan Schmit. Dan talked about video podcasting and made the statement, "You're doing podcast best using the medium." He also talked about a myth: "A progressive step in a podcaster audio is best for commuters."
Podcasting and Fieldtrips #53 was a podcast that I chose. The question here was"How can podcast help fieldtrips?" Well. in several instances, you can post things about the field trip that the students need to know ahead of time. Important facts and dates about the destination would be knowledgable for the students. He also mentioned to have in the podcast, "Why are we going here?" In all the podcasts, a teacher would like a response from the students.
I have to say that my favorite podcast was Manic Mommies. The two ladies that hosted this podcast are Erin Kane and Kristin Brandt. This podcast was under the title of Kids and Family. This podcast emphasized the everyday lives of motherhood, which I can totally relate to. One example in the podcast was a mother who had called in wanting to know if her son was ready for the reading of Harry Potter. Erin was in Rodchester during this time expressing her feelings about taking kids here and there and being at her in-law's house.
Lastly, I chose to go under the heading of music. Here, I found that MTV has a podcast. Basically, this podcast informs you about the latest information on celebrities and musicians. I found out that DJ AM (whom I did not know) had died and it could possibly have been a drug overdose. So, all in all, my visit through the podcast world proved to be very informative.

My Remarks on Mrs. Davis' Movie

To start things off, Mrs. Davis seemed to be well focused on her students. The class acted as if they were all there to help one another. I come from a rural area and I was amazed at the computers they had. I do not think the high school here even has multiple computers in a single room! This tells me how much technology is being taught.
The relationship between Mrs. Davis and her students seemed open. I liked the way she let students lead discussions. As much as I hate it sometimes, I know the best way to learn is hands on. She was a great encourager of the students using all different types of technology. I am sure the old pen and paper can get boring to eager students. I hope I can keep up with all the new technology. I don't want my kids to be teaching me how to do things later down the road.

My View on Creativity Presentation

I thought the presentation would be boring, but I was wrong. Mr. Robinson kept my attention the entire time. He really made some important statements about our children and their creativity. I felt very strong about the fact that we put so much emphasis on academics, such as Mathematics and English. We are hurting some students by doing this. A child may be lacking in academics, but is strong in other areas. Without being able to show us that side, we casually think they may have some type of problem.
"We are born in creativity and we grow out of it," was a statement made by Mr. Robinson that I will remember for a long time. He also mentioned how art was always at the bottom level of schools. Hearing what Mr. Robinson said has made me stop and think. I would not want my child stigmatized like he mentioned.

Response to Karl Fisch Video

I am totally amazed at what I saw in the video! I cannot believe how so much has changed over the years. I do not consider myself that old, but boy, I sure do feel that way after watching Fisch's video. It seems as if other countries are so much more advanced than the United States. What has happened? As a future English teacher, I was shocked to read that China will soon be the number one English speaking country. This is absurb!
As a parent, I feel that I need to keep up with the newest technology. By the time they reach their teen years, there is no telling what we will be introduced to. The part in the video," the number of text messages during a day's time exceeds the amount of people on the planet," just blows me away! This could be a little scary how things are progressing so fast.
I feel like Mr. Wakes at times. I often wonder why I did not complete my degree fifteen years ago. Things would have been so much easier then. When I entered this class, I was scared to death! Hopefully, that will change by the end of the semester. I am an older student like Mr. Wakes, and I am use to the old pen and paper note taking.

The Life of Autumn Wiggins

Hello class! I am going to tell you a little bit about myself. I have been married for ten years and have two little boys. My boy's ages are four and six. There is never a dull moment around our house! I have truly learned the meaning of "mom's taxi." My boys have art lessons, football practices and baseball practices, not to mention the everyday drive to and from school. We are constantly on the go.
I am a nontraditional student. If I can give any of you some advice, it would be to finish your degree before you start a family. Some days are harder than others, but it will be worth it in the end. I love my family very much, but there are days when I can't wait to get back to school.
I chose to attend South because of the convenience. I still have a drive, but it is a time for me to unwind and relax without any interruptions. I have thoroughly enjoyed attending school here. I transferred from Alabama Southern, which is a smaller community college in my hometown. Most of the classes here at South remind me of back home. I feel you get to know other students better, as well as the professors.
After attending school two days a week and running the taxi service the rest of the week, I hardly have time for myself. I do get in some shopping days every once in a while, which I enjoy. Most importantly, when the day is done and everybody is happy, I can sit back and know that my job for the day has been done!