Adding a Picture

This is Dave Grohl, he is the lead singer of the Foo Fighters. He ROCKS!

What a cool video!

The video was very interesting and thought provoking. It shows just how important technology is to the world. So many people are using computers and the internet not only for fun but to communicate and to educate. As computers are becoming more important in this world, it is becoming a necessity to have at least some computer skills. Also, as more programs are being added that do more complex things, computer knowledge is going to have to go deeper. I thought it was great when they brought up the point that students from different countries are collaborating on projects. It is important to work with people with different experiences, ideas, and backgrounds.

This video did open my eyes in many ways. I realized that they were absolutely right about having schools teach computer classes so that students can function in 21st century society. Most people are being exposed to computers at an early age. For those families that cannot afford a computer however, it should be up to the schools to pick up the slack and make sure all students are computer literate. If students aren't exposed to computers in school, they will be at a loss when they go out into the world. Most jobs they get will probably require them to use a computer. Also if they decide to further their education, most colleges have registration online, and many professors have the students use e-mail to submit assignments. It is essential that all students know how to use computers!

I wish I had ACCESS when I was in high school!

Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide (ACCESS) is a great program that gives high school students in Alabama distance learning opportunities. ACCESS offers many online and blended courses, that cover many subject areas. This gives high school students access to AP courses and courses that their school may not offer. One of the greatest things about ACCESS in my opinion, is that the students have a greater responsibility for their learning. It is also great that all of the courses are ran by certified teachers, the best of the best. Also these courses benefit students with different learning styles. Video conferencing is also an important part of ACCESS. This is a two way system that can link two classrooms that are in different parts of the state. This way schools can help each other better serve their students.

I think ACCESS is very important, and I will definitely use it when I am a teacher. Even though the online courses are for high school students, the video conferencing could be very useful in an elementary school class. I think that after teaching them a concept it would be helpful for my students to watch how another teacher teaches the same concept. This will help them see the concept in a new way, and may help those who did not understand it the first time finally grasp it. It would also help me develop professionally to see how other teachers teach, they may have thought of a way to convey a concept that I never had. ACCESS helps to link schools so that teachers can all benefit from each other.

ALEX is amazing!

The Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is a great online tool for current and future teachers, but also for parents and students. It is an incredible resource and has so many things available. First of all, the site has a large amount of lesson plans that are submitted by teachers. They sort these lesson plans in many ways. You can look for a lesson by subject, grade level, or a key word search. There is also a section for web links. They list a great amount of links to other sites that are helpful to educators. Also there is a section for professional learning, which gives educators the resources to better themselves. Finally there is a personal workspace. This is where teachers can join the site and upload their own lessons.

This is the first time I've ever even heard of ALEX, and I was amazed at what a great tool is it. I think ALEX will be extremely useful when I begin teaching. I can go on ALEX and see examples of how more experienced teachers create their lesson plans. Also if I am having trouble thinking of an activity for a certain concept, I can check ALEX for examples. I will also be looking at the professional learning space quite often. When I am a new teacher I will use this space to help me learn about professional development opportunities and new teaching techniques. Then when I am a more experienced teacher I will contribute to ALEX to help other new teachers.

All about me!

I guess I'll start with why I happen to be in this class and go from there. I am an elementary education major here at South and this class is required for graduation. I transferred here from Anne Arundel Community College which is in Maryland. All of my immediate family still lives in Maryland. I live with my fiancee, his sister, and two of our close friends. I'm a full time student but I also work part time at Books-a-million. If I'm not at school or at work (which seems to happen rarely) you will usually catch me reading or playing video games. My favorite video games of all time are the four Metal Gear Solid games. It's hard for me to pick a favorite book because I have read a lot of good ones lately. I just got done reading Bruce Campbell's second book which was hilarious. I also have 2 dachshunds which I consider my children, their names are Scooby-Doo and Shorty. I was really excited to take this class because I love computers. I've used computers since I was little and got my own in high school. I love learning how do to new things on the computer and I'm sure I will make use of what we learn in this class. Other than that I can't really think of anything else that's interesting about me.

Blogging

So this is my third blog. My first was a Xanga and I used it quite often in high school. When Myspace rolled around however, I abandoned my Xanga. When I got my myspace I pretty much stopped blogging because there was so much other neat stuff to do. I'm kind of excited to have a blog I actually use!

Hello

I'm Leah, welcome to my blog!