Enjoy Your Winter Break

To: Everyone

**************And*************

*****And to All A Good Night*****


From: (ME)

++++++++++++++++Kimberly Pierce

My EDM 310 Blog Assignments are Now Complete

TO MY FELLOW PEERS: THIS JOURNEY HAS COME TO AN END. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME GOOD TIMES AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MORE GOOD TIMES. WE MADE IT THROUGH! I AM GLAD TO HAVE MET YOU ALL AND FEEL FREE TO SPEAK WHEN WE CROSS PATHS!!! AREN'T YOU ALL GLAD YOU CHOSE MS. AVERITT FOR YOUR EDM 310 CLASS? I KNOW I AM!!! WHEN I DIDN'T SEE HER NAME ON RATE MY PROFESSOR. COM, I DIDN'T KNOW IF I SHOULD CHOOSE HER OR NOT, BUT LUCKILY I DID!!! "THANKS AGAIN MS. AVERITT"!!! HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AROUND!!! K. PIERCE DON'T FORGET TO RATE OUR PROFESSOR SO OTHERS WILL KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT!

Electronic Contact

This assignment was more challenging than I thought. I had contacted three teachers weeks ago and no one responded. I was giving up until I finally chose Rex Moak, a physics instructor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College who I thought would be a good candidate for this assignment. I know what you are thinking, "He has a cool name, Huh?" That's not the only thing interesting about him. He lucked up on teaching and have been doing it for 18 years now. I beleive his story will provide many of you all with hope and inspiration to continue in this profession. Good Luck TO ALL of you!!! And thanks to Mr. Moak for the quick feedback!!!

(Below is the email I sent him and his response)

Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 4:15 PM
To: rex.moak@mgccc.cc.ms.us
Subject: Electronic Interaction Assignment

Hey, my name is Kimberly Pierce. I am a junior at the University of
South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I am majoring in education. A class I am
taken this semester requires we contact an educator outside the state
through the web. During this class I had interviewed a teacher who
specialized in podcasting her lectures. After viewing her site
www.molecafe.com, I thought it would be great to contact her inspiration
for becoming a chemistry teacher. The chemistry teacher I am referring
to is Mrs. LeGrove, a teacher at Mary G. Montgomery also located in
Mobile Al. She took your Chemistry II Class at Pascagoula High School.
She claims you are one of the reasons she chose to teach chemistry as a
profession. If you have any time, I was wondering if you can tell me who
or what was your inspiration for the field you chose and how long have
you been in your field.

Thanks for participating in my assignment, Kimberly Pierce

Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2008 10:26 am
To kc802@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
Subject RE: Electronic Interaction Assignment

Ms. Pierce, I would be glad to let you know my history. My mentor was actually my 10th grade Biology teacher, Dewayne Denton, although I had no intention of being a teacher myself. He taught me his first year out of college, and we were friends until he passed away last year. I was in industry for several years after college, working in the up and down cycle of the economy, and I was in between jobs and looking for employment when he suggested I teach temporarily while planning my next career move (the state was desperate for science teachers). I thought, Why not for a year or two? That was in 1990, when I started at Pascagoula High School and taught until 1997. Then I moved to the community college and have been here ever since. This will be my 18th year teaching (a little longer than I had originally planned!). Thanks for letting me know about Mrs. LeGrone. Her choicest words for me when she was in my class were, as I remember, something to do with Satan, the Devil, and being the biggest pain in her life:) Those are the students I really like to teach! It's always good to know you had a positive (hopefully!) impact
on someone's life! If I can do anything else for you, let me know.
Good luck with your project!!

Rex Moak

ACCESS Lab at MGM High School

I had no idea what an ACCESS lab was, let along, that it was being utilize in high schools in Mobile County before this assignment was given. Marlena Marsh, Kelsey Volzy, and I visited an ACCESS lab in a local high school in the area. Before we entered the lab I was thinking, “where are the computers ?” There were just long tables in the classroom. To my surprise, these students are provided with lab tops that were stored in a metal cabinet until needed. Lab tops in high schools, what’s next? I’ll tell you what’s next or shall I say what is already in the making?We were able to meet and talk with the psychology instructor at Mary G. Montgomery High School. His name was Roger Rose. His personal and general insight on the program ACCESS brought about many interesting and amazing points to surface. I began to think out the box quickly and understand the true meaning behind the “burp back” concept of teaching. From my understanding of things, lower and higher education will some day not exist in the classroom. Students will be able to log their computers at home and complete assignments. With the new equipment out there, they will be able to view their teachers online with web cam or listen to the lessons on pod casts.
He had an ELMO machine which was responsible for demonstrating manual work. The input on this machine was projected onto a large flat screen for the entire class to view. This machine would eliminate chalkboards and chalk. It would allow students to get a better view with little effort. He showed us something called a Kodak hub whose purpose was the same as remote control. It controlled all the equipment in the room and accessed other classrooms who were connected to this outlet. He showed us Murphy’s ACCESS lab through this system. He said it allows him to teacher psychology to students at MGM and Murphy through live internet connection. He can view the students while the students are viewing him. He said he teaches to several students through this live web because many high schools do not have a psychology teacher. This method could save our school system a lot of money. He also showed us ACCESS teaching tools on the web and suggested other teaching software to use such as Komposer, Hot Potatoes and FTP surfer. These software programs are all free for teachers to view and learn from.
During Mr. Rose’s tutor he suggested we go and meet with another teacher at the school who specialized in pod casting. Her name was Mrs. LeGrone. She pod cast all her lectures and has them accessible on her web page for her students to listen. She is taking pod casting with power points presentations to a whole new level. She said the only problem with this teaching method is that all her students don’t own a home computer. She said next year she will put her presentations and pod casts on DVDs because she believes every household owns a DVD player. This teacher is definitely thinking outside the box. You will find her page very interesting. Just click here.

Evaluation of My Experiences In EDM310

First of all, this is the first computer applications class I have taken during my college experience. Everything I was exposed to was new to me. I appreciate this class being apart of the Elementary Education degree plan. If this class was not mandatory, I probably would have not taken it with fear of doing poorly or not being able to understand many of the concepts covered. I am glad I took this class. I learned many new things I had absolutely no idea about or even ever heard of. I took proud in creating my own blog. I think using this teaching tool throughout this class was a good idea. I would much rather submit something electronic than manually any day. My printer ran out of ink during the summer semester but because we don't use printers for any of our assignments, I didn't have to stress about purchasing ink. Times are hard! I learned some simple things during this semester as well like downloading pictures, creating links, and making my blog user friendly for disabled individuals. I learned how to create spreadsheets with formulas, create a slide show, and utilize many of the tools under Google. Before this class, I never got on the internet. I never been on iTunes or Youtube. I created my first gmail acount in this class! I had no clue Google had so many free things to how with many projects for school and my classroom.

To find out what a pod cast was and then to ctreate my own was a great experience! Although I was very nervous and stressed about the whole idea, I am glad I went through with it. I also enjoyed making a customize iGoogle page for my students. My daughter was my first viewer and user and she really liked it. She stayed on there for a couple of hours. I had to made her get off. I had never heard of an ACCESS lab neither. I did not know technology in schools had escalate that much since I graduated high school. *************************AN ACCESS LAB I was a little disappointed we did not create our own website. I had already started bragging to my friends about it. I would have like to learn how to create a program that I could download all my students completed assignments and a create computer generated grade book that automatically calculated their grades and averages for me. Maybe in the furture I can take some courses to be able to create these things myself. I give this class an A- overall. Good Job Ms. Averitt! I hope we made you proud!

Plusses and Minuses of Blogs in a Classroom

The person whose blog posts I chose to read was Elizabeth "Ashley" Corley.She and I seemed to have the same experiences with blogging. We had never heard of a blog until we entered this class. Although we were new to blogging, we found it to be easy to manipulate and use. We learned they blogging can also be benefical to teaching and learning.

Ashley and I were group members for our pod cast assignment. In researching information on our topic "Blogs in the Classroom", we discovered they blogs in the classroom is not new. We just did not know about it. We saw how teachers were using this teaching tool in the classroom and confirmed that it would be a great idea for us to use it in our classroom as well.
The plusses of using blogs in the classroom is that it is an excellent communication tool. Students can critique their fellow classmates' work, submit assignments, and recieve assignments too. Burpback educating is becaming a thing of the past. Students were rather complete assignment on the internet than fumbling with some papers. Children these days are always on the computer. I believe integrate blogging into the curriculum would help me and my students.

There are always negatives to go along with positives. The minuses of blogs in the classroom is that, not every student has a computer at home. The internet can be safely used with the proper procedures or programs but the internet can be very dangerous to children. I find doing my work on the computer easy, but sometimes get a little off course with my assignments becuause of wanting to check other accounts that have nothing to do with my schoolwork. I know this may be a difficult task with students as well. They may start their assignment then start surfing the web if they became bored. For the most part, I still think using blogs in the classroom is a great idea.

TO read Ashley Corley's Blog Posts CLICK HERE!

Duke University Center for Documentary

I listened to Looking Back at 9/11 Across America: An Acoustic Exhibit Presenting American Voices in the Aftermath of the Attack from Duke University Center for Documentary Studies. As many of my classmates discussed, everyone remembers and will always remember 911. The people on this pod cast experiences were much different than mine.

I was in high school. It was 7:30am in the morning and I was looking for my track coach for our new practice schedule. When I opened the door to her office the gymnastic coach was standing at her desk listening to the radio. I proceeded to ask him “Do you know where McDade is?” He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and yelled “Shut up and shut the door!” I was in shock! I kindly walked out unaware with what was going on and continued looking for my track coach. Suddenly, the intercom came on and made an announcement of the first plane crash. I still did not understand what was going on. When I returned to my homeroom class, the teacher went into detailed the seriousness of what was occurring. I was finally getting an understanding of our country’s enemies, “terrorists”. It was a nightmare becoming a reality. This event changed U.S. History forever. What a tragedy! It made me feel angry, sad, and many other emotions all at the same time. But the question still stands, “Was or is going to war the answer?”

Classroom Podcast Reviews

I had been checking Ms. Averitt's page everyday until the pod casts were uploaded. The classes, for the most part, did an excellent job on our first pod casts. I was so proud of us. This was a great experience for me because I got to hear my voice recorded which did not sound much like a man as I had anticipated. The first pod cast I listened to was my group of course. My group members were Brooke Busby and Ashley Corley. Our discussion was on interesting blog we had discovered on the web that were utilized in K-12 classrooms as an educational tool. Ashley's sped read her part while Brooke read and free styled causing her to jumble up her words. I sounded like a robot reading from a script! Can anyone say "nervous" because we were very nervous. Although we were very wordy and our podcast was slightly lengthy, we did well.

Theola Hines and Larrica Smith's pod cast was hilarious. The girls just went with what they knew about their topic. They discussed the website Facebook being used as an educational tool. You could really tell that they did not do much reading which brought character to their pod cast. Another pod cast I felt was similar to theirs was Jill Revette and Matthew Cline. I was cracking up laughing when they did their performance. Their pod cast was discussed in a humorous fashion. Both groups tended to have some unplanned pauses but for the most part remained very entertaining and enjoyable.

Another pod cast I listened to was Susan Smith, Bridget Thompson-Hall, and Angela Minish. They discussed ALEX and ACCESS. You ladies did well with the exception of your strong southern accents. Some words were misinterupt because of those beautiful accents.

Last but not least, I wanted to applaud Keller Leathers, Rachael Beaty, and Joye Wiggins on their fabulous act. They performed like professionals. I was blown away! The only advice I have for them is keep up the good and try not to be so nervous. They seemed so natural but just a few words were shaky.

"Mathematical with Technology" Pod Casts

"Mathematical with Technology" pod casts created by Judy Chandler, a technology integration specialist, math teacher, and tutor for the the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, introduced many aspects of mathematical tips and ideas to assist students with their learning process and studies. Technology is booming in the classroom today, teachers just need to know how to include math technology into their lesson plans. These pod casts could be easily used as a tutoring tool. These pod casts could save parents a lot of money and time by allowing their children to utilize this necessity. I can imagine how some children's grades could have been even higher in math if this type of technology was available to them.One of Judy Chandler mathematical pod cast described how she intended to provide student’s with several integrated and advanced learning tools to challenge their math abilities and help them achieve higher academics. This new technology is used like an assistant to the teachers. Some teachers do not like this idea because they are not computer savvy. These pod casts seemed very useful in word problems with you must analyze and do some thinking. From my experiences and witnessing others, math word problems or any word problems in any subject are generally hard to interrupt and understand. Mathematics is the one subject no matter what a child wants to be when they grow up; math will always be used on a daily basis. It is important they children learn this subject well and be comfortable with it. Mathematical pod casts will provide children with that much needed confidence and extra attention that they may be missing.

I found these pod casts very interesting. I would have never thought that a mathematical pod cast would be so beneficial to a student’s curriculum. I also would have never thought that a mathematical resourceful pod cast was possible or feasible to learning the area of math. This method would not be a tool I would choose to use for myself seeing how am a visual learner, especially at math, I would rather learn with a visual pod cast not audio only.

"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets

"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets is a pod cast created by Psychologist Carol Dweck, a professor from Sanford University. This pod cast discussed the mindsets of our youth. Children can be so much fun, in that, many perceptions they have created are priceless. Many children believe in the word “can’t”. “I can’t do this, I can’t do that.” I think it is just so hard for a young minds to understand that they possess the power of their destiny. They are just use to someone telling them what to do and how to do it, they do not think freedom is an option. The “fixed” mind concept is the belief that they are intelligent and they feel smart even if they are not. I will forecast this message to my students by setting high expectations but most importantly provide the "growth" mind concept to allow them to feel smart and actually be smart at the same time.


The “growth” mindset believes the sky is the limit and will not allow anyone to hold them back or tell them that “can’t” regardless of the effort to achieve it. I believe I am a “growth” mindsetter. I will become an efective teacher and secceed in my career regardless of what anyone has to say. All it takes is dedication and determination.


There was a workshop conducted to validate the debate between controlled brain knowledge with “growth” study skills and just study skills. The teachers were able to tell the students that were exposed to the workshop with “growth” study skills by their academic achievement in the classroom after the study.

I loved the way the speaker related all this information to other topics for better understanding. That is what is so great about my experiences with pod casts. The speakers for the most part are very thorough and informative. I cannot wait to utilize pod casts in my classroom.

Click here to view it on Youtube

WGBH Podcasts

WGBH started out in 1951 as just live radio performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. "Today, WGBH informs, inspires, and entertains millions of people not only in Boston, but across the country and around the world. They reach their audiences at home, at work, at play, in the car, in the classroom, in movie theaters...wherever media is accessible. WGBH is the single largest producer of PBS prime including airtime and online programming, and a major source of programs heard on public radio from coast to coast. They are a pioneer in educational multimedia and in media access technologies for people with hearing or vision loss."

WGBH pod casts addresses grades k-12. The pod casts I viewed focused on individual topics or questions within the curriculum. I watched “What is a planet?” that discussed the activity in the solar system in great detail. These pod casts would be an excellent way to teach my students in the classroom while integrating pod casts too many subjects being taught. Another great thing is that the pod casts provide the information and also answers questions.

Being a visual learner, I found visual and audio pod casts more interesting and could easily understand the topics being covered. I find pod casts not only helpful for teaching my students but for my children at home as well. Instead of watching television all the time, I can provide educational based pod cast for enjoyment and knowledge. Many young children these days can surf the web better than many adults. Allowing my daughter to use the computer will only strengthen her skills. This would be great for students that may not understand a concept maybe the way the teacher is presenting it. It could give them a different perspective on the concept that they may relate better to or understand better.

Accessibility For All

Mr. Sullivan's presentation was very informative. I had no idea all the rules and regulations there were in providing public services to all people. Mr. Sullivan is an excellent speaker and developed his speech with ease. It was a pleasure to be his audience for his lecture. He knew the information very well. He has not let his disability be a handicap.
There are many challenges disabled individuals address to live like non-disabled individuals. When I thought about the society accommodating handicapped individuals, I usually only visualize wheel chair ramps, enlarged restroom stalls, and handicap parking. I guess that is what the media and my surroundings have only exposed to me.

I had no idea that I, as a future school teacher, had the authority or was personally required to make sure that all my computer software is handicap accessible. I never thought about, partially blind individuals, would utilize the web. It just never crossed my mind. I am glad technology is that advanced to be able to provide tools to assist the blind and others to use computers and do anything they desire.

I now know how important it is to do my part in making sure my computer websites are handicap accessible. I will definitely teach my students the importance of these procedures as well. Although it is the law, it is an honor to assist as much as I can.

Alabama Virtual Library (AVL)

Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) is a resource tool for researching just about any topic. This website is very handy to K-12 students, college students, teachers and actually anyone who is a resident of Alabama. To access this website, you need to register at any of the local libraries for a library card. You must bring proof of residence in Alabama and picture identification. If you are a student you can register at your school if they have that option. AVL contains magazines, newspapers, and journal articles from the internet database. If anyone should have problems locating a specific item or technical help, they even provide a technical support team for your convenience.

I will take a field trip to the library when I become a teacher to ensure all of my students register for a library card to receive this free benefit if my school does not provide the students this service. It will definitely save everybody some gas money. You can surf Alabama Virtual Library instead of driving to the library to do research. This will be a great idea to help my students with their studies.

A Night in the Global Village

The Global Village at Heifer Camp is a project founded in Perryville, AR. This project was created to bring awareness to light about the unprivileged countries around the globe. This project is a reality check for those people in the United States who don’t appropriate how well or know how good they have it in this country. A program called Global Gateway provides support to these needy countries. This project reconstructed struggles the countries are experiencing to have the children participate in reenactments of their survival skills. The camp is actually filled with people who want to end poverty and hungry. The camp provide programs on an individual and group level.
Groups of children get to spend the night in realistic camps without all the supplies needed like food, water, or wood. Each group will be subjected to one of the hardships found in Guatemala, Thailand, Zambia, the Appalachians, or refugee camps. The children, in one night, will get a reality check on the world outside of their own. They will mimic several of the many daily activities other countries’ children endure. This project will help children to understand what is going in the world today. It will let them know that they should be happy with everything they have and appreciate their lifestyle. This is a great awareness activity for children to experience. It is also a great lesson to integrate into your curriculum about learning the counties around the globe.

The Edible Schoolyard

Today’s society is providing our children with unhealthy foods. Families usually eat out or away from home. This pattern is affecting our youth. Our children need to be introduced to health foods and possibly participate in the preparation of their meals. Alice Waters from Berkeley, California felt we should take it a little further than that and incorporate health foods into our academic curriculum. At Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Waters created a learning environment that is essential to the students learning and diets, with the permission of the principal who thought it was an excellent idea. King’s cafeteria had been closed due to the overpopulating student body. The students were being served microwave bag lunches outside on the blacktop. Water suggested that the students plant and care for a garden on an acre surrounding the blacktops at the school. This would become their learning environment. She also reopened the cafeteria so the students could utilize it as a learning tool, cooking and eating the foods from the garden instead of the bag lunch they were receiving everyday. The students sit in the center of their garden learning many subjects and eating their home grown produces. “Children learn about the connection between what they eat and where it comes from, with the goal of fostering environmental stewardship and revolutionizing the school lunch program.” Waters believed children learn more when they are eating because they are using all their senses. This area of the school was named The Edible Schoolyard.

I really enjoyed the pod cast. It revealed so many unique ways to educate your students with something as simple as foods. This schoolyard also teaches students long-lasting life skills. I will definitely integrate a few of these activities into my lesson plans. One idea that I thought of while typing this post is when I teach my students their organic shapes, we can grow some fruits prior to the lesson. This will not only teach them science but provide them a health snack.