Blog 6

One international school I found that used blog was Hiroshima International School in Japan. By viewing the school's blog, I realized that not only are they teaching math and science but they also have lessons aimed towards forming and maintaining friendships and maintaining a balanced lifestyle. The blog was mainly used to inform parents of homework, meetings, and important dates. There were no comments posted for any of the blogs. I did not think their blogs were as organized as the ones I viewed in the States.

Another international blog I found was a language teacher in New England by the name of Lisa Stephens. I found the blog to be very hard to understand. Some of the blogs were in English, while others were in a foreign language. I thought there were to many blogs that were not arranged in any kind of order. I definitely would not take the time to participate in her blogs because its not well organized. I am not sure if the blog was for students or teachers.

Blog 4

The world is becoming more and more computerized everyday. After reviewing the video presentation I was able to obtain knowledgeable facts regarding human and the vast growing world of technology.

Many people would take part in agreement, that countries such as India, China, and the US, are among the richest and wealthiest in the world. The truth is that neither are. Great Britain is the riches country in the world. Great Britain is the center of the world's business & finance. They have the strongest education system among all other countries and maintains the highest standard of living. However, it is predicted that in 10 years, China will become the number one English speaking country in the world.

According to the U.S Department of Labor, 1 in 4 workers has been with their current company less than one year and 1 in 2 workers have been with their current employer less than five years. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today's youth will have 10 to 14 jobs by their 38th birthday. College majors such as News Media, Organic Agriculture ,E-Business, Nanotechnology, and Homeland Security didn't exist 10 years ago.

Based on the video message, we are currently living in exponential times. In order to stay ahead of technology education, the world is currently preparing students for jobs and technology that don't exist. Thus parents should become even more active in learning technology. By being aware of the learning tools, teachers are able to prepare children for the 21st century. Parents should speak with the school board to obtain the learning resources need in order to prepare their children. We as U.S. citizens, need to actively take part in educating ourselves,as well as, our children in order to be successful in the 21st century.

Blog 5

I was surprised of how much blogs are used by student, teachers, and parents. For example,Bartlett High School in Illinois, uses blogs to keep everyone informed on what's going on at school. They have links to several informative document for parents, teachers, and students. Students have easy access to the bell schedule, sporting events, and lots more. Their principal,Dr. Kelvin Skinkis,uses blogs to address students, faculty, and staff. Students can also access their different classes. Each subject area has a list of its curriculum and goals. There's also a listing of the teachers along with their email address. What I liked most about this site was a memorandum of a formal student that was killed in Iraq on September 18, 2008. I thought that was a great way for the school to acknowledge a graduate and fallen soldier.

Another school I found that used blog was Jackson High School in Jackson Alabama. Unlike Bartlett High School. Using blogs was not school-wide. there were only two teachers using blog. Ms. Kimbrough, a ninth grade English teacher, used blog in order to communicate with her students. She believes that blogging is a educative fun way to get the students involved with written expression. The second teacher was Coach Hilt. He is an history teacher. Coach Hilt uses his blog to give students short history related question that they have to email to him. After watching the video "Shift Happens." I think that's very important. It allows Coach Hilt a chance to integrate history and technology.

Blog 3

I think the website, accessdl.state.al.us/showaccess,is an excellent site for high school students. As a high school teacher, I've seen an astonishing number of students dropping out. We currently have close to 200 freshmen at our school. It is predicted that less than a 100 of those same students will complete their high school education. I find this to be very sad. With programs such as ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators & Students Statewide)students in Alabama are given access to many resources that they will need in order to gain their high school diploma.

One resource of ACCESS that I think is great is the fact that student would be able to take Advanced Placement(AP) courses. By having these courses available, it allows students to take classes that may not be given at their school. By giving students access to these courses, it also gives students in Alabama an opportunity to take part in more challenging courses that will prepare them for college.

ACCESS is also a great site for teachers and students. This site provides teachers with innovative ways to motivate their students. Many students in our schools today lack motivation. I think its a teacher's responsibility to motivate his or her student.

I would definitely recommend this site to both parents and students. Many times parents are unaware of programs such as this one. Programs such as ACCESS provides students in Alabama to reach their highest potential by providing them with the necessary resources.

Week 2

I found the website http://alex.state.al.us to be very informative. There are many resources that would be beneficial to teachers. The information I found to be the most beneficial were the "Alabama Course of Study," the lesson plans, and the professional learning site.

My first year teaching, I learned the most important thing is the "Alabama Course of Study." I was given an "Alabama Course of Study" book that was a little bit overwhelming. There was too much information coming at you at one time. However, this site provides the same information, in a much more simpler way. It gives you the option of choosing a subject, as well as, a grade level. I like this a whole lot better than reading through the book. I would much rather read the information online, rather than "looking for" a book.

I also found the lesson plans to be very helpful. My first year, I had a very hard time devising a lesson plan. I had absolutely no idea of how to organize a lesson plan. I would often spend an entire week working on the following week's lesson plan. Whereas, veteran teachers where devising lesson plans overnight. This site contains lesson plan on everything from Physical Education to Science. You simply find a subject and topic of your choice. I will definitely be using this site to help me create my lesson plan.

Another useful tool was the site designated for professional opportunities. This site provides all the information you need to know about the AMSTI program, a math and science initiative program. It even provides a list of school that participates in the AMSTI program. The professional development provides teachers with all the critical information need to become successful teachers. I think having a site where there are numerous of grants in one location is very time consuming. It avoids spending time hunting for grants.

I would highly recommend this site to every teacher. It provides everything you need to know in one convient place. It saves time on locating information. Its also very east to comprehend!