Karen Smith LMO.MAC Blog Aug 2010

LMO Wk #1, 2nd Comment. Lori Irwin

2010-08-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

This article was written by Karen Gocsik for the Dartmouth Writing Program. The point made that stood out in the beginning was discussing the differences between high school and college writing. There are valuable tools given in high school that will serve you well there, but once you get into college it is not sophisticated or flexible enough to provide a sound structure for a college paper. It must be written clearly providing an interesting topic that meets the requirements of academic writing. One must construct paragraphs that are coherent and focused.
There are three main areas that need to be covered when developing an academic paper. The one is make sure the writing is done by scholars for other scholars. Once you enter into the world of college you begin your journey as a scholar so you fall within that category. Secondly, the paper must be devoted to topics and questions that are of interest to the academic community and must be more than just a personal response. Lastly, the writer must present the reader with an informed argument.

My comment

This is a well written article and it was very timely to read it. It ended with a very good comment about the difference between what is real, true and what is an opinion. This was very timely for me and I needed to read this at this time in my life. Thank you so much for sharing that with me and anyone else who reads it. It is amazing how we sometimes see exactly what we need to see at the time we need to see it. Wow. That just shows how great God is. He shows me things I need to see and evidence. Keep up the good work.

Aug LMO Week 1, 1st Comment Sharon Hawn

2010-08-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

The importance of knowing the history of instructional development is crucial, for the future designers of instructional media. Within Wikipedia’s article, about the History of Virtual Learning Environments, it began in the year 1728. With only seven noted years mentioned prior to 1920. It can only be assumed that there wasn’t a lot developed during those periods or instructional development had a lower degree of importance to be noteworthy enough to publish such findings.

Sharon,
That is so true. My father always said History Repeats Itself and people need to know where we've been to understand where we are going. It makes sense. Today, there are researchers in many areas, checking out history, culture and more, to learn how to tell industry, fashion and even education, what they need to be doing to keep up with everyone else. Thanks for your words.

LMO Wk # 1 Aug 2010 Smith Karen Alphabet Soup and Connectivity Video

2010-08-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

It was said that we could be come experts in this, baby experts, but I like that. I know that learning systems and organization is such a big part of what is happening in education and if I want to be a part of this, not a straggler at the end, but a leader in my school and when I'm teaching workshops in the state and at national conferences, I must be aware of the best ways to make our students be the learners they should be.

It is not enough to say, "Well, I taught it. If they don't want to learn it, it's not my fault." I believe it is. We need to dangle the right carrot in front of them to make them want to learn it." When going into third grade, one doesn't understand why learning cursive AND multiplication tables is necessary. One could think that just adding it all up was just fine. . . Until one could know that 7 x 8 was 56 without standing around, adding the number 7 to the number 7 a total of 8 times. So, learning is the same way. Let's find out the best way to learn this and be better teachers.

Here is my Alphabet Soup Video, an Analogy using Stars and Stripes Forever, by John Phillips Sousa. (Trivia: My husband's High School's First Band Director was a retired member of Sousa's Band.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcGwjPPgWxQ

LMO Wk 1 August 2010 Smith Karen # 1 Connectivity

2010-08-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

The video made was on this subject and in deciding to write about this, it was to make it clear, and not redundant when reading and watching both.

Students can learn when reading, watching videos, looking at charts and all the other styles of learning that are on various subjects. Using the word, read, when discussing the various styles of learning, will suffice for them all in this article.

A student can read and then write what they have learned. Reading is one form of learning, but it is a fact that if one reads and then writes what they have read, it helps the learning to become their own knowledge, rather than just what they read. Reading and then doing something that formulates what the article was about will also do the same thing, but even more so. Sometimes, one cannot "do" as easily as they can write on the subject. (Meier)

Students who listened to Podcasts from iTunes made a good grade, better than the ones lectured to, in class. But, the students who listened to the Podcast and took notes did even better than the others. (Perez)

If one puts that with the benefit of reading what others have read and written, one is able to learn from all the things the others have read, which makes it even better for them. That is the connectivity. The fact that one is connecting with the other students in what they have read, learned, written and/or experienced makes it better than just listening to a lecture. The teacher may be excellent, but one cannot learn more than what that teacher has to offer that way.

Even at Full Sail University, the class of August 31, 2009 - Sept. 3, 2010, has taken 10 classes, counting this one. One teacher has taught twice. There have been 2 teachers who lectured during Wimba with very little chance for asking questions and no chance for discussion. Those are two classes many feel they did not learn alot from. That is sad, as one of those classes had a remarkable teacher. One could tell the instructor had so much to offer, yet, in talking the entire time, did not give students a chance to ask questions of the confusing areas and with a couple of other confusing areas of instruction, made it difficult to learn as much as possible. Too Bad. The other class. . . well, it seemed the instructor liked to hear his voice. While it was easy to pass the class, there was not much real learning in the class. As long as students regurgitated the material back to the instructor, the students did well. There was not connectivity in that class.

Most teachers at Full Sail On line do a wonderful job of making students learn to learn from each other. Well done.

Connectivity is such a wonderful way to learn from the instructor, the materials of other wonderful instructors and from the other students. Being able to offer what one learns, yet be able to listen, learn, read and develop more ideas from other students reading, even the same materials, makes learning such a n open ended opportunity for growing one's brain and mind.

Meier, J, Sound It Out, http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies. (2010). WETA, Washington, DC.,

funded by grant from US Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.

Retrieved June 5, 2010.

Perez, S., http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/itunes_u_proves_better_than_class.php. Retreived

Add caption

June 5, 2010. I Tunes U Proves Better than Going to Class.

August LMO Week 1 Smith Karen The History of Online Learning

2010-08-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

When reading the history of virtual, online or distance learning environments, it is obvious there are very few things listed from 1700 – 1900. The earliest appears to be an advertisement of March 20, 1728 for persons who desire to learn the art of short hand. Teachers will instruct these people using the mail as the delivery system.

As one who took this art of shorthand in person, it appears to be one that would be difficult to learn in letters sent back and forth. There goes on to be the next time a virtual learning environment is shown is in 1840, when Isaac Pitman began teaching shorthand, using Great Britain’s Penny Post.

There was a period of 112 years between the two postings. It would seem that it did not catch on to teach people in this manner. It had, there would have been many more postings of people teaching people through the mail, or by courier before 1840.

Whether it was due to the fact that the wealthy people could afford to hire someone to come to the home to teach them and that many of the people without a lot of money, were also without a lot of education. Some may not have been able to read well, so sending anything by correspondence would have been futile as non readers cannot learn in a correspondence manner without being able to read. (Lambert, T.)

Britian was becoming more literate in the 1700’s, although more was happening in Scotland than England. IN that 100 years, Scotland’s literacy rate went from 45% to 85%, while Englands literacy rate went from 45% ro 63%. (Smith, F. 2004)

In America, most education was in the home for rich families and and poorer families went to town schools. The boys in the south sometimes went to school outside under the trees.

It is very interesting to see the one advertisement for learning through the mail in the 1700’s (the 18^th Century), then, 112 years later, there is another documentation of teaching through the mail. 34 years later, another one appeared, followed by another one only 9 years later, and one more 9 years later. Those 4 took place over a 52 year period, from 1840 – 1892, the 19^th century. The next one appeared 14 years later, in the 20^th century.

The 20^th Century is broken into various periods, due to the amount of listings becomes greater. From 1906-1929, 23 years, there are 4 contributions.

Nothing is listed in the 1930’s, then, there are 2 listings for the mid 1940’s, (1945 and 1948).

1953, in the midst of baby boomers being birthed, is the first college TV classes for credit. They ran 13-15 hours per week, and by the mid 1960’s, they had clocked more than 100,000 hours for education on the television station. This happened in the first public TV station in the USA, at the University of Houston. Over the next 6 years, there were 6 more documentations of TV learning, machines and articles devoted to learning in various ways.

The 1960’s has so many things that happened, there are paragraphs for the various year. 1963 and 1943 have 3 for each; 1965 has 5, 1966 and 1967 have 3 and 1967 has 3, 1968 has 4 and 1969 has 8. That is 29 contributions in 10 years.

The 1970’s has things for every single year, totaling 44. The 1980’s totals 70 things. The 1990’s growth is primarily due to the internet and the world wide web. At this point, how does one count all the things that are happening on the internet? It would be almost impossible to count all the growth on the internet. Much more than we can possibly imagine, as all groups are reaching out, trying to figure how the internet can be a part of their world.

The year 2000 has 20 listings, 2001 has 15, 2002 has 13. 2003 has 4, 2004 has 9 and 2005 has 14 listings. 2006 has 8 and 2007 has 9. The information in this website (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virtual_learning_environments)

stops at this point.

When one looks at the numbers alone, it shows how slowly the virtual world of teaching information began 300 years ago and how it began moving along at such a pace that when the internet became a part of it, there was no way to keep up with that part of it.

The world has continued to find ways to teach and as one looks through their email each day, one can see even new things showing up in one’s own email letters. When people say this is a new way to go to school and get an education, it is a slight understatement.

Lambert, T. Local Histories, !6^th Century Education, Education in the 17^th Century.

Retrieved June 4, 2010, http://www.localhistories.org/education.html.

Smith, F. (2004). MacroHistory and World Report. Britain in the mid-1700;’s.

Retrieved June 4, 2010. http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h29-fr.htm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virtual_learning_environments. (2010).

Retrieved June 5, 2010. This site has over 70 references and I’m

unsure of how you document this one.

Means, B.; Toyama, Y.; Murphy, R.; Bakia, M.; Jones, K. (2009), Evaluation of Evidence-Based.
(2010). retrieved August 3, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-learning.

Week 4 publishing my AR report - the computer isn't responding.

2010-08-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

My computer is doing everything it can to be very bad.

The little colored wheel keeps spinning and taking a very long time to do everything.

I haven't been able to get my powerpoint into the idisk. I am still trying to get that done.

I have other work still not working..

I see that the problem with finding my discussion questions was a problem with the website, so I wasted time redoing that.

I didn't want a bad grade again because of missing a question.

Today has been frustrating. I did go to church, but now I'm questioning my wisdom, but I hate to miss church, so I am hoping that won't make me make a bad grade.

I promise, the rest of the day I have worked.

I did not call FSO to get a ticket number. I contacted them once, on ichat to see if it was working and it was, but they were very busy and went back to the person they were helping.

My time will be up in 7 minutes, but I will continue to try to get this powerpoint into the blogspot.

If that doesn't work, I am going to try a different route.
Thanks,
karen smith

Wk 4.Presentation of AR Project at FEMEA Summer Conference, Aug. 7, 2010

2010-08-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

I am going to share my Action Research project in another week, lots of work to do, getting handouts ready, movie on the computer, board, etc.

The Florida Elementary Music Educators Association Summer Conference is going to be held in Jacksonville, FL on August 7, 2010 and I will set up a "science board" by the registration table and do it at the beginning of the conference. I was going to do it during the Lunch time, but we decided I could choose either time, or at the end, and feel this is a more effective time as people come in over a longer period of time, as I will go when we set up and will be there as they trickle in, eat food, visit, etc.

I would be there then, anyway, as one thing I've learned as being a board member, when you go off the board, you aren't really off. Especially when you were on it for 11 years! Whew! So, I would be there anyway, helping set up, and this way, I'll help some, and be at the table, by registration table and share with them as they come in. There will be some new teachers there, as we always invite new teachers to come free of charge, just so they can find our organization and get to know us and see how valuable it is to be a part of your professional organization. We are a part of FMEA, which is a part of MENC, which is the National Organization for Music Educators of all kinds, band, orchestra, vocal, elementary, jazz, guitar, recorder, Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze and more.

I'm a member of AOSA (Orff), The Recorder Association, and the Research Group of the Orff Association. But even those are associate members of MENC.

Wk 4.Comment 1 Amanda Beery - the Blame Game - chap 10-12 The Art of Possibility

2010-08-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

Week 4- Chapters 10-12

Ah, the blame game. My students would do better if the teachers they had last year taught them more, their parents were more involved, we have more money to spend on them. I have what I have and I am given the students I am given…I can find excuses for why they aren’t performing at the highest levels or I can look for ways to help them achieve more. I choose to look for ways to help them achieve more.
I like the idea of thinking of myself as the board, rather than a single chess piece. When I am in a situation that I am not happy with or frustrated I should look at where I am and how I got there…then determine what I can do to change the place that I am in.

What, me blame my self? When there are so many other people we can choose to blame? Aw, that doesn't sound like much fun! Seriously, you are right. I had to write a letter to Joe a week ago, putting blame on me for not seeing that discussion 1 and 2 were different, even though the titles were the same. I thought he had made a mistake and had just done 1 two times. BUT, who can you blame when you didn't actually check it out and find out they were different? Oh yes, that would be ME! I could only blame me. It made me mad, too, as I hate not making a 100%, especially since I could have and would have made a 100% IF I HAD CHECKED IT OUT! But no, I blamed Joe for making a mistake.

Week 4 Art of Possibility -Chapters 9-12 What a Book!

2010-08-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

It disappeared. I just answered this blog and my computer took it away. So I'm on my second writing of my answer.

You might say, hmmm, you should have put it on a word document, as they told us about this. No, they didn't tell us about THIS. I'm using blogger, not the discussion board on FSO. It shouldn't disappear. But, it did. And it does it to my word documents, too.

I have re-done many of my answers though this year 2-4 times. I listened in Wimba list night , or read someone's discussion. I don't remember, but they said they work about 4 hours a day and 8 hours on weekends. I wish that were true for me. I probably appear to be a person who puts things off til the last minute, as so much work gets turned in at the last moment. The irony to all this is I begin things in enough time that I should be able to have it go in early.

One teacher actually took away 20 points of my GPS due to work not getting in 2 days early, as he changed MY due dates to 2 days before it was due. I still didn't get it in on HIS time. I was also in trouble for: getting ticket numbers from FSO people, for having a sore throat (I had to get doctors notes, even though he heard my sore throat in a video we made and he made me redo it, and didn't understand why it wasn't redone a few days later (my voice was still horrible). Oh yes, the other one was I didn't attend a Wimba, that I was there the entire time, but he didn't record it so that I could prove I was there, by my notes I wrote in it, or the conversations I heard., after the text box disappeard and I couldn't write anymore. It made my grade drop down.

So, now, I understand that even though he did that, judging me the way he did, I can now understand it better if I treat him as though he was the drunk driver who hit me. I will have to rearrange my thinking about that class. I have really bad feelings about the class, even though I learned a few good things from it and even have thought of telling one of the schools here about something I learned in there. there has just been no time, due to this computer.

I haven't even had time to try to talk to Apple about the fact that it really is a lemon and needs to be replaced, as I need it, even though it's horrible. So, one day, I'm doing to have a Mac that works and I will hardly know what to do with my time, because it will be a time saver, not a time waster.

I actually defend it to PC users. I may say something about it and they will say: Well, that's a Mac for you. I will remind them that Mac's are wonderful. I tell them how great the programs are. My problem isn't with Apple. It's only with this computer.

When I saw in the back of the book, Behind the Coda, is a list of stories and the page numbers, I was excited. The stories are so powerful. Wow. When I read about the courage of the King of Denmark, and that he would be the soldier to take down the Nazi flag, knowing they could just as easily shoot him, too... but didn't. WOW

When me mentioned the book about when a door closes, another one opens, that is part of my special Bible verse that I love. I Cor.10:15: There hath no temptation, taken you, but such as is common to man, But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Isn't that so cool?

This book raised much thought. Like when the kids were making noise on the roof and others wee out in the wrong part of town,, after they were supposed to be in and Ben Zander called the meeting. Many things could have happened, and he was wrong to not give the kids the Plan.

Teen Missions, my group I take kids on trips with for all summer (but not this summer!), always tells us (leaders), Make a Plan, tell the Kids the Plan! If something goes wrong, they know the Plan and will help with it, and they do help. I know if we treat wild acting teenagers in the way they "deserve". we aren't helping them to grow any. Many times we may think we are being helpful, to punish and give them what they deserve, but God, didn't do that to Adam and Eve. He did punish them, yes, but even with the pain of childbirth, comes this wonderful amnesia. We don't forget it hurt like crazy, but as we hold our precious babies, we know they are worth is and, we know we will do it again, if we get pregnant again.

I think that is powerful and I'm ashamed to say, I didn't always react the right way when raising my 3 boys, when working with my teens in the summer and even with my K-2 students at school.
I have made mistakes and some of them I am really not proud of, but you can certainly know those are painful memories and the thought of them brings not only remorse, but a sense of "let's get this right, this time."

Today, our pastor talked about our responsibility of raising our kids and not messing up. Well, I know I messed up some, but I am so proud of how they have become adults and know that even with my mistakes, some right things happened and they learned how to make good choices (not without some mistakes, of course), but still, in using local vernacular, "We done good!" (oh, that hurt, just writing those words!)

I know I've rambled, but this was a great book. Thank you for giving it to us to read. I loved it and I hope I've learned from it. One thing I know is it needs to be read again, maybe this should be one of those once a year books, right before school starts.

I saw 3 of my students at the grocery store today and they said they couldn't wait for school to start. I told them I've already been thinking of my lesson plans and I am going to start with spanking everyone and throwing them in the garbage can! They all laughed and as they were hugging, they said, Yea, I love music class with you! Not even such a silly remark could make them think I would really do such a thing to them! They know what ever we do, they are going to love it. They are so trusting. I have a huge responsibility, of teaching these children the standards, and doing it with love and such enthusiasm and fun that they catch and keep that spirit.

Thank you, Joe. Thanks for quitting the phone company and becoming a teacher.

Presenting my results from AR Project

2010-07-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

I will be presenting during the summer conference of the Florida Elementary Music Educators Association. It will be an informal presentation, set up, like a Science board, with handout sheets for participants who can come by and check it out, during the informal lunch break from the National Clinician who will be conducting our presentation.

During the lunch presentation, various people who have done projects set up and share. It will be a small gathering, with only about 400 in attendance, so it is not a real big deal, but it will be nice to share what I've learned.

Week 3 Comments 2 Joan Lournenco - Lighting A Spark

2010-07-24T19:38:00.003-07:00

Lighting a Spark. It’s about the kids.

I wasn’t sure which chapter I would write about but Chapter 9 spoke to me and helped relive a few experiences I had when trying to light a spark. While my experiences are not as grand as Zander’s account of Arthur Andersen’s support and the Philharmonic impact, this story helped me realize that it is important to light the spark and pay-forward from my universe of possibility to our students.

Two years ago, budget decisions and union seniority policies led me to my present school. I was at a wealthier, more prestigious school and was used to arranging an author visit each year to help connect students and reading. My new school did not have this practice, nor did they have an auditorium for such events. Prior to my transfer, I had arranged for an award-winning young adult author to visit our school, but now that the transfer had taken place, I asked my new principal if we could piggy back off the author visitation and she agreed, knowing this would tap into the school’s small budget. I received a few community donations and so the planning began. My principal was excited the kids at this lower socio-economic school would have this opportunity. Here is where Zander’s story triggered my memory. Not having a facility at our school to handle a large group presentation, she arranged for bus transportation for our students to the near-by State Park (Rainbow Springs State Park) and set up a flawless schedule for the busses to pick-up and return the students to the school and take the next group. I was amazed at her enrollment, leadership and commitment to the students. Zander’s description helped me see how, “Enrollment is that life force at work, lighting sparks from person to person, scattering light in all directions.” I am grateful to have my principal’s support to help scatter the light to our staff and students.

Last fall, I wrote a grant that included an in-house poetry slam for our students (another first) and allowed for a musician and nationally renown slammer, Iyeoka Okoawo, to visit our students and perform for them. In this way, they would know what a slam was like. Again, not having a facility conducive to entertaining, we used the gymnasium. The experience Zander describes in Chapter Nine of the performance in the gym at Eastlea was similar to ours. Some teachers were disciplining and carried the low expectation level described by Zander, while others were delighted to have this opportunity for the students. When it was over, an overwhelming amount of students awaited Iyeoka’s autograph and a minute of conversation. Was the gym ideal? Absolutely not. Was the experience memorable? Definitely. Her visit was a thumbs up experience.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's great! I remember the first time I got an artist grant from the state of Florida. I called all the elementary Principals in the area and told them I was applying for it and if I got it, we would have to pay 1/3 of the cost of the artist, which was $250. All said they wanted her, except one school who wanted her for 2 days, so I wrote the grant for the flutist, Donna Wissinger (AWeSOME!) to come to our county for 9 days. It was great, as none of the teachers knew what to expect and only saw it as a bother, until they took them to the program, and then, they couldn't stop talking about the program she put on and how amazing it was. The kids were mostly spellbound. (A few acted up, but not bad!)

So, I understand how great it is when something goes so well, and the kids learn so much from something very different. Donna came back to my school this past year, this time, with a grant written by the local college and she was just a great for these kids. The only difference is they saw her during wheel ( music, science lab, PE, ethics class, library) and the teachers were on their planning and most didn't come in to see her so the kids got alot, but the teachers didn't do any follow up since they didn't see what the kids learned.

So, we just keep working and always remember the kids are who we do it for! thanks for all you do.

Week 3 Comments 1 Keith Lay's writing on Chapter 7 of the A of P.

2010-07-24T19:38:00.001-07:00

Keith Lay's writings from Chapter 7, The art of Possibility

MAC wk3 The Way Things Are Give Way to Passion

Benjamin Zander discusses "The Way Things Are" in Chapter 7 and "Giving Way to Passion" in The Art of Possibility. This is the core of Buddhist teachings as well, as well as a large body of counseling/psychiatric practices.

After working lots a factory line and retail jobs through my early 20s, getting paid to do things that I really loved was such a joy. I became one of those people who find themselves on an upward trajectory for many decades. I taught college in my 20s and was lucky to be in teaching situations which invited new ideas. After a successful stage in commercial music production, I came to Full Sail at age 32 to teach Synclavier Digital Music system. I had a lot to say about how we could improve the curriculum. Again, I was taken seriously. Moving to Music History and Introduction to the Media arts, i poured ideas and love into very successful courses. Allowing Course Directors to create their curriculum invites ownership and passion. Such passion danced in step with growing notoriety in the field of classical composition and a healthy beautiful family.

But what goes up always comes down. A great boss means everything, I found, because not all of them welcome creativity. I moved up in the company carrying the assumption that I was to do what I'd done in the past - find creative solutions. I felt called to bring heart and a feeling of overall community to an unrecognized and neglected faculty and staff. Instead, I was to be a yes man, not allowed to push back. I was so naive to not know this! Crashing has such a hard won wisdom.

Accepting the way things are requires meditation and honesty. Such processing is helpful with a trusted spouse or friend. The pain involved might be something like what a tree feels when being pruned. It is necessary for health - and absolutely painful. Understanding your own part in things that go awry, uncovering unwholesome desires for status and access - Leaving something of yourself is like dying. Rebirth follows. Anyone who holds onto their spark has to get good at this process. I struggle with this daily.

The way through is holding out for our passion. But, passion can be confused with desire which leads back to disillusionment; which must be pruned off. And patience. Sometimes you know you're in the wrong place, but must wait for the time to leave to ripen. That's where leading from where you are becomes a powerful practice. Finding possibility in the narrow places. Crashes and the pruning have reshaped me. My passion for teaching is stronger, my artistic and scientific directions clearer. Top Gun Keith has died - and, as hard as it has been for me to accept this, my life is again full of sparkling possibilities without those beautiful folks flying the DC3 in the clouds (so far from reality).

My Comments:

I found it interesting, but not surprising, that we both wrote specifically about Chapter 7 and I quoted the Bible and you mentioned Buddhist teachings. I have found that even when we think religions are very far apart from each other, they just are NOT that far apart. Yes, there are differences, but there are also similarities. I think this shows it. You went to a low spot, so did I. But God brought both of us through those spots and they probably won't be the last ones. Pretty neat. Thanks for your writing.
Karen

Week 3 My extra blog - My computer Stinks! But I love Full Sail.

2010-07-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Karen and Her Beloved Mac Book Pro :-)

Joe was great. He told me now was the time to get my computer fixed, since I didn't need any movies, etc.

So, I called Apple, and they said back it up. It took 2 days and nights to get that to work. Many phone calls to the External Hard Drive company, and finally, it was mostly all saved.

I sent it Friday, July16th. They had it by Monday morning and I had it back by Wednesday afternoon. That was fast. They replaced 4 things.

1. USB thingys.
2. The track pad
3. The cd/dvd drive
4. something else, not sure what it was.

Guess what. The track pad doesn't work. I thought it did, but it doesn't really work. It does a tiny bit more than it did, but after being on the phone with Apple for over an hour today, they said: plug your mouse back in. We will repair it again, when you have time to send it in.

Why can't they just give me a different one. You would think that since I started trying to get it fixed ever since I opened it (almost). At first, I thought it was me, being stupid about not knowing Macs.

Then, I called the tech support at FSO, over and over and over. Finally, in October, I called Apple again. (I called once before that, but didn't complain because I thought it was me).

I opened it Aug. 28th, started class on Aug. 31. It was a problem from the beginning. The screen was too big, the buttons didn't work, etc.
It has done so many things wrong, that it gets to be almost a joke.
I have wondered, what would it be like to get a degree from Full Sail when your computer does what it's supposed to? What is it like to have ichat work? What is it like to have idisk work? What is it like to have iWeb work? What is it like for the track pad to work? What is it like for word and other programs text boxes to stay still, and not rotate from left to right and right to left, like a spinner in a child's game?

Even this Lit Review, I have written it over and over again, because, even though it was saved, when it left the computer, it was gone and I had to start over again. True, I think it's gotten better each time, but it would have anyway. It is so hard to start from scratch. So, this is my

WOE IS ME BLOG about my computer this time. I'm so sad that it got fixed. . . yet it didn't. . . . . .
Unless, my oldest son is right. He has decided that I have something in me that just wrecks the computer. That I can't help it, it's just me, and my body will always wreck the computer. I've almost decided that he might be right.

If I didn't want this degree, if I didn't like almost all of my professors, if I didn't like that I'm learning something. . . then I would have given up on this degree. It is really important to me. So, I continue.

Week 3, Art of Possibility Chapter 7 - reminds me of my story

2010-07-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Being the way things are by clearing Judgements

When I read that, about things might seem bad, but somehow, there are reasons for them, that is my story.
First, my Favorite Bible Verse (and I have alot that I like), is:

I Cor. 10:13 - I memorized it in King James, I like to read modern ones, but I love to memorize in KJV because it is so poetic and rolls off the tongue.

There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man, But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. I Cor. 10: 13.

Two famous sayings come from this, you may have heard:

1. When God closes a door, he opens a window (or another door).

2. God never gives you more than you can handle.

The example in Chap 7 talked about things happen and we don't always understand why they happen.

Here is an example.

Feb. 15, less than 2 weeks after we buried my mom's husband, grandfather to my children (my Dad died when my oldest son was 5 months old, and she remarried 2 years later, when she was 53.). We came home and discovered I needed surgery from when the stage at school collapsed back in October and I had been in physical therapy since October, for my knees, my shoulder, my hand, fingers and arm that had no feeling. The Dr. said I needed shoulder surgery and I did the pre-op things on Valentines Day, surgery to be Feb. 16th, and the house burned down on the 15th. We lost everything but the clothes we wore, what was in my car, and we found 6 little figurines that had been through kilns in Peru, Venezuela, Hungary, Germany, plus a tea cup from my wedding china and delft from Holland.

We stayed with Tim's Mom and I had the surgery. I put my medicines on the kitchen counter near my mother in laws meds. I noticed she had not taken hers in the time she should have (I'm nosy), and then I noticed she kept asking questions over and over. It turns out she was in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

We were able to get her started with the meds she needed and also, were able to begin making sure she took her other meds, too. We were able to see the love people gave us. One family even gave me a recorder, because it was the only musical instrument they owned. One family gave us a dining table AND an antique sewing machine because she knew I lost antiques in the fire. WOW!

We need to always see the other side. I had to stop working on my lit review to take an elderly woman some CD's my son is selling, to make money for his trip to Syria (he leaves Tuesday). I took them, and ended up staying for almost 4 hours because she needed to talk. It turns out her husband is about in the same situation my mother in law is in and she never gets to talk to people who remember what she says. Her husband was our assistant superintendent for years, so it's difficult to see him like this. I pray I can get this lit review finished as those 4 hours were important for work, but how could I leave her? I think I was meant to be there, so I am praying God will help me as I work on these references to get them into APA order, in spite of the computer NOT working after getting fixed and my eyes are getting worse, not better. Whew!

Anyway, this was an encouraging chapter. Not only it, but chapter 8, while good, wasn't as good as 7 or 9, to me. Chapter 9 was so good, as it talked about the player who tried out and didn't get principal, and went to Portugal, I think, and got ti because there, he played like he should. We should never give up.

Why Apple can't just exchange my computer and give me one that works, is beyond me. I would like so much to have a day with a computer that works the way it should. When I hear others talk about being able to do things once! WOW!! And the ones who get to use ichat, etc. WOW!

I really would like to know what that is like. I am slowly beginning to hate this computer, although I really like Apple. Oh well, The Art of Possibility. . . . maybe it's possible I will learn something from this.

Wk 2, Comment 2 Keith Lay . Rule # 6

2010-07-17T12:01:00.001-07:00

The Art of Possibility - Contribution - Leadership - Rule #6

To contribute is human; whatever we do affects the communities to which we belong - whether consciously or not. Even a smile is a contribution. When we deliberately contribute to a chosen community in a positive way: that is, to give time, energy and attention to it - it is a valuable gift. However, this only works if the contribution is done out of pure generosity - or as Zander puts it - from the 'central self'. This part of us has many other names: Heart, Soul, Inner-Fire, Spirit, Small Clear Voice, God Self. No outcome is desired by our central self so we are not hurt if the gift is rejected, damaged or unnoticed. Teachers have a large capacity for this kind of contribution.

The calculating self, on the other hand, has an agenda when it comes to giving: there is always something it desires in return. When we contribute to be recognized as a more enlightened person we are doing it in order to improve our standing. The assumptions such a gift is made with is an 'it's all made up anyways' purely calculated construction to create or support a belief in ourselves. When this kind of contribution is rejected our calculating self is hurt. What a challenge this brings to living! Our corporate, social life in the US requires our calculating self to effectively navigate. We naturally fall to this mode of thinking in order to get our work done. This in turn defines our social status and/or income. This in turn can repudiate our calculating self-esteem. If we are doing something for a job other than what we believe in, we have dis-integrated and stress between the two kinds of living creates confusion and ill health. What a challenge it is to live true to one's central self in today's world because you have to be willing to surrender everything you own or have achieved.

Coming from a poor family from a poor area, I had always been mystified how smart and capable 'lower class' folks could be content with their financial scarcity and lack of social status. I spent much of my life climbing ladders and proving myself to the world. I wanted to make a mark! I wanted better. I learned most about myself when my work was rejected, my reputation damaged, my career sabotaged by another. My calculating self was hurt - and my world teetered. Leading from every chair, low or high, by contributing with the central self is the answer to the mystery of how 'poor people' can live in contentment. Those folks knew what I didn't all along.

This challenge of living is so much easier to do if I JUST FOLLOW RULE NUMBER SIX !!

Posted on Saturday, July 17, 2010

Keith, You did it again. I like to read what you write. I was poor growing up and not much better now. There was a real neat thing about mine growing up and that was somehow my parents made it all seem just right that we were growing up the way we did. My Dad was a Sgt. in the Army. Of course, Sgts. just don't make the money that officers make. When you move, you can't even take the same amount of weight, unless you pay for the extra, and how can the people who make less pay for more? Also, you live on post and the officers live in the nicer apartments or houses.

I remember in 3rd grade, in Fort Hood, TX, one thing my mom did was make Doozies for us to drink. We lived in an apartment complex of 8 apartments in each group. They seem big because each one had upstairs and a basement, 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. All the kids would play in the big backyard and there were at least 8 or 9 in a big circle with a big grassy area in the back circle that was everyone's back yard. There were always lots of kids out playing and all the moms would bring drinks out for us on hot summer days. Mostly water. But my Mom made doozies with the magic spoon and my Daddy's dirty socks. She made a big pot of drink and when you stirred it fast and let go, the wooden spoon turned and turned all alone! Hence, the Magic Spoon. Kids couldn't wait to see the magic spoon work.

Also, she told us why Doozies tasted so good, and it was because she put my Daddy's dirty socks in. We all squealed and moaned and groaned, but she pulled out all the little tupperware cups and we all got some of the best drink we ever had! Kids went home talking about Doozies!

I later learned that lightweight wooden spoons turn in circles when you spin them fast. As for the dirty socks, my Mom put various types of koolaid with frozen orange juice. It made all the difference in the world. My daddy had the most famous dirty socks in the neighborhood.

To think my Mom's fun and imagination made Koolaid and frozen orange juice with all the water added for the Koolaid and frozen OJ, made a nice, cheap, but good for you drink. I never felt poor. Afterall, kids came from far and wide to drink doozies.

My Mom and Dad must have known the Rule already.

Wk 2, Comment 1 Travis Franklin Rosetta Stone

2010-07-17T12:00:00.001-07:00

http://web.me.com/mrfranklin17/MAC_Blog/Welcome.html

Rosetta Stone Project for ELL Students - Travis Franklin

I am very excited about this optional blog post because I have some exciting news from my class to share. It is interesting that we are reading this book for this program because I have felt the frustrations and self-imposed disappointments that are mentioned early on in this book with my school staff and administration over the past few years that I have been there.

I teach in a low-income school, which I love, and we are so blessed to have such rich personalities among the kids. However, there are a majority of our teachers who view these kids as hopeless or unteachable so they choose to do activities with them that wouldn’t challenge another student 2 grade levels below so the kids can feel a false sense of success. This is until they take our state and district testing and score poorly because they aren’t prepared. The give these kids an F to begin with it feels like.

I have taken it upon myself this year to change, in my class at least, the atmosphere of how we view learning. I have gone out of my way to apply for and receive as many grants as I could this school year to enhance the learning experience and engagement level of my students.

Besides the iPod touch grant that I received which is the focus of my Action Research project, I have just received news that I have been funded for another major project to begin this fall. I applied for and received a Pepsi Refresh Your Neighborhood grant for $5000. My project is to bring the Rosetta Stone language learning software into our schools to use with our growing ELL population. The amazing thing about this is that these kids will have access to professional and authentic learning experiences that I am just not trained to provide. I initially thought that I would take the money and buy the CDs for my classroom, but I found out that with my money I can purchase their Manager software and put it on the school server so all of our kids can access it. We can create as many user accounts as we would like and track and monitor the progress of all of the students using the software.

I am extremely excited about this opportunity and will be blogging more about how this is goin. This will be my own mini Action Research project next year, for no credit other of course outside the fact that these kids will finally be receiving the teaching that they need and deserve.

Wow Travis!

I don't think I've visited your web site before. The first thing that impressed me was you have the same order of importance in your life that I do. My Lord and Savior, Jesus, My Husband and family, My job, My other things in life. About 20 years ago, I had a principal who didn't like that order. She informed me that I had my priorities mixed up. My job should always be first. I explained to her that my job is very important, BUT, if she wanted me to be the best Music Specialist around, and she did think I was a very good teacher, then my priorities HAD to be in that order, or I wouldn't be a great teacher. When she didn't respond, I softened my voice, because I had gotten a bit higher in frequency, and I said that Jesus is my Lord and Savior and He is the one who made my husband my best friend through college, leading us to marriage. I then told her that she hired me based on the fact that she had watched me teaching in Grand Ridge ( in our county), as Band Director and Elementary Music teacher (it's a country K-12 school) and that she thought enough of my teaching skills to want me at her school. I then said that she saw me with Jesus first, family second and my job was third. If she was that impressed with the job I did in Grand Ridge those 10 years, birthing 3 babies during that time, then she wouldn't want me any other way. I asked her was there anything I did wrong? She said to make sure my next on site concert at a grocery store (business partner) needed to be Christmas songs, because she remembered that I didn't do any Christmas songs at all the last time we sang there. (she said it very Uppity), so I said that of course we were singing Christmas songs (it would be the second week of December) and if I had known she wanted Christmas songs last time, I would have done them, but it probably would have sounded funny being we sang there in March. She never said another word about my priorities or what we sing when we do programs.

So, that aside, I'm excited about your grants. I don't know what ELL is. I'm sure it's like ESOL or ESL (English as a Second Language). My middle son, 26, and his wife have just moved from Malawi (Chichewa language) to Uganda (Swahili), so while in USA for a couple of months to work at Teen Missions and pick up USA teens coming to work this summer, they purchased the Rosetta Stone for Swahili. They are also taking back my 3rd grandbaby they have carried. We are praying for a healthy baby.

Baby number one ended up being a tubal pregnancy and she fainted in a store at 3 months, while I was in Nepal.. Hannah was born a year ago, May 26th and lived an hour. Both sets of grandparents were driving but didn't get there in time. Their local friends decorated the labor room and had a birthday party and the photographers association, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, had a photographer waiting and he took a family portrait of them, and both happened in the hour that Hannah lived. 'She and the other baby are in heaven. They have not been given good chances, but the Dr put her on 8,000 mg of Folic Acid ever since Hannah died and that gives them a 2% chance of a healthy baby. Last week, she spotted some, but the dr said the baby appears healthy and they found a wheel chair to take back to Africa. They even had 2 nights in hotels and one airline, from Washington DC to Ethiopia gave them first class seats so she can recline. We don't know, but we know it's in God's hands and he is the only one who has control over this baby. We are praying for a healthy birth and life, but we have put them in God's hands.

I came back from Haiti in time to get to see them for the Commissioning Service and they even got to go eat lunch with us, while the assistant leaders watched the team, before they left the country.

So, I am excited about your program. God loves my grandbabies in heaven and he loves your and my kids we teach. I am at the only elem. school in my town, except for a Christian school with about 200 students K-8. I teach over 850 k-2 students.

One year, a Kindergarten student told me I was saying her name wrong. It was after Christmas. Her class pronounced her name wrong and so did her teacher. When the child pronounced it for me and I got it right, I wrote it phonetically, as it was not pronounced the way you would think it was. When her teacher came to get the class, I told her she and I had made a big mistake in the pronunciation of her name. The teachers' response (and most of our teachers NOW are not like this), said "What does She know? Their names are so weird now, how is anyone to know how to pronounce these names?" She never learned to say it right, but I got the kids to learn to say it right.

I've taught long enough that kids have grown up and thanked me for respecting them, their families and their homes. Some are now bringing me their kids to teach. Some come to me with babies, asking how to sing some of the songs I taught them, so I've started a night class, one time only, twice a year, for parents to come with babies up to 2 and I will teach them to play with their babies musically.

Most kids who hear music as babies can already keep a steady beat and match pitch without being taught. I know that anything you do to help these children will be a plus. I know there are alot of teachers who love the kids as much as you do, but there are some who are jaded, tired and lost their memory of why we are teachers. Some have changed careers, in FL, and can teach if they can pass a test. They want the vacation we have. But there is no light in their eyes, in wanting to help the poor, dirty, smelly children we teach. They can't help the fact that no one gave them a bath, or has taught them how to bathe.

This past year, when I mentioned parents reading bedtime stories, he said, "do you read to your boys?" I have pictures of my family in the room, I have pictures of all 3 boys as Kindergartners and I have a family picture as teens and pictures with their wives in wedding dresses. He didn't think about them being grown. When I said I read to them every night unless they were spending the night at grandma's or unless my husband read to them, he asked if he could come live with me. He doesn't think anyone has ever read to him at home.

Sometimes, our hugs, our stories, our songs, our love are all they get. Fortunately, there are alot of children in poverty homes with good parents who try hard. Some of my poor kids are some of the richest families in my town.

I need to learn about getting big grants. I always apply for a mini grant for fine arts teachers, but it's only $200. I will pray for you and your job and ministry with your kids.

By the way, Teen Missions could use you on summer teams. Check it out. http://www.teenmissions.org

My sun is leading the upper nile team in Uganda. I've gone on 1 team, in 1973 and led teams, 20 of them, in 1974 and 1976, plus the other 17 were in 1991 - 2008. I've volunteered a few summers, at Boot Camp training when my husband didn't want me gone all summer. I plan to go back next summer. I didn't this summer because of our masters degree, so I went to Haiti for a short trip and last summer, I wasn't emotionally ready to go days after burying my granddaughter, so I went to Scotland to a place I've been befor, and led Football Camps with a Christian slant. I'm overweight due to meds I have to take and do NOT seem like a soccer player, but I got some of the teen street kids to help me, as they remembered me from 2001 and 2002 when I was there before. A young Christian man, a football coach in Glasgow, adopted me as a second Mom back then. He now works with the Paisley Pro team, St Marion, or something like that, and helped me in a tremendous way. I spent 5.5 weeks there last summer, but I didn't start until my grandbaby's funeral was a month old.

So, Keep up the good work. Try to not get discouraged about all that happens at your school. What you do is important and makes a difference.

Rosetta Stone image taken from Rosetta Stone Web Site

Wk 2, Post 2, The Art of Possibility 5-6, Leading from anywhere, Monkey See and Do

2010-07-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

My second entry is about the other chapters. Leading from any chair is really good and I’m glad to say I have done that before with very good results. When I take my teens on these mission trips, I get so many different types of kids for these 8-9 weeks. It sounds like a long time, but it really isn’t. During the training, we are very busy with learning, and are on such a schedule that very little can be done in this area. When we leave, that is when we get to begin doing things like that. We put the kids in charge of many different things. Of course we are there to take over iuf needed, but even that needs to be done quietly. Usually the kids just need to know we are there and can take over if needed, but that happens rarely.

Chapter 6 is about rule six “ Don’t take yourself so seriously”. I love rules like that. They make a point. Simple. Clean.

I know there is a poster out in many areas, but 39 years ago I had never heard of this before and never saw the posters until the past 15 years. My band director used it and I loved it. If you have heard it, and you are reading this, you will have to hear it again.

There are only two rules in my band room.

Rule # 1 – The Band Director is always right.

Rule # 2 – When the Director is wrong, refer to rule # 1.

Again, It’s simple and clean. Here is a perfect example of it in use, the right way, not the dictatorship way.

We went to his hometown in North Alabama to play a concert. He had always wanted to do that. We took up the stage, back stage and half the floor of the small auditorium of the small, old school. The entire town turned out for the concert as Johnny Long had begun his career at Troy State University with 13 band members and it was now in it’s 20 something year of 250 +, playing at inaugural parades in Washington, 3-4 major football games halftime shows with at least 2 minutes of air time, playing for at least 1 bowl game during the holidays, etc.

At this concert, he invited some big wig AF director to guest conduct a march. The man totally messed up while directing, skipping repeats in some places, and adding repeats where none were written. He didn’t do this in the rehearsal with us, but for some reason, in the performance, he messed up big time.

We followed the rule, though, the director is always right and somehow, the entire band followed him through his mistakes, so the audience never knew there had been a mistake. So, in the end, no one was embarrassed, we sounded great, he saved face and all turned out well.

I’ve shared this with my students, telling them that when one of us make a mistake, we all do OR, we all don’t. It’s up to us to anticipate the mistakes and try to all go the same way. Which way is that? The right way or the way the director is going? Follow the director and do you best to stay together. In the end, no pointing fingers as you only followed the 2 rules and you did the right thing.

My small children can hardly do that. They sing almost programmed. If I make a mistake, it doesn’t matter, as they are going to sing it the way I taught them to, and if I mess up, I can find my way back to the right place.

BUT, once we sang at the state capital. We were the youngest group chosen to sing at Florida Music Educators Associations: Music Education Day at the Capital. We sang in the rotunda. Upstairs, on the 3^rd floor, a deaf group was there asking for a new law for the deaf and saw my kids signing a song. They made it to the ground floor before the song was over and when it ended, indicated they loved the song. I signed thank you and began interpreting all the songs for them while directing. I’ve done sign language with my kids so much, they just began copying me, through every song we sang. They were real troopers. They never acted like it was different than what we practiced. They just thought I was signing with them, just like in the classroom. At the end, the deaf contingency was so impressed these hearing kids could sign an entire concert. Even they didn’t realize the kids were just copying me, for the first time, on all songs but the first one they saw.

That was such a great experience of kids just doing what I do, needing no explanation. They did it because I did.

Now, back to rule number 6. Does that mean I am the best teacher ever? I trained these kids to be so great, I taught them sign language so wonderful they could copy me? Oh yes, Rule number 6. Don’t take myself seriously. No, kids love to copy. They are little mirrors and tape recorders. This is how they learn. They just did the way the Good Lord made them. I just happened to have a great group of little monkeys who knew how to do: Monkey see, Monkey Do, Monkey does the same as You. In other words, Rule # 6.

Thanks for introducing this book. I am really enjoying it so far.

Zander, The Art of Possibility
Graphic found in Google under: Rule Number 6, from Zander's Art of Possibility

Wk 2, Post 1.The Art of Possibility 4-6 "We did it THAT way in our old group"

2010-07-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

I was struck with various things in each of the chapters, as I read them, The Chapter, Being A Contribution, struck me in one small sentence, but in a big way. It was in the Dinner Table Game, where it is talking about each person, in the game of contribution, He had this remark to make:
                 When I began playing this, I found there was no better orchestra than the one I play in now,
                                         no better person to be with than the one I'm with.
     I take teens on mission trips in the summers (usually, this summer is the exception due to our classes!). We have some teens who raise support and do this for 2-6 summers. It is hard work, but very rewarding. Some kids get to our training we have for 2 weeks, before we leave the USA. During that time, we have classes in blocklaying, digging, hammering, tying wire, etc.
     They also have classes on washing clothes and us in a bucket, etc. and we introduce several NOT WANTED characters. People like Love Sick Lil, Dirty Donnie. BUT our worst NOT WANTED character is always Last Year Larry who always begins sentences saying, "Well, Last year, we did this....., or Last year, we sang these songs...., Last year, we built the orphanage this way....., Last year our leaders let us go buy candy every day, etc.".
       People who always look back at the other group they learned to love, can't ever find time to learn to love the new group, the new leaders, the new country, the new customs, etc.
      If Last year Larry would instead, come to Teen Missions with the contribution idea, he would come saying, " Last year my South Africa team was wonderful and I loved it. But that was Last year, and now, I'm on the Peru team. There is no better team than my Peru team. No better leaders than my Peru leaders, No better team mates than the Peru team mates."
     What a fresh beginning. Of course last years team to South Africa was great. You worked hard to build a school for a village and you helped the AIDS orphans with a house for the 2 helpers to work with the 500 orphans in the 2.5 miles circle. Last year Larry, you can say, " I was on the best 2009 team ever".
   But NOW, you are here and should say, "I'm here on the Best Peru team ever! I'm on the best 2010 team ever. We are going to do a great job. we have the best leaders, the best team, the best work ethics, the best children to play with, the best trinkets to buy. We will even take the best pictures and have the best stories to tell. Why? Because this is NOW AND WE HAVE THE BEST TEAM.
        That one sentence was such a revelation to me. Our kids need to see it more as Contribution. according to The Art of Possibility.

Zander, The Art of Possibility, Penguin Books, Pages 57-58.
Bland, Director. Teen Missions International, Inc. http://www.teenmissions.org
Teen Missions Icon from their web site.

,

MAC week 1 Comment 1 had to be done on PYawn's 4th blog, not first. thanks.

2010-07-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know what is wrong with my computer. I can't see anything written, except the comments. I also can't see the picture you put on, of your class. so, Instead, I commented on your 4th blog, which I could see.
P. Yawn's blog site.- blog number 1 is the one I couldn't see. Blog 4 is the one I wrote about. Thanks.

Smith Karen Mac Wk 1 My Free Comment 'I Am An A"

2010-07-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

I used the statue of Grey Friars Bobby, found in Edinburgh, Scotland.

When his master died, he went to his grave and laid there for several years, until he finally died.

Animals weren't allowed in the cemetary,

but they finally made a law that allowed him to be in the cemetary with his master.

If we could learn to be that loyal to each other, wouldn't it be a wonderful world?

www.greyfriarsbobby.co.uk/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I ended my comments on the book, The Art of Possibility", discussing a horrible situation from college days, so many years ago (1971-1975), yet, as I wrote them down, thene feelings of horrible work, the feelings of horrible grades, the feelings of horrible things being made to do, all came back with such a rush of emotion, that it brought back that horrible feeling.

I did NOT like that time, that professor, the things I had to do (and in todays world, wouldn't happen), that I forgot to talk about the wonderful things of the book, in Chapter 3 that actually made me think of the things I wrote about.

If I had the professor of Chapter 3, it would have been a different time. Instead of feeling inadequate, like I couldn't be smart enough to make an A or a B, even though I actually had the points for it, I would have felt smart. I would have felt like the work I put in meant something, when in fact, it didn't mean anything to that professor.

In turn, my parents couldn't understand that when I said "Mom, I had the same grade as the ones who made a B and was one point away from the one who made an A", she found it very hard to believe me, when she is staring at the slip of paper that said I made a C and in my major!

I understand now that teacher was a moron and did not have our best interest at heart. Just like when he told some of the boys in the band he wanted to date one of his students, the little clarinet player. (one turned out to become my husband, but was a best friend at the time.) I found out, much later, that the guys decided since he didn't teach them their major instrument, they would gang up on him. They did and told him he better leave ALL his students alone.

I think the professor in the book, "The Art of Possibility", had such a better idea when he chose to give all his students an A.

Even if you are given an A and then with REAL cause, not make believe ones, the grades are moved downward, that is fine.

Of course, doing it after the class is over, when grades are shown and done as far as the students are concerned, would be very wrong. It would only be ethically correct to reduce the grade during the time before the grades are finished. When that final grade is given a student, that should be it. If a teacher is just trying to "get" the student, it would be wrong.

But the teacher did a really neat thing, an idea, an experiment, to give all A's to the students. The students felt a sense of accomplishment to have such a great plan of action set before them. It gives a real feeling of accomplishment and I appreciate it, especially since I did NOT like the way things were going back then

Smith Karen Mac Wk 1 Comment 2 The Art of Possibility (K. Lay)

2010-07-07T18:18:00.001-07:00

MAC wk1 A Recognizable Convergence of New Thought

The first three chapters of the Zander's book, The Art of Possibility (2000), restate an idea that is resonant in recent psychology, neurology, social science, spiritualism, physics and education which is: We have constructed a left brained world, and our health and survival depends on our learning how to integrate the right side, and body as well. In psychology, it emerges as techniques to integrate our many intelligences with our experience. In Neurology it is the discovery of the true nature of knowledge and perception (Jensen, 2008). In Social Sciences it is the understanding that the scientist must interact with their test groups, because they cannot be isolated from them (Budiani, 2003). In Spiritualism, Eckhart Tolle (Tolle, 2005) and many others teach that the insanity around us can only be transformed through surrendering our ego (left brained construct) to the emergence of a larger consciousness (integrated brain, body, awareness). In physics, the understanding that observers are in measurable relationship to the outcome of particle collisions and that all matter and energy are in relation (Zukav, 1984) - pointing to the possibility of infinite number of universes (Stenger, 2000).

Zander' and so many 'convergence' authors agree that many skills of competition strangle our creativity by constructing a reality built with limited sensory input into assumptive self-storymaking. This is basic modern psychology as well as ancient Eastern religious science. We only see and octave of light frequencies, missing a great deal around us. Our left brain creates a narrative out of disparate, unrelated sensory input that has been connected with our right brain's pattern-making ability. The book's premise is that understanding of the house of cards nature of our constructed experiences is crucial to our ability to break free from rat-race competitive, stressed-out lives and move into a more creative and engaged life.

I like witnessing this great convergence of science and spiritualism. Employing Zander's 'possibility' in real life is good for everyone: in business, in our relationships and in our self-understanding. I created a similar mentor based, non-authoritative relationship to my classes teaching popular music history, as well. I explained to my students that music is their experience, not mine, to place a 'now' importance of our class meetings in perspective. I explained that my opinions about music were irrelevant, and that their awareness of the many styles of musical expression they had never heard to be a great gift. And, of the music itself - the fact that no music style is 'better' than another, and that every listener is attracted to their music according to their unique mix of intelligences, experiences and desires. That concept recognized their own personal passions for music, as well as their future audiences'.

But we have a ways to go. Engagement with the emerging concepts requires careful navigation in today's world. Bringing such new techniques into the workplace or the classroom would bear fruit, but would first require a complete overhaul of our assessment system and governing values. Giving an A, for example, as described in "The Art of Possibility is a beautiful technique, but is not an assessment. An "A" is a measurement (old world), and as a measurement conveys how well the students met the goals of the class. The 'Giving an A' is rather a technique of providing each student ownership through their own creative self-visualization (new world). Inspiring students to the possibilities of the class outcome is quite brilliant, but itself is 'out of the box' in most education assessment methods. It may only work in music or physical education because they are demonstrative and imminently assessable. For example, either you can play a piece or not. Either you play that piece expressively or not. Either you can demonstrate 10 pull-ups or not. Musicians abilities are exposed. This cannot be said of most academic education where assessments are only made on specific objects (papers, projects, etc.) made for the purpose of assessment. There is no way to measure how much is retained after each assessed object. I do not believe that our society is yet ready, unfortunately. There are too many citizens who could not subscribe to subjecting their children to such life-changing concepts in public school, outside of their chosen religious, familial or political circles - and their voting voice is just as strong.

___________

Budiani, D. (2003) personal interview regarding COFS

Jensen, E. (2008) Brain-based learning: the new paradigm of teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

Stenger, V (2000) Timeless Reality: Symmetry, Simplicity, and Multiple Universes. New York: Prometheus Books

Tolle, Eckhart (2005) A new earth: Awakening to your life's purpose, New York: Penguin Group, Inc.

Zander, B., & Zander-Stone, R., (2000) The art of possibilities: Transforming professional and personal life. London: Penguin Books.

Zukav, G (1984) The dancing wu-li masters: an overview of the new physics. NY Bantam Books

COMMENTS by Karen

Interesting, the way you put the words of Zander and the words of Tolle. I actually had not even considered them being even close, but that is what is so neat about reading things, and then, seeing the way we see them, feel them and think about them.

It's true that some of the most important parts of music are things that are difficult to grade, such as putting the expression in the piece you are playing.

How does a clarinet instructor teach the student to put feeling into Mozart's Clarinet Concerto? You just really can't. You can play it for them, let them hear it on a great recording, see it, if it's on you tube or something like that, but ultimately, they have to learn to feel that piece AND to make their playing have that feeling in it.

Even though I play, and love to play, I can remember laughing at instrumentalists who seemed to almost fall over playing their instruments with feeling. Now that I am an adult, I still think there is a little exhibitionist in the ones that seem to go overboard. Oh well, that's just my opinion, but I have always had a bit of a laugh over extreme movements when playing. NOT some movement, just the extreme ones.

So, when grading Students in Solo and Ensemble, it not only depends on playing the notes correctly, pitch and time, but also playing it with feeling and expression.

You can give grades for the notes played corectly, but it won't be great, without the feeling of the music, the grade won't be superior (5).

In Math, it's like getting the answer and not showing the work. Or in English, knowing all the various parts of speech, but not belng able to diagram the sentence.

Smith Karen Mac Wk 1 Comment 1 The Art of Possibility (P Yawn)

2010-07-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

I have never thought that my work was good enough to publish. I have always been somewhat in awe of people that published or presented at a conference. Kind of a I’m on one side of the fence and they are on the other side.

I have presented once at a middle school conference. It was to show other art teachers about the clay I was using. I brought the local person with me to talk with them. I felt comfortable because I was talking about something I was comfortable with.

I’d better give myself an A and get it going. I think I would like to get published by Edutopia. That is a magazine that is both published and online. A lot of educators read it and go online. I wonder if I could include a short video. Then it could be published online. I’m going to investigate and find out.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010

week one-blog 4 publishing? (P Yawn)

KAREN's COMMENTI

I know that some of us tend to think the worst of ourselves and our work. I think that is human nature. If we thought we would wait until our work was good enough to publish, until we had something so wonderful to present, or the best leader of the group, none of us would ever do those things. The first time I ever presented at a state workshop was when I was on the state board for elementary music educators as a district chairman, when someone said that the teachers wanted to learn sign language and music. Did anyone know a person who did that. I whispered that I was an interpreter of the deaf and use ASL in my music classes. I don't think anyone even heard me, but someone saw my lips move and ) asked what I said. I repeated it and they said, "You can sign something right now?", so I started interpreting what they were saying. Then, when they all quit talking, I said that some songs are easy, like this, and I signed a song. That was all it took. They said, "Would you do a session twice (repeating it). I have done several state and local (in various cities in AL, GA and FL and a few national and regional conferences.

It turns out there are many teachers who want to know this. In fact, in Haiti this week, I worked with some teachers at a couple of schools on using asl in some easy English songs and one of the school said they had a surprise for me Thursday morning, at 7:15 am. The entire school (600 children) sang and signed the song the teacher taught them the past 2 days. It is nice to see the fruits of our labors, as educators of other educators, come to fruition.

So, whether you feel you are ready, just do it! It sounds like you have thought through completely, including which publication you want to publish in. That sounds really good. Good luck with it.

Smith Karen Week 1 MAC Reading The Art of Possibility !-3

2010-07-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

I had heard of this book before, so since I always purchase the book because it is easier for me to read when NOT on a computer, I got one from Amazon.

My first thing I like is that Benjamin Zander is a conductor, so we sort of speak the same language. I haven't watched the video yet, from TED, because here in Haiti, the internet is so slow, I can catch 2-3 words or syllables, and then it begins spinning. I made it through all the piano things to age 11 and then he went back, but now, it's too hard to understand, so I'll watch it in America this weekend, when I get back home to say goodbye to our son and daughter in law, Matt and Sarah, who are headed back to Africa.
   I could tell it's good, as it had great examples in there about working outside the box. The 2 salesmen are great examples of looking at a glass empty and half full! It depends on my attitude about whatever the situation is.
   Also, he used the the square of dots with the instructions, but didn't state that you could go outside of square. I knew that puzzle, so I knew the solution.
   Anyway, there were good points. I had a bad memory flash when reading chapter 3, about giving out A's. I had a professor in college who taught music theory (6 quarters), music history (2 quarters), contemporary music (1 quarter), and private clarinet (9 of the required 12 quarters). In other words, I had him every quarter my Freshman, Sophomore and Junior years, 2 classes per quarter. One in a class and one private lessons.
   Although I had to work hard, I made A's in my private lessons, as I studied, practiced and worked hard. I worked just as hard for the classes under him, too. But, I almost always made a C. He did the bell curve. He gave out 1 A, 1 or 2 B's, 1 or 2 D's, 1 F. Everything else is a C. I was in a class with 3 or 4 people who were the valedictorians in their school. What ever his highest score for the quarter was, I was usually 1 or 2 points below it, and no matter what I did, I would make a C. Once, I tied with the second and third person, but because I had made the 4th person before, he broke the tie by using past times. I always made a C for his classes. It was very discouraging. I knew I was as good as the others with high grades, and sometimes, there were people that were 3 or 4 points below me, but I made the same C they made! I understood the frustrations of chapter 3. He was putting us against one another. We didn't fall for it. If he wanted us to hate each other for getting "our" grade, we didn't. We lost all respect for him. In fact, at one point, he was GIVING the A to a student who was missing class, sleeping around, but was a scholarship student like me and they didn't want her to fall down, so they did all they could. They sent me in the bedrooms to get her (I was a very dumb 18 year old who only knew to respect teachers and do what they say). They gave her the A's.
   We learned to give no respect to the man. No respect to any of the teachers who were doing this. We didn't try very hard for them, although we worked like crazy for teachers who were teaching us. Teachers who were really wanting us to learn, taught us. The teacher who Gave the grades out the way he did, got no respect from any of us.
   It was a terrible thing to learn in college. I have seen that is actually in any school. Teachers can be wonderful and some can be horrible. Too bad. They do NOT earn my respect. The ones who teach, they will have my respect in all ways.
   I don't know why this has to happen. Is is just human nature? Will I learn more about this with the rest of the book? I don't know. But as I said, that one really hit a sore spot that still hurts to this day. I hate thinking that a teacher will go that low. I don't even like to think they are, or were, a part of the same profession I am in. And that wasn't even getting into his personal life. I just won't go there. All I will say about that is I am grateful, for every young girl going to school today, that there are laws to protect them from teachers who do NOT earn the respect to be called teacher.

Smith_Karen_Week 4 Future Expectations Movie Died

2010-06-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

My movie kept dying. It is now 10:20. I've started my movie again and again. Every time it is almost complete, it goes away. That is one of the problems of this computer. I will have to write what I was saying.
   When we look at the past 300 years and realize that LMO began with 1 ad for shorthand and over 200 years, it only had about 5 entries. The first half of the 1900's produced 6, the 40 years after that, began producing with 140 in the count. When we reached the 1990's, we were introduced to the World Wide Web and we lost count, because of the WWW, we have an uncountable number.
   That is how much change there has been. To think that from the early 1700's to 1990, there were approximately 151 and in the last 20 years, we can't even count how many. WOW!
   There are some things that will never change. They say Death and Taxes. I say Learning should be added to that. Some of us love to learn new things. Some people never stop learning. Those are the ones who stay young. Of course, they could be white haired, in a wheel chair, etc. but they have a zest for learning, so they are still young at heart.
   I know some very old people, who lost all desire for learning. Too bad.
One part of my video shows my grandfather at age 19, in a fox hole of sorts, in the Spanish American War in the early 1900's. His whole life was ahead of him. The next picture was of he and my blind grandmother. He loved her and took care of her. He was a sharecropper in SC. He never owned the land he farmed and only got to keep a fraction of what he worked for. But it was his life. He embraced TV. When he was old, he sat in front of it, like it was the old radio. When he was still full of zest, he taught my husband and I to play an old card game and he could take nothing and win every time. And laugh at us for not getting how he did it.
   Even as I type this, screens are popping up, and going away, which is part of what is wrong with the computer. I'm sorry this is not a movie. It was a pretty good one, with pictures and my beautiful voice talking for you (it's not beautiful, but I was going to make it pretend to be!)
   Anyway, I said in the movie, that I want there to be StarTrek holodecks at each school so we can take kids on adventures to learn better. We learn so much better by doing. In my music room, we do! But can I imagine taking them to the NY Broadway, the Opera House in Sydney? What a great thing that would be. They wouldn't forget that. Even in a holodeck.
   My wish for the future of this class is that it would end up being one of the worst classes for a professor to teach. . . . WHY????
   Because, with education and technology changing so much, you would constantly have to be changing, updating, putting in new things ALL THE TIME! Wouldn't that be great?
   Just imagine. . . How long will it be before Udutu becomes old fashioned? Or at least, how long until they change it around and make it even simpler and easier to use?
   I'm not knocking Udutu. . .I'm just saying that technology will be changing so much that Udutu will have to change to. . . only for the better.
   I'm excited about education changing. When I went from being a regular music teacher, to being an Orff Certified teacher, it is because I teach using the whole child. We learn by doing. They compose their own music in first grade. Of course, they've been doing that since babies in the crib singing to themselves, but if we don't get them to see how powerful they are already, in composition, they will dry up and think they don't know how.
   As a music specialist, my job is to help them to see the potential of what they already have and unleash what they've put on the back burner.
   I love teaching and I'm excited about the future.
I'm sorry that my horrible computer has kept me from doing a wonderful presentation.
Please just pretend. I'll add some photos to it. My FAMILY GROWN.
My grandfather. young and old

Kids with no teeth, showing they change and grow and will be toothless again!

Smith_Karen Week 4 Learning Strategies for Reading Melissa Caruso

2010-06-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Melissa Caruso's Reading Strategies really look fun for the kids.

What a fun way to remember:
Eagle Eye, Chunky Monkey. . .
How great are those!

I would love to share this with our classroom teachers and especially, our remediation teachers, as they get to be near computers daily.

I've never heard this, with the animals and the rap, but I know how much kids love things like that.

Anyway, you made the Udutu course very appealing. It was fun listening and then choosing the correct word. The only thing I don't like and it's not just yours but all of ours, is I'm not always sure when it's time to press NEXT. That is the one thing tthat I found myself uncertain of each time I went through a course.

Smith Karen Week 4 Yesenia Martinez's Udutu Project

2010-06-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

http://publish.myudutu.com/published/launcheval/20382/Course36130/Launch.html
Genetics and Heredity

Science Rocks~Genetics & Heredity

Well, I learned alot about genetics. Actually, it reminded me of 9th grade, which is where I learned why my family, who all has blue and green eyes, which are recessive, have them. So, that was fun.

While my mind was not on the flies eye color very much, I had to go back and do that one over again, because I'm tired. But, that's okay, because it was fun. It was informative.

Yours has music and mine doesn't, which may seem weird, since mine is a music one. But the kids have to read it and it takes them time to do that. Music would distract them. I hope they will make music themselves, as they learn to go up and down the stairs.

Yours had graphics the kids will relate to. You can tell this is your field, just because you can pronounce those words so well. I was certainly impressed.

I like the testing you did. Again, I did mine differently, but I know we aren't to compare, but I really like what you did.

Smith _Karen Week 4 Michael McCurdy's Udutu Project

2010-06-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

http://publish.myudutu.com/published/launcheval/20422/Course37089/Launch.html

Michael, that was a really good lesson on chords. You will be relieved to know that I did pass everything the first time. Of course, I would need to move to a different profession if I couldn't tell the difference in the different chords, right?
   Anyway, I think my favorite one of all, was during the second group of testing, when I got the answer for dreamy feelings. I will NOT give it away, but I'll just say this. . . . that is something that I've been wanting to do ever since . . . hmmm, let's see. .. . I believe that would be August 31, 2009 (really, August 28th, when I unpacked the computer and began that pre class stuff). So, one day, I will be able to.
   The examples were really good, too, although, I could hear in your voice, the truth to the minor example. I see that with many of my friends who go through the same thing. Hang in there.
   Back to the music Udutu, it was really good. Mine was written for little ones, so I'm not sure how it is, especially compared to yours.
   Thanks for doing it. It was an honor to try out.

Smith Karen Week 4 Udutu project Link, YOU TUBE example of it below

2010-06-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Here is my Udutu project, called Mortimer

http://publish.myudutu.com/published/launcheval/20211/Course37169/Launch.html

This is designed for small children, learning that you can go UP and DOWN on a flat xylophone. (That is hard for kids to understand at first).

There are mistakes that I haven't figured out. In power point, the notes going upward and the steps go upward, but in the udutu, they stack up, no steps.

The music notes C and A are NOT in the staff like they should be.

There are 2 letter L's being demonstrated next to my hands, but instead, it shows them both in one picture and NONE in the other picture.
It goes on and on like that.
But the biggest ones are all the steps should look like steps going upward and downward.

Thank you.

I made a power point study for this, since my flash project was badly done.

However, it doesn't come across at all the way it is supposed to. So, I am putting this powerpoint in, as a movie. In hopes that people can look at it and see what the Udutu project is SUPPOSED to look like.
Please watch the powerpoint just to get a better idea of what the 1st and 2nd grade students are supposed to see.

It will NOT be a movie for them. They need to take the time to read, or be read to, and process it, practice it, try it out on the glockenspiel or cardboard xylophone and THEN they move to the next page to do it.

I was given permission and a very sweet note from the author of Mortimer, to use parts of his book in this project.

He was very sweet and humble, even though he has written some of the very best kids in the past 20 years. Most everyone knows the book, Love You Forever.

My son sang the song from it at his baby's funeral last May. Robert Munsch wrote it after his wife had their second still born baby. Matthew's second baby, Hannah, lived one hour.

So, I was honored to even hear from Robert Munsch when I asked permission .

The URL for Mortimer Lesson on You Tube is"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_IXC8EFP2E

Embed is:

Smith_Karen_ Week 3_ Comments #2 Keith Lay

2010-06-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

My blog spot or computer is making me NOT have an icon to put an image in. If I can figure out what to do, I will.

Lay, Keith http://www.keithlay.com/journal/

LMO wk3 Learning Management Systems and Organization
Gilbert and Gale's (2005) learning transaction model is a reduction of the basic interactions between learner and teacher that is posed in Laurillard's Conversational Framework into a something more useable for the e-learning environment. This new model suggests that each conversation that is guided by a shared learning goal and contains five conversational states: Teacher tells, Teacher shows, Teacher Asks, Student Responds, Teacher Feeds back. This model represents both the Lecture state of direct learning (Teacher tells) and the Lab situation (All 5). They suggest that this model will help designers and developers of e-learning products.

Karen's Comments

When I put my comments on his blog, they disappeared and said they are waiting for his approval. I will copy them, when I get to see them.

Smith_Karen_Week 3_ Comment # 1 Jamin

2010-06-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

I cannot put an image in as the icon to put images in has disappeared from this place. I'm not sure why. I was going to put the image she used here. It is sitting on my desktop to go in here, if I can ever figure out why it isn't there.

< IMAGE WOULD BE HERE IF I COULD GET IT >

http://xtremejourney-jamin.blogspot.com/

When you develop a learning content to your learners, then you must figure out what tools are necessary for your course. The elements needed to be build based on the individual needs of your learners and at the same time an easy way to manage and track learning. Each function provides a more direct teaching and a better understanding of the course. Some of the development tools are:
1. Graphics-provide a visual statement of the content. Students can understand content through the visual. It provides a clear idea of the concept and explains missing concepts. Diagrams or processes can be illustrated and also you can create interface buttons. You can use software such as Macromedia’s FreeHand or Adobe’s Illustrator. In graphics you can use Photoshop Elements and Fireworks are used to create professional looked graphics. Other two famous tools that you can use can be PowerPoint and Flash.
2. Interactions and Animation-use of animation software will allow to create
more advanced, more flexible, and more creative interactive elements.
Macromedia’s Flash provides all this interactions with animation and provides the ultimate set of rules to manipulate any graphic.
3. Simulation-this tools creates the environment of learning providing a detail idea of what students need to develop and to create practices. Each student can develop a role or characterization and project with different tools the purpose of it. It is mainly target in computer stimulations or broadcast. It is used as a scenario based for business and technical use.
4. Assessment: There are different tools to create assessment at the end of every chapter, objective or concept. Sometimes it can be done by creating games, or quizzes and test. Software Question Mark’s Perception, Exam Builder’s Exam Builder, and XStream Software’s Rapid Exam are some of the software that can be used.
5. Audio and Video: Because of high numbers of students that are auditory and visual learners, this tool comes in handy. From creating movies in Movie Maker, Pinnacle system and Macromedia Director to using high profile software such as Avid or Final Cut Pro, learners have the ability either to see a video or to hear an explanation of the subject.
All of these tools combined create a synchronous pattern to deliver content that attracts learners and makes the content vivid and real. To create some of these elements, you need to contact vendors such as LERSUS or LECTORA, which will align the content you need in a course in a Learning Management System. Another vendor will be Hot Potatoes, which main purpose, is for assessment creation. Each of these vendors is very expensive even though they cover a lot of the main programs in use today. Learning Transactions use a model to analyze, design and implement e-learning. This transaction comprises a structure set of “conversations” between teacher and learner encapsulated by a specific purpose. The set is composed of five conversations: tell, show, ask, response, and feedback. Every learning transaction is headed with its “purpose” or point. As a result the learner should be able to remember or recall information, use or apply concepts, and create, discover or find something new. There is consistency ad coherence between content and the learning transaction. By having a learning transaction it is easy to re-use the content again until the learner master the concept. There are different models according to the needs of the learner but with the same object or purpose design for.
Another concept also search was the Moodle Outcomes. It is imperative to track student performance at any stage of class or course. Moodle Outcomes provides a framework to calculate the student grade average, as well as, the missing assignments for student success. It is set on the standards establish by the creator and connects with web design templates.

References:

Gilbert, L., Sim, Y., & Wang, C. (2005). Modelling the Learning Transaction. Welcome to ECS EPrints Repository . Retrieved June 16, 2010, from http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk
Moodle.org: Login to the site. (2010). Moodle.org: open-source community-based tools for learning. Retrieved June 16, 2010, from http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=78074

Karen's Comments about Jamin's article

This is a very good synopsis of the learning tools available for us to use. I appreciate it so much that I am copying the entire article into my blog, not just the first paragraph. It is a
good resource when trying to remember what is out there, ready to use. With all the
things I’ve learned to use over the years, but especially THIS year, I’ve never really even taken the time to figure out whether something is Graphics, Interactions & Animations,
Simulations, Assessment and Audio and Video. Then you mix it with Vendors and Learning Transactions and Moodle Outcomes.
Thank you for taking the time to put it all together in a clear cut synopsis. This helps even when it seems that I get muddled all the time over all the things out there. It makes so much more sense. Now, to learn to use my Udutu and make it past the first base. Is it me or my computer? Hmmm. I’m ready to get more help on this one.

Smith_Karen Week 3, Reading Articles 1 and 2

2010-06-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.findrfp.com/docs/4741_RFPLMS200805.pdf     Central Wyoming College LMS RFP
LMS - Learning Managament System
RFP - Required Characteristics and Functionalityseem

When looking through this paper, it brings to ones memory learning to write out for sealed out the information for sealed bids on instruments for the music classroom.

   One never realizes all the work that goes into getting a bid ready. Fortunately, having a husband in Air Conditioning and Heating/Electrical Work for New Business meant he dealt with bids alot and taught how do to it. Things like who will pay for the shipping of the instruments was something not even considered. When I learned about doing bids, I learned that companies who want your business will absorb the cost of shipping.
   The first article I ever wrote in a professional magazine dealt with that very subject. For years, when we ordered instruments, the salesmen just added that shipping cost to it as though it was what must be done. when I learned how to do bids and sealed bids, shipping was never an issue anymore. I learned about drop shipping. It made everyone happy. But meanwhile, it's been a few years since that article was published, but it probably needs to be re-written for younger and newer band orchestra and choral directors and music teachers.
   This article, this example, really, of an agreement of elearning with a school, had so many of the same type issues in it, that it brought back memories. It is great to have examples like that, so one can see the ups and downs of dealing with selling a product in a way that makes everyone happy. This contract info is very helpful, especially if any students either become buyers of elearning for a school, or whether one becomes the seller of an elearning program. Even if neither happen, it makes one aware of all that needs to happen when setting up these programs.

http://www.karlkapp.com/materials/LMS%20Selection%20Templates.pdf

   LMS/LCMS Selection Process Templates - as stated at the beginning of the document,

" The selection of a Learning Management and Learning Content Management Systems is an important decision for any organization. This document provides several templates to provide a consistent approach to your selection. These tools are provided in conjunction with the eLearning Guild presentation. "

This document if packed with so much information from the request for a proposal template that can be used by anyone. It has a checklist of requirements one looks for when searching for a good elearning tool to use. It has the evaluation tool, so you can keep up with each one looked at and studied. The Pricing, the evaluation process and finally, the comparison of each one looked at for your project.

It is simply the matter of changing it to fit your school, your company, or your organization.

Not only from that point of view, but if you are writing etraining, this is a great form to use, considering the writer needs to be able to see it from the school's point of view. It is not enough to have a good product, you have to be able to promote the selling points of what makes your product better than the others that may be out there.

The use of this tool, with the sample of a colleges' paperwork of evaluating elearning programs is great for both sides to learn from. If I chose to write a great music program, I will have some very good examples from both sides of the elearning experience, as the writer and seller and the purchaser.

Central Wyoming College LMS RFP,

http://www.findrfp.com/docs/4741_RFPLMS200805.pdf, Retrieved June 16, 2010.

LMS LCMS Selection Process Templates, http://www.karlkapp.com/materials/LMS%20Selection%20Templates.pdf, Retrieved June 16, 2010.

Smith_Karen_Week 2 _ Udutu project

2010-06-12T23:40:00.000-07:00

My Picture is of two of my first graders in the same class, excited because they both lost their front teeth the same week. They came to my room and asked me to take their picture so I could remember them with no front teeth. (we have a cute "song-poem", called "I Had A Loose Tooth" and we sang it in honor of this moment. I LOVE TEACHING CHILDREN!

1. Smith Karen

2. A Picture Paints a Thousand Words (name of entire project)

Otherwise, unnamed as I haven't decided which piece of music

3. In February, I attempted to make a flash project, which was a failure. The first one was finished because Roxanne and Kathy could still take over my computer and help me with the settings. During that class, it quit during that class. As I tried to finish the project in March, the Flash screen kept falling apart. It turned out pitiful and was a failure, as far as I"m concerned, but I did pass the class, which was also important to me.

4. i want to try to put something together for my age group of children. The biggest problem is many of my students are non readers for the entire year, (Kindergarten students = approx. 340 students), some are non readers for the first many months of the year (First Grade - approx. 240 students), and the kids who read the best are the second graders, some read very good for that age, but others are very weak and basic beginning readers - approx. 240 students). I may be on the low end of the approx. as sometimes the school is as high as 900+ students, and as low as 800+.

The project I would like to do is a vocabulary lesson, to see if they can learn the words to make the song more understandable via comprehension of the words.

I will either use The Star Spangled Banner, a folk song or a basic children's song. I am not sure at this point, as I need to see which would be the simplest to try using this new process.

I''ve shared before how the song, Old Dan Tucker, was what made me realize the children needed to learn the vocabulary of the song for comprehension. It is NOT just the vocabulary, but the fact that I am now handicapped and things that I used to teach

What makes this difficult is computers used in my school are mostly for a reading and math program where they work at their speed, and taking AR (Accelerated Reader) tests for teh books they've read Or have had read to them. Also, an adult can actually take the test for them while they read it to the kids and then the kids either tap the correct button, or tell the adult which one to tap. In other words, our kids are taking tests to show they read a book and understand it, BUT, they can have the book read to them and they can have a parent take the test by reading it to them.

While most second grade teachers make the kids take their own tests after about 6 weeks into second grade, the rest of the school doesn't have to read to pass a reading comprehension test.

Also, I only have one computer in my room and it doesn't work. So, this test, would be given in the classroom teacher, IF they chose to let them. Pretty fruitless, but I'll make the test.

Who knows, I could win a classroom makeover! I could end up with technology and a white board in my room, along with some more instruments to go with what I already have. It could happen!

5. The first 1:46 gives a quick but effective summary of why I am doing this project. In fact, it is the main reason I chose to get a degree in media design and technology. Once it gets into the literature review part, stop, it doesn't explain the project at all.

You Tube Video of why I chose this as a needed project for my music class room

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkkoR2rzmOA

This is a you tube for the flash project that fell apart. I did a screenflow and didn't have the sound up. so, it isn't very effective, but you can see that I was starting with the flag.

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2GZfAa_IbR4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2GZfAa_IbR4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

I''m not sure if it will embed, but if it doesn't, the llink will be below this sentence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GZfAa_IbR4&feature=player_embedded

Smith_Karen Week 2, Blog Comment 2 Billy Goins ADL/Standards/SCORM

2010-06-12T23:25:00.001-07:00

ADL/Standards/Scorm Introduction The official Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) website provides a very detailed overview of the organization’s history and purpose. Under the direct care of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (OUSD P&R), the ADL Initiative was created in 1997 and given the task of standardizing and modernizing the delivery of training and education. On January 12, 1999, Excutive Order 13111 signed by President Clinton tasked the DoD to develop and lead a partnership with business and university groups for the purpose of creating standardized training software and related services. (http://www.adlnet.gov).

The need for standards

Image source: Academic ADL Co-Laboratory

As I read this article, it reminded me of what the librarians went through when the Dewey Decimal System was put into place for books and periodicals, in the library.

due to how complete it was, Things like Videos, DVD's and Software still fits into the various levels, and like any living language, which is open to change, or its NOT a living language, the DDS still works today.

By the same adage, ADL should continue to work for years to come. Even though it takes alot of work to begin, it makes it be organized and continue to work. As we continue to have more and more training done in a fashion different than the traditional classroom, the need for this is so apparent.

I still want to say that not all people do well with training alone without adequate supervision.

In this time of so many students doing home learning, it gets scary to see the varied styles of supervision from parents.

In working with teens in the summers, one summer I had 6 homeschooled kids. 2 were missionary kids, no where near other American kids ore even near English speaking ones. They were working on courses including calculus, Latin3, Computer Language and writing programs (not sure of the name of the class), plus other classes.

The other 4 were taking with no real supervision. One had a mom who worked nights and slept all day. One had a mom with cancer and needed a helper watching herr, so the child was asked to stay home and watch her, but she was watching her Mother dying and got nothing out of her education.

One was planning to be a doctor, and was excited as she was making straight As. Her classes consisted of English, Math, History and Intro to Computer (word, excel, etc.). She said 4 credits was all she needed, as she could count going bowling, etc. as PE and helping cook and clean the house as Home Ec.

The last one, had successfully learned to speak the language of the middle world, according to the Lord of the Rings. Kind of scary, isn't it? They were being acknowledged as successful students according to their parents, who, did NOT need to be in charge of their education. They are the type of people who give home schooling a bad name.

So, I hope that the "supervisors" who are parents usually, for children, need to be accountable in what they call "a superior education" of their child.

Smith_Karen Week 2, Blog Comment 1 for Mark West

2010-06-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

The LMS (Learning Management System) deals mainly with the learner. This system is designed to take charge of the learner’s journey through the instructional gantlet. Behind the scenes the administration of training programs and the context of the learning program to track course delivery and scheduling, learner skills and skill gaps, test creation and administration, and even the collection learning data and profile data of the learner. This means that the system must also be in charge of the administration of scheduling, instructor-led training and learning collaboration.

Mark West's reading from Week 2

MARK'S CAPSTONE of LEARNING

(Really it's the capstone on top of the very tall William Wallace Monument in Scotland.)

Where, after 5 visits to the Monument, my knees finally made it to the top level.

They say if that center part wasn't in, the entire structure could come apart.

Sometimes our lives can feel the same way, One important thing holds us together!

Hmmm Sounds like a good lesson to learn, doesn't it?

In reading Mark's blog this week, I was able to read more about the very things that I can still easily confuse. It is a very good thing to read and instill this in me. It would probably make more since to watch each of these in a small example. When something is confusing to me, I work better as a visual, aural and tactile learner. When one doesn't make me just "get it", I do better to put either a seond or all three ways in to learn better. I seem to be at that point. While I'm actually reading, I understand, yet, when I walk away from it for any length of time, doing something not related to this class, I begin to be confused. I do NOT like being a confused person. It is not my nature to walk around being confused about most things.

When I was learning music theory in college, as I never had any in HS, I was doing fine when learning binary, ternary and rondo forms. They were easy to understand with no problem. When we got to sonata form, I had a little more to study.

Learning the difference in Exposition, Development and Recopituation was not so difficult, until I had to know the difference in A and A', etc. When reading about it, I was confused, but when our teacher was in front of us, with a sonata playing, the score blown up so we could all see the examples, we not only heard about it, we could see the notes and the change in them, and for people who still had a problem in understanding, you could hear and see the difference. If that wasn't enough, just take out my clarinet and play it, and when it reached the recopitulation, it was easy to understand.

I think it is the same when dealing with learning content. Seeing examples, hearing of examples would make it much easier to understand. Of course, I understand what Mark is saying. He says it well, with clear understanding. It's just that earlier today, I was trying to explain what I was learning, and after my initial beginning of the alphabet soup beginning, I began getting less and less clear and more and more muddy. So, I am hoping for a few examples that will bring all of these management systems.

It's like good spaghetti sauce. I make the kind that I simmer it for hours, to mix all the seasonings together and it's so good. When I go somewhere and someone made sauce in 20 minutes and say, this is my really good, always works in a pinch sauce, I think, "You have no idea!" Well, learning about these, although I still need more to make me be very understanding of each one, I know they are they way to go. I know each makes a big difference in it's own area. And I feel like if I were to say, well, they are just management systems, so what? That is when someone would be saying (like with the spaghetti sauce), "You have no idea!"

Mark, thanks for writing about them. I appreciate it.

Smith_Karen Week 2, Blog Reading # 1 LMS and LCMS Dymistified

2010-06-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

  When one begins reading all the letters, as done last week, it can be confusing. When one continues to work through the letters, reading the articles, it can be very good in helping the confusion to go to a better understanding. The chart showing LMS and LCMS is a bit helpful, although one still has to understand the basic core that LMS is teaching the student and LCMS is the content of the class being taught. There is a huge difference. The requirements of what is being taught and the core curriculum would be found in the LCMS, where as the student and what they do to learn the curriculum would be in the LMS.
   EX. Just because the curriculum states that the course will teach the Major Scale and the Minor Scale, in all 12 keys, doesn't mean that the kids will learn that. The course will teach WWHWWWH for Major Scales. Some students may see that and that is it. They need no more instruction. Just knowing the pattern of the notes will get them through the entire 12 scales.
   Unfortunately, many students will need more to learn that. They will need to be reminded that when there is an absence of black keys (on the piano), they must still follow the W(whole) and H(half) plan, and understand that 2 white keys by each other is still a half step.
   As they look at the piano keyboard, and use the C as the starting note, they can see, quickly, there are no black keys involved, using the WWHWWWH pattern. BUT, when one begins on the note D, there will now be 2 black keys involved, the F# and the C#. BUT, one begins on the note E, now there will be 4 black keys involved, the F#, C#, G# and the D#. Now, to be a bit confusing, if one begins on the note F, now, there will be only 1 black key and it will be the Bb.
   A student would have to have the understanding of Sharps (#) and Flats (b) prior to learning the Major Scale pattern. Students who learn visually may need to see how to figure the pattern, due to the strength of seeing the Whole and Half Steps. Students who learn aurally, might need the teacher talking through how to find the notes in the pattern, then play the notes, knowing it is wrong, instantly due to the sound of the wrong note would make, and the correct sound the correct note would make. A student who is a strong Kinesthetic person, would do better touching a keyboard, putting small blocks on the notes that would be used. That, if I am understanding it correctly, is LMS.

Hall, B. LMS and LCMS Demystified (2010), LMS and LCMS Dymistified, http://www.brandon-
   hall.com/free_resources/lms_and_lcms.shtml. Retrieved June 9, 2010.

McGee, P., Carmean, C.. Jafari, A. Course Management Systems for Learning: Beyond Accidental
   Pedegogy. Retrieved June 10, 2010. A book with limited view on line, pps. 209-214.

Smith_Karen Week 1, Response # 2 for Jamin Teran

2010-06-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

http://xtremejourney-jamin.blogspot.com/

Show Me What You Know

In Dr. Gibson mind map discussion, he provides a more clear idea of each domain and how it’s management as well as the trends that are done in the future. His structure of each of the components complements the reading that we have done of these management systems in the week. CMS, LMS, LCMS & PLEs are discussed in a more structural set up making more clear understanding of the concept. Here is my understanding of each one:

1. CMS (Course Management System)-This is mainly for educational purpose. A good example is FSO, which is designed to manage or consolidate courses for teaching as well as grading, online library and registration. It has been developing thru the years and its operation runs 24/7. It provides a forum or virtual classroom to help teachers manage multiple courses and at the same time it tracks the student performance through the course. As the course finishes, then everything is erased and a new class or section opens again, providing the same framework of assignments and assessments. Dr. Gibson mentions that CMS is consolidating and maturity because of online education demands. The trends of this system will increase as more and more universities provide online degrees seeking for accreditation standards needed to run solid programs online. This system will develop more as years run.

2. LMS (Learning Management System)- This management system focus on the other end of education, the learner. It is designed for commercial management. Its main functions are to plan, to deliver, to manage events, and to provide skills management. It is mainly used in the medical and banking fields, but it has been merging to education recently. LMS started more less at the mid-1990’s, with the idea of just exposing the material once and reaching the audience. It main focus was to train others with online learning content or resources, where employees could access on their own and in their time. Some of the trends for this system will improve according to the industry demands. It has also develop itself in education because its focus on the learner.

3. LCMS – (Learning Course Management System)- Stable companies like universities and the military use this learning course management system. Its main focus is on content and pedagogy. One of the main concepts behind this system it is rigor and training from the organizations using it. Even if it has been out since the 1950, this system has been in place for the past 10-14 years. It is designed to use the information over and over in a time frame. It can be use anytime and also it stores the content in a portfolio structure. Because it focus is on the content, organizations using this system can reuse their online information as many times as possible. This provides a faster delivery of content and easier understanding of concepts. Because of it availability, it seems that this system will be open in more school markets and into a more structural industry companies.

4. PLE – (Personal Learning Environments) This learning environment focus on the learners to take control on his/her learning on their own. It is barely a new concept because it has developed in the past ten years. It flows around the social network, mobile learning, and personal learning. The learner manages its own learning, content, and time. Because of this power, the learning can be active or passive, long or short term, and formal or informal. The learner chooses how to develop its learning. Basically, the learner uses web 2.0 tools for their base of developing assignments or assessments. It is still unknown the development of this learning environment, but the trends for this technology will grow as the time passes.

References:

Attwell, G. (Producer). (2008, January 14). School’s Out – Personal Learning Environments. Video retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWjA-rT3jfkCourse.

Davis, B., Carmean, C., & Wagner, E. (n.d.). The Evolution of the LMS: From Management to Learning: Deep analysis of trends shaping the future of e-learning. The eLearning Guild. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from www.elearningguild.com/showfile.cfm?id=3703

Educase Center For Applied Research. (2003). Faculty Use of Course

Management Systems. In. Retrieved June 3, 2010, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0302/rs/ers0302w.pdf.

Gibson, I. (n.d.). Full Sail Online. Full Sail Online. Retrieved June 6, 2010, fromhttp://online.fullsail.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=assignment.main&itemId=178201

LMS and LCMS Demystified. (n.d.). Independent Research About Employee Training and Talent Management. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from http://www.brandon-hall.com/free_resources/lms_and_lcms.shtml

Toedt, A. (February 26, 2006). The Bazaar. In What is Learning Management

System? Retrieved June 3, 2010, from http://www.bazaar.org/content/view/10/25/.

Jamin,

This is wonderful. I couldn't open the Mind Map after watching Dr. Gibson's videos. This makes it so much easier to understand. I know this has been a difficult week (last week) with all the graduations going on the last 3 days (6 in our small county) and Saturday was for the Home Schoolers, and I had kids in 4 of them! This week we are working and I've got major moving and packing up to do. This helped me so much.

I understood him as he spoke, but I just wasn't keeping it in my head. Not being able to open the map made it worse. I haven't even checked today, so it must be working now, but again, you helped so much.

Again, I appreciate the understanding of it. PLE's have been in our vocabulary for many months now, but the others were newer for me.

At school we are working on our own Alphabet Soup, as our professor referred to the letters. RTi is the one so many of our teachers are still fighting, while others are embracing it. The problem seems to be in the use and tracking of it seems to be taking away teaching time.

A few years ago, the same thing happened when we were introduced to ESL or ESOL, depending on what your school district uses. People were so against it or embracing it. The funny part, is really, most of us had been doing ESL with our students for years.

In my area, it appears we want to fuss or love Alphabet Soup Programs or Systems.

I lived in Virginia from 1962-1966 and during that time state income tax was introduced and so was the 2 letter initials for each state. I was in 4th - 7th grade and I remember our street was in an uproar about both things. The parents would sit outside in the evenings (no air conditioning) and solve all the world problems and those were 2 they were really upset about.

The point to that is that I guess people get upset about new things. I had a field trip and we were going to stop at the new McDonalds that had opened there. The year before that, I needed .25 when we went. (.15 for hamburger and .10 for soda) and the next year I needed .26 cents to pay the .01 for tax. He ranted and raved (He's Army, so he had to do a bit of that anyway.), until I was crying and my Mom asked him to give me the penny and tell his little girl he wasn't upset with her. Fortunately, trips to the store got easier and he got used to sales tax and VA, GA, SC, KY, etc.

I imagine in a few years, all these letters will become second nature as I do believe that more and more people will be getting education on line, whether in a school setting or job related setting. I hope to get my confused brain over this in the next few days. At least, I set a goal of knowing our Alphabet soup by Wimba, week 2.

Smith_Karen - Week 1, Response 1 Flack_Joy

2010-06-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

Joy said: A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a system that creates an environment designed to facilitate teachers in the management of educational courses for their students, especially a system using computer hardware and software, which involves distance learning (Wikipedia,2010).

I was very interested in the numbers as I read this article.  You put it more eloquently  than I did.  I really was amazed at the numbers and how you could count on one hand, how slowly VLE's moved in the first  200 years, but how quickly in the past 20 years!
     It also makes me think what it will be like 20 years in the future?  I believe technology is going to continue to evolve into so much more and that we can't even imagine where VLE's will be in 20 years.
    People will probably laugh at how "archaic" on line schooling was way back in 2010. (that would be the teens who would laugh, as the adults will be remembering how it was.)

Monday, June 7, 2010 - 08:16 AM

Smith Karen Week 1, # 3, Video Project - Alphabet Soup and Connectivity Video

2010-06-06T22:49:00.000-07:00

   This is a video that is dealing with my confusion. Sometimes, as I read and read, I become more confused before I straighten it all out in my mind. I am excited to learn all of this. I fear I've let my latest computer problems become part of my brain spinning around. I must settle down and begin making sense of the difference in all the management systems.
   It was said that we could be come experts in this, baby experts, but I like that. I know that learning systems and organization is such a big part of what is happening in education and if I want to be a part of this, not a straggler at the end, but a leader in my school and when I'm teaching workshops in the state and at national conferences, I must be aware of the best ways to make our students be the learners they should be.
   It is not enough to say, "Well, I taught it. If they don't want to learn it, it's not my fault." I believe it is. We need to dangle the right carrot in front of them to make them want to learn it." When going into third grade, one doesn't understand why learning cursive AND multiplication tables is necessary. One could think that just adding it all up was just fine. . . Until one could know that 7 x 8 was 56 without standing around, adding the number 7 to the number 7 a total of 8 times. So, learning is the same way. Let's find out the best way to learn this and be better teachers.
   Here is my Alphabet Soup Video, an Analogy using Stars and Stripes Forever, by John Phillips Sousa. (Trivia: My husband's High School's First Band Director was a retired member of Sousa's Band.)
<object width="980" height="765"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tcGwjPPgWxQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tcGwjPPgWxQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="980" height="765"></embed></object>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcGwjPPgWxQ

Smith, Karen Week 1, # 2 - Connectivity

2010-06-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

   In watching the video by the student on connectivity, it was very well done. Very easy to understand. As reading all the articles, watching the videos and reading again, was very enlightning, but it makes one start to get confused.
   The video made was on this subject and in deciding to write about this, it was to make it clear, and not redundant when reading and watching both.
   Students can learn when reading, watching videos, looking at charts and all the other styles of learning that are on various subjects. Using the word, read, when discussing the various styles of learning, will suffice for them all in this article.
   A student can read and then write what they have learned. Reading is one form of learning, but it is a fact that if one reads and then writes what they have read, it helps the learning to become their own knowledge, rather than just what they read. Reading and then doing something that formulates what the article was about will also do the same thing, but even more so. Sometimes, one cannot "do" as easily as they can write on the subject. (Meier)
   Students who listened to Podcasts from iTunes made a good grade, better than the ones lectured to, in class. But, the students who listened to the Podcast and took notes did even better than the others. (Perez)
   If one puts that with the benefit of reading what others have read and written, one is able to learn from all the things the others have read, which makes it even better for them. That is the connectivity. The fact that one is connecting with the other students in what they have read, learned, written and/or experienced makes it better than just listening to a lecture. The teacher may be excellent, but one cannot learn more than what that teacher has to offer that way.
   Even at Full Sail University, the class of August 31, 2009 - Sept. 3, 2010, has taken 10 classes, counting this one. One teacher has taught twice. There have been 2 teachers who lectured during Wimba with very little chance for asking questions and no chance for discussion. Those are two classes many feel they did not learn alot from. That is sad, as one of those classes had a remarkable teacher. One could tell the instructor had so much to offer, yet, in talking the entire time, did not give students a chance to ask questions of the confusing areas and with a couple of other confusing areas of instruction, made it difficult to learn as much as possible. Too Bad. The other class. . . well, it seemed the instructor liked to hear his voice. While it was easy to pass the class, there was not much real learning in the class. As long as students regurgitated the material back to the instructor, the students did well. There was not connectivity in that class.
   Most teachers at Full Sail On line do a wonderful job of making students learn to learn from each other. Well done.
   Connectivity is such a wonderful way to learn from the instructor, the materials of other wonderful instructors and from the other students. Being able to offer what one learns, yet be able to listen, learn, read and develop more ideas from other students reading, even the same materials, makes learning such a n open ended opportunity for growing one's brain and mind.


Meier, J, Sound It Out, http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies. (2010). WETA, Washington, DC.,
   funded by grant from US Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
   Retrieved June 5, 2010.

Perez, S., http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/itunes_u_proves_better_than_class.php. Retreived
   June 5, 2010. I Tunes U Proves Better than Going to Class.

Smith_Karen-Week 1, Blog # 1 - History of Virtual Learning Environments Reading

2010-06-06T01:02:00.000-07:00

In America, most education was in the home for rich families and and poorer families went to town schools. The boys in the south sometimes went to school outside under the trees.

The 20^th Century is broken into various periods, due to the amount of listings becomes greater. From 1906-1929, 23 years, there are 4 contributions.

Nothing is listed in the 1930’s, then, there are 2 listings for the mid 1940’s, (1945 and 1948).

stops at this point.

Lambert, T. Local Histories, !6^th Century Education, Education in the 17^th Century.

Retrieved June 4, 2010, http://www.localhistories.org/education.html.

Smith, F. (2004). MacroHistory and World Report. Britain in the mid-1700;’s.

Retrieved June 4, 2010. http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h29-fr.htm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virtual_learning_environments. (2010).

Retrieved June 5, 2010. This site has over 70 references and I’m

unsure of how you document this one.

A. Prior to Week 1 - This is about my computer, not LMO. BAD COMPUTER!

2010-06-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

This is NOT one of my LMO blogs. This gives some modern history of the latest problems with my computer. Sunday morning, May 30, 2010, the computer went back to the original settings. I lost my project which was finally finished and ready to send in. I sat it down to go open the church and turn on the AC, which had to be done at that time or the church wouldn't be cool in time for church.

When I came back home, the computer was changed. I wrote to FSO, and went to church. I left as soon as the orchestra played for the soldiers and other military. FSO told me to contact Apple. I did and they found my project. There must be more hidden things, but I don't know what.

Some things survived. Some documents are there. Some pictures, some movies are here. Some are missing.

I began working on the blog and virtual business card on Tuesday. I used iweb and never thought about the fact that my other website, the AR one, wasn't there. When I made the blog, it took on the address of the AR site and that is when I figured there was a problem.

I have stopped the blog through iweb and have begun this one, with blogspot, or blogger, which ever it really is called.

I believe I may make blogger be my website and not even deal with iweb anymore.

Apple says they know I need to turn my computer in to them so they can see what all needs fixing, but I don't want to lose my class and take time off. I want to graduated with my group. I began realizing there were problems back in September, 2009, and talked to FSO, not knowing what was happening. I thought it was me back then. I contacted Apple in October. I've asked Apple and Full Sail if I can have a new computer and the answer was no. I've asked if I can borrow a computer to send mine off, but FSO doesn't have one, Apple doesn't do that.

So, here I am, with a handicapped computer.

My trackpad doesn't work. I use a mouse. I'm on my 5th mouse, wired, not cordless, as they don't work.

Flash and other Adobe things are a real problem, slightly fixed, but slightly not.

Text boxes spin slowly around, like a spinner in a child's game.

My cursor loves to play hide and seek.

I lose what I'm working on. Things go away, off the screen. Sometimes they come back, soon. sometimes they come back a few hours later, sometimes, a couple of days later and sometimes, not at all.

There is more, but I'm tired and that is all I am thinking of right now.