Blog Assignment #1

Horror Stories of EDM310

I have heard many stories about EDM310. Fellow students warned me that EDM310 was an extremely hard and time consuming course.They informed me that I would be constantly working on complicated assignments and sometimes get so frustrated that I'd want to drop the course. I hoped  they were just trying to scare me and decided that instead of getting overwhelmed, I would bite the bullet and enjoy learning the new material instead.

My Fears

I understand that this course is a very intense one. Some of my fears include; not getting finished with an assignment on time, falling behind, or getting completely stuck. For me, computer programing is one of my weaknesses. I often get worked up and stress myself out while trying to understand a computer program. I usually end up logging off and leaving the problem unresolved. Computers can be very complicated, so I intend to try my best to understand how they work during this EDM310 class. 

This class will be completely different from any high school course. There will not be a teacher sitting at his or her desk to assist you through every step on your homework, or even tell you all the right answers. In this class it is up to you, whether or not you want to make yourself do the work. Also, you have to find the answers on your own. The most difficult aspect of this class for me will probably be teaching myself. Even though self learning can be a struggle, I understand that I am able to receive help at the computer lab, make a phone call to ask a question, or even try checking the class Facebook page. I have learned that sometimes it's best to sit back, take a breath, and work on something else to relieve my mind for awhile. This helps me to have a clear mind so I can present my best possible work.

Questions

A question I have about EDM310 is; Around how long should my blog posts be? Is there a certain word count I should stay around? Also, what are some different ways I could use this information taught during this course in the teaching environment? Many of the questions I would normally have are covered in the syllabus. It is very thorough, and there are good descriptions and instructions. I look forward to learning new material in this course that will help me with my future job as an elementary school teacher.

Practice Blog Post

Outline

-A. Info. About Me
-My name
-Hobbies
-Major
-B. About Educators
-My passion
-Responsibilities
-Learning
-What is expected



About Me


My name is Amanda Vaughan and I am a sophomore at The University of South Alabama. I reside in Coffee Springs, Alabama. Most people say they have never heard of Coffee Springs, Al. This small town is located about 30 minutes away from the Florida State line, and doesn't even have a red light. Coffee Springs is the only town I had ever lived in until I moved to Mobile, Alabama to attend USA. I am an only child, which means I'm very close to my family. I spend lots of time with both my parents. My hobbies include doing artwork, and traveling. Some of the most interesting places I have visited include: New York, California, and Chicago, Illinois. I love cats and have one named MooCow. I am majoring in Elementary Education.I hope to teach kindergarden one day. Kindergarden is a very important step in a child's life because that is where the basic fundamentals are taught. I love children and wish to provide them with the best possible education as they are first starting out in school.


An Educators Resposibilites


I believe that an educator has many responsibilities. Not only are they required to teach children basic material, they are supposed to make learning fun and exciting also. Children learn best when the material and information is provided in an interesting way. A teacher in the 21st century is expected to know the latest teaching methods and how to work the most recent technology, such as smart boards, and creating lesson plans online. Although I do understand how to work a computer, I do not know what programs to use to create fun lesson plans and find new activities for students. I wish to solve this problem and learn new ways to use a computer to enhance my teaching skills. I strive to learn to be the best elementary educator possible in the future.