Summaries of C4K-Week #5, Week #6, and Week #7

C4K #5 First Impressions

Its true first impressions always get our attention. We shouldn't judge a situation until we have the complete facts about everything. Drawing from conclusions that are not clear can leave us with not having all the in- formation. On the other hand, we should try to make sure we leave the right impression the first time. This can make all the difference in the world of how people perceive us. It is necessary to try to leave good im- pressions with others.

This is my comment for Steve's blog on First Impressions:
First impressions are exactly the very first impression you get of a person. True we shouldn’t judge the situation based on some misleading information but we should seek to find out more information about what’s going on and then draw our conclusions from that. At the same time, we determine what our first impression will be by the impression we leave on others. It is our responsibility to try to leave the best impression we can.

C4K #6 PLAN Test Advice

Taking test is truly a chore at times. Trying to study for tests is a great deal of work. We should remember not to cram the information in all at once. By spacing the information we learn over a period of time can help our test-taking techniques so that we can better absorb the information quickly and accurately.

This is my comment on Trevian's blog:
Taking tests are truly hard and trying to remember all of your notes is even harder. Cramming isn’t always the answer. It’s best to take the time to study the material over a long period of time so that everything can be properly absorbed through the brain. I have never been able to adopt the ideal secret of taking tests but I do know it has to be done.

C4K #7My Life As A Stuntboy

Being a stuntboy is dynamic and exciting but as I said before you have a great deal of responsibilities. You must make sure that your school work and grades take top priority. You have only once to be a kid and take ad- vantage of your education. Please take it seriously. Going for your dream can happen later in life. Maybe by then you will be more mature for handling those adult responsibilities.

This is my comment on Derek's blog:
Derek, I think you have a full load of responsibilities to be concerned about. Seeking fame and popularity may seem like its important but it’s not. You really should concentrate on your grades right now. Your childhood is something you will never get back. So many young people are focused on getting famous in a movie, there’s plenty of time for that down the road in life. You never know how life will happen for you. You may get your big break later in life. Don’t give up on your dream! Many times a dream may come true later in life when you are more mature for it and can handle the responsibility of being an adult.

Blog Post 10-What Can We Learn From Mrs. Cassidy?

Mrs. Cassidy's video and interview with Dr. Strange, Cassidy 13 Part I was indeed very interesting and enlightening. She was able to leave us with a lot of great information about the Internet and how we should use it in a positive way to help students learn better. Although her students were relatively young, she was able to find useful ways to incooperate their interests in a useful way without compromising their safety or personal identity. I believe that some people don't realize the dangers that lurk around young children using the Internet. We should always supervise our young people carefully on these matters. We should never allow our youth or their precious identity to be compromised. Educational and appropriate material should be the prime reason why teachers should direct their students to the Internet. Mrs. Cassidy mentioned some very important points about that subject in her interview with Dr. Strange.

I admire and like her point-of-view on her personal teaching methods of elementary school students. Mrs. Cassidy came across as very believable and sincere in her method of teaching. She seems to enjoy her job and would be a great example for anyone that chooses a long-term career in the teaching field. To be a teacher should not be a chore. It should be a career that offers a new learning experience everyday. We as individuals should not choose teaching only as a daily job, but a suitable career that will last many, many years. I really believe that Mrs. Cassidy has found her true purpose in teaching others!

Blog Post IX-What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?

The videos were very helpful in explaining the process of Project-Based Learning. The video, Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning explained the importance of students needing to know the relevance of the material. In doing a compelling project, it is necessary for students to be clear on how to launch an interesting project that is both educational and comprehendable for everyone. Teachers are responsible for activating their students and helping them to see the importance of doing an interesting project that will enhance and heighten their knowledge to a higher level.

Driving questions are necessary to have an interesting subject matter. Questions are able to give students the right to challenge themselves and bring out the main points in an important subject or theme. Without leading questions, there would not be a valid point to make. When referring to an attentive audience, we need to satisfy their need for getting the answers they deserve and accomplishing a purpose. Driving questions causes one to recall and remember the subject matter. Questions serve as a constant reminder of what should not be forgotten.

Students do have a voice to choose the resources that they use to get a project done. There are an abundance of resources that are available to every student. By taking advantage of these resources, they access their mind and intelligence to whatever is available and appropriate for their age and maturity level. We should always know as teachers that our students are very capable and reliable in getting the job done. They should always depend on their local libraries, website, newspaper articles and local magazines for correct and accurate information. By doing personal and investigative reporting, their knowledge can only be increased!

Project # 9

C4T #2 Summary

Wait, what just happened?! (Launching a Conference)

You know you're not any different than any of the rest of us. We all get bored, tired and burned out. Join the club! It's so refreshing to see someone else like myself. Yes, it's happened to me too. Continue to be enthusiastic and motivated. Remember, you've made a choice to become a teacher and a professional. Keep driving for perfection. You can always keep a positive attitude. Believe in yourself! Believe that you have made the right choice to be a professional. You have made a great investment. Conferences are part of what a teacher is about. Try to see your teacher conferences as an opportunity to learn and become smarter.

This was my comment on her blog:
Carol Williams Said On 12-03-2015 I am very glad that you got to go to your teacher’s conference. From what you wrote, it seemed as if you were dreading every moment of getting there. If we truly put forth the effort to apply ourselves and see the importance of what we do and when we do it, it can motivate us to do even greater things. Keep trying and keep being motivated to go to your conferences. I’m sure you were able to learn a great deal when you finally got there.

How We Got to Now: a student created mini museum

I am so glad that I got a chance to read your blog. Inventions are really great. I am so glad that someone else gets excited when something is invented. This is what makes the world go round. Inventions are only new ideas. When we have ideas, this only means that our brain is throwing out tons of concepts. Imagine if we didn't have people in the world with a new way of doing things, the world would be a pretty boring place to be. Thanks for sharing your point-of-view.

This is my comment on her post:
Carol Williams Said On 12-03-2015 Your commentary about students inventing and producing projects was so interesting. I always enjoy reading about people being creative and inventing incredible stuff. It’s so important to motivate our kids and keep sending the right message about knowledge and the learning process. We never want to stifle them or hold them back in any way. One day we may have the privilege of teaching a very famous scientist, doctor or lawyer. To be apart of something like that would just be so incredible!

Blog Post VIII-What Can We Learn From Randy Pausch?

Randy Pausch's video Inspirational Speech by Dr Randy Pausch On the Oprah Winfrey Show The Last Lecture Dr Pausch Pa was very interesting and personable. He expressed some of the thoughts he had when he was a little boy. Some of the dreams he mentioned in the video were not very huge dreams to me. They were just everyday dreams from a kid's point of view. Dreams are important in our lives but we should never forget that God does allow us to have good things in our life. It's so amazing how the Creator comes into play when good things are involved. I never forget that life can be so exciting and so fulfilling when we remember that we can have a spiritual connection. No matter whether it's the loving family we have, the great career we've chosen or the very close friends we have accumulated, we must remember that someone larger than ourselves are responsible for the beautiful things in our lives. Even meeting that awesome spouse or mate that we connect with forever is not by accident. We should never take those things for granted. To produce awesome, smart and incredible children who become an example of us and a wholesome imitation of us is just some huge gift from God!

People become so consumed with who they are, they somehow forget that there are other people around who contributed to their success either directly or indirectly. Having a fabulous career is great, but there are other things in life that matter too. Life is short, but if we waste our time on meaningless pursuits and childless endeavors we will lose sight of the important things in life. So we must prioritize and make a list of all the things that are truly important to us and take care of these things. In my life God has a special purpose in everything that I do and my family means a great deal to me. Lastly, my career comes in third place. Some people might think that because my career choices came in third place, that's the least important to me. That doesn't mean that my career is not important to me. I just learned to put first things first and last things last. It's so important to do that in life. Imagine living on earth for at least fifty or sixty years and wasting valuable time on things that don't really matter and finally realizing at the last minute there's no time to go back and correct all of those lost moments in time. We'll never get those moments back. What a loss! I hope that this will never be my situation in life. Loving and caring about the right people in life is so important. Being with family and friends should be the most important asset in our life. Remember, they are there for us when we fail, accomplish or succeed. Life is not always filled with accomplishments, but there are many disappointments that tend to throw us off track. We learn so much from everything that we go through in life. Being happy with who we are and not having any regrets is so important. We get so caught up in trying to be the most successful in life, the person with the highest income in life, or maybe we just want to drive the most expensive car or have the biggest house. It's all cosmetic. Bottom line, we have to learn to live with who we are. If we are happy and pleased with the person in the mirror that we see everyday, we have come to terms with what life really means to us.