Class Blog: Life Processes

    Animals and plants use two types of adaptation, behavioral and physical, in order to increase their chances of survival in their environment.

   Behavioral adaptation includes hibernation, migration and instincts. Hibernation means some animals (e.g., groundhogs, black  bears) go into a deep sleep in which their body activities slow down due to seasonal changes and they can live off stored food. Migration is moving from one place to another in groups. Instincts are natural behaviors that some animals are born with they need in order to survive in their environments. These behaviors are not learned but are instinctive, such as a beaver building a dam or a spider spinning a web. Physical adaptation involves the use of mimicry and camouflage. Mimicry occurs when a species has features similar to another species. Either one or both are protected when a third species cannot tell them apart. Camouflage is the means by which animals escape the notice of predators, usually because of a resemblance to their surroundings using coloration or outer coverage patterns. Habitats are where plants and animals live. They can live in dry-land, which includes desert, grassland, rainforest, and forest or wet-land, which includes ocean, river, stream, swamp, marsh, and pond.

Vision of Technology

After working in the field of logistics I decided I wanted to become an educator. I have always had great interaction with children, whether they were my own children, relatives or someone else's. I know how to get children to respond in a way where they comfortable being who they are and they are giving me the respect as an adult without me having to ask for that respect. I guess you can say I know how to carry myself as a person in an authority position without coming across as a bully or a tyrant. I believe if at the core of your character you do not like children or cannot relate to children you should not be teaching. You may not get caught right away but eventually the truth will come out. Right now in our country a lot of soul searching is being done when it comes to educating our children. One of the first steps that need to be taken is to find the right people to educate our children.

When I started ITE 200 I had no idea how I would integrate technology with education. My biggest concern was how realistic is this request for educators? I have volunteered at local schools and saw the usage of computers at times and I thought okay, not bad, I could do that. But after taking ITE 200 I believe the periodic use of the computer is not even scratching the surface of this new age of technology and education. The constant and pursuant push for the integration of technology needs to continue until every educator comes around. The end result will be rewarding for both the educators and the students. The information I received from this class has been invaluable. One of my favorite assignments in this class was "How literate are you". This is a debate I have with my son. He is a digital native. He grew up with technology and has used it every day. I was the digital immigrant. I used the computer once a day for an hour and I was done. Then I went back to school and now I am a leaning digital native. If I have a hard time figuring something out that is computer related, I would ask my son. Sometimes he was helpful and other times he was not. The times he was not helpful I was able to figure it out. But I thought to myself as much time he spends on the computer he should have figured that out. This led me to believe he is not as computer literate as he thinks he is and this is where educators can fill the gap between computer familiarity and computer literacy.

In the logistics field I used Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint quite often. Of the three, I would not have thought to integrate an Excel spreadsheet with educating children. I loved the idea of creating a Timeline with Excel. I will have no problem incorporating Word and PowerPoint in my lessons. I believe Pixie is a great tool for the younger students. I loved the illustrations. It was one of those programs I would label as "educating while having fun". The students will not realize how much they are learning. I find great value in the instructional games. Most children are already playing games on the computer so it makes sense for educators to introduce a variety of instructional games to their students. Math Blaster was a great start to this new phenomenon. Many children are being exposed to different technologies which make it imperative that as educators we are aware of these technologies, familiar with as many of technologies as possible. It is up to the educators to ensure these children are computer literate and can compete with the rest of world once they are out of school.

How literate are you

I fall in between the Digital immigrant and the Digital native. Since taking this class I did not realize a lot of the programs I used in the workforce could be used as teaching tools. This has definitely been an eye-opening learning experience. Not only do I appreciate receiving the information but due to my familiarity with some of the technological programs I would have less difficulty integrating these programs with educating my students. Learning new things and being able to explain what I learn with clarity is self-empowering to me. Because technology is always changing rapidly it is imperative that I absorb as much information as possible.

I believe the Discover method, is a method that has been around for decades but educators never gave it title until now. Throughout my schooling years from grade school to now I have always been taught to define, inquire, search, collect, organize, verify, extend and reflect. Although it is informative, this method is not something new to educators. Of course the Digital natives will benefit from the Discover method. I believe they are already using the method especially when it comes to research papers, science and math courses.

Math Jeopardy

I enjoyed creating this instructional game. It is intended for a third grade math lesson. It covers the SOL requirements 3.3 and 3.6 Number and Number Sense, 3.13 Measurements and 3.25 Patterns, Functions and Algebra.

Reflections

In the beginning of the semester I was somewhat intimidated. After the instructor read his outline and gave his introduction I knew I was going to dropped this class.Then I decided to stick it out. I’m a firm believer in working hard and being rewarded for that hard work. The reward I received, during this semester, was the insightful knowledge and tools I needed to become a better writer. I have the upmost respect for Paul. He displayed a great deal of passion for teaching English. I enjoyed the relaxed learning environment he provided. I found a lot of my fellow pupils to be bright, engaging and full of life. I enjoyed their conversations even the ones that had nothing to do with the lessons. I’m going to miss debating with Adam D. I should have warned him that I love to argue and must have the last word at all times. Oh well, he found out the hard way (: I wonder how Ryan is doing. Has anyone heard from him? Best wishes to Danielle, she was thrown a lemon in life a while back now she’s making lemonade. Good luck to Nick and his wife on the anticipated arrival of their bundle of joy. After taking this class I know have the confidence to write a paper for any class. What I’ve learned will be useful throughout my time in college and in the workforce. Most employers nowadays require knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint as a minimum in order to qualify for employment. This class along with my Public Speaking class has provided a foundation for me to build on in my quest to be an educator. I loved the fact I had to update my software at home. The newer version is user friendly and does most of the work. Prior to this class I found PowerPoint confusing and above my understanding. I use to work with people who kept knowledge of things to themselves. Now that I learned how to use it properly I feel like a pro and ready to show others how it works. Another reason I enjoyed this class and some of the assignments is because I shared my essays with my family. My older sister loved my rhetorical essay. I must admit it was one of my favorite assignments. Once I got started on that essay I couldn’t stop writing. I had to revise it quite a few times because of the word count limit. My most difficult paper was the annotated bibliography. It required more time than I anticipated. After I was done with that paper I had to take a week off from writing. It was pretty intense for me. It through me off balance a little. The hard work paid off. It made writing my argument paper a lot easier. I felt so relieved after presenting my argument and loved the grade I received. I was pleasantly surprised. I will be the first to admit this class wasn’t easy. So I want to congratulate everyone for not giving up and passing the class. We’ve learned a lot this semester. You will use what you learned in class in some area of your life. So don’t throw anything away. In closing I will confess I wasn’t too happy about creating this blog. I would have loved a classroom session on the subject. Sitting in another classroom with other students I didn’t know was not an appealing option. I apologize in advance for my less than stellar blog. This was my first time attempting to blog.

Diagnostic Essay

January 28, 2009

In July of 2003 my husband and I decided to visit New Orleans, Louisiana for vacation. This was my second trip to New Orleans and my husband first. My first trip to New Orleans was joyous but I hung out on Bourbon Street the entire time and didn't get to see the other attractions. I found New Orleans to be one of the better cities that I've visited. There was never a dull moment. You could always find something to do whether it's visiting the gift shops, dining on French and Cajun cuisines or hanging out at the local bars. The alluring sights and sounds created a festive atmosphere which filled the street with people. After picking my son up from Atlanta, GA we drove to Louisiana. It was a smooth drive with no traffic accidents and very little congestion. The first stop was the French Quarter. There we heard the sounds of a jazz band playing music. After the band finished a couple of songs we decided to purchase tickets for the zoo and the aquarium. The Aquarium of Americas had a large collection of fish and other marine life. The building was clean and spacious even with a lot of people. My son enjoyed starfish who swam around their tank full speed ahead while I watched the colorful selection of chirping birds. After leaving the aquarium we went to the Audubon Zoo. We saw a wide array of exhibits. The only area that seemed crowded was the Primates. The gorilla sitting about 4 feet from the barrier was the main attraction. His pose with one knee up, elbow on the knee and his chin resting on his fist was hilarious. He didn't seem bothered by the bees flying around his face or the flashes from the cameras. After our visits to the zoo and aquarium we decided to go to Bourbon Street. Of course by this time we were hungry. Finding somewhere to eat was the most difficult decision we had to make due to the vast selection of restaurants. The aroma coming from the eateries you pass where just as appealing as the beautiful designed buildings. All the eateries we saw were filled with people which was a hint to us the food good no matter the selection. So we settled on a local snack shack and ate fried catfish and shrimp. After lunch we went to a few gift shops and decided to head back home. I've traveled quite bit in my time all across the country and overseas. I find New Orleans to be the ideal vacation spot. Each time I went I was amazed by this small city's ability to provide big time attractions and entertainment. Being a New Yorker who grew up in an atmosphere of non-stop entertainment that's no small feat. Jazz happens to be one of my favorite genres of music. Just hearing it on the radio takes me back to the French Quarter. I love the arts and I love to eat. I studied French for three years in school. I'm looking forward to returning to New Orleans.

Revised Diagnostic Essay 3 May 2009
My Return Trip to the Big Easy
It's July 2004 in Jacksonville, Florida. "It's vacation time dear, any ideas on where to go?" my husband asks. "Not exactly, but I would love to visit San Francisco again" I replied. My husband explained that was too far to travel by car. We only had 10 days for our vacation and my husband refused to travel by plane. After eliminating the cities we visited this past year, I suggested we go to New Orleans. "Have you been there yet?" I asked. "No" my husband replies. "Good, that's where we'll go" I said. I told him about my joyous trip to New Orleans years earlier and how I spent my entire visit on Bourbon Street, missing all the other attractions in the city. New Orleans was the best city I've visited within the last ten years. Excitement filled the air. Whether visiting a gift shop, dining on French or Cajun cuisine or hanging with friends at the local bars there was always something to do. The alluring sights and sounds of the city created a festive atmosphere which filled the streets with lots of people. After picking up son from Atlanta, GA we drove to Louisiana. The drive on I-20 was smooth with no traffic accidents and very little congestion. Our first Stop in New Orleans was the French Quarter. There we heard the sounds of a trumpet being played in a jazz band with a small crowd gathered in front of the band. After listening to the band for a few minutes we decided to purchase tickets for the Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium of Americas. Our second stop was the aquarium which had a large collection of fish and other marine life. The building was clean and spacious even though there were a lot of people present. My son enjoyed petting the starfish while they swam around their tank full speed ahead. I enjoyed the colorful chirping birds. Our third stop was the zoo. We saw a wide array of exhibits. The only area that seemed crowded was the primate section. The gorilla sitting about 4 feet from the barrier was the main attraction. His sitting position with one knee up, an elbow on the knee and his chin resting on his fist was picture-perfect. He didn't seemed bothered by the bees flying around his face or the up close flashes from the cameras. Our final stop was Bourbon Street. Because of the large selection of eateries, finding something to eat were difficult. The aroma coming from the eateries you pass while walking down the street were just as appealing as the beautifully designed buildings. Since the eateries were filled with people the food had to be good. We settled on a local snack shack and ate fried catfish, shrimp, fries and slaw. After lunch we visited a few gift shops and headed home. I've traveled quite a bit all across the country and overseas. New Orleans is the ideal vacation spot. During each visit I was amazed by the small city's ability to provide big time attractions and entertainment. Being a New Yorker who grew up in an atmosphere of non-stop entertainment, that's no small feat. Jazz happens to be one of my favorite genre of music. Just hearing jazz on the radio takes me back to the French Quarter. I love the arts and I have a great appreciation for food two important ingredients for having a great time in New Orleans. I'm already looking forward to my return to the Big Easy.

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' Stills - Photo Gallery on Yahoo! Movies

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' Stills - Photo Gallery on Yahoo! Movies