Final Course Reflection

      IT365 has been a very enjoyable class. I loved that we did not have to constantly write notes and take quizzes and tests. I have learned a variety of things and will use this new knowledge as I continue school and move on to my career. One of the most important things I have learned is to always back up your work on a jump drive. You never know when you computer will crash or freeze up. It is best to be prepared and have a saved copy of your work. 

      In my opinion, my stronger points were creating the website and movie maker. I am a creative and organized person and those tasks brought out my good side. I enjoyed them so much and had so much fun creating them. I made sure that I paid close attention to the different aspects of these programs because I knew I would use them again someday.

      I would have to say my weak points dealing with technology is that I am a very impatient person. What I mean by this is that I get frustrated easily when things do not work or take a long time. When I don't know how to correct the problem it makes it that much worse! Technology has a way of putting me in a really bad mood. This is because I know so little about it. I am thankful that this was a required course so that I could strengthen my horrible skills and become more patient in the future. I will definitely work on my patience as well. I can benefit from technology as an individual as well as a professional. The only way I can improve on my weak areas are to get help and practice them routinely. This way I will be familiar with the programs I am required to use and will not get so frustrated when things do not go as smooth as I had hoped. I plan to integrate technology in my classroom with the use of the webpage for sure so that parents and students can retrieve information about whats going on in the classroom, upcoming assignments, etc. Another project that I plan to share with my class is the concept mapping assignment. It is a fun and creative way to organize notes, thoughts, and ideas. It is also a wonderful study technique. I’m excited about my journey to becoming an teacher, and I hope one day I will be a roll model to a bunch students!

Standard #5

Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership - Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. 

Teachers:
a.) participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
b.) exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others
c.) evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning
d.) contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community

Reflection:
The last standard deals with teachers growth and leadership. It is important, as future teachers, to constantly improve our professional practice. Just graduating from college with a degree and passing the praxis is simply not enough. I really do not believe you become an actual teacher until you are in your own classroom teaching by yourself.

A teacher’s growth is very important. With growth comes experience and that is what makes the best teacher. A teacher needs years of experience to see what works for students and what doesn't. A teacher also needs years of experience to see what works for the teacher and what doesn't. It is important as a means of authority to exhibit leadership. Most students look up to their teachers and need to see them as a leader. Teacher also need to exhibit the diverse needs of learners by differentiation. Like I said earlier, no two students learn alike. All students learn in their own unique way and it is important that the teacher sees this and allows time in planning to foster each child’s need. Teachers need to stay in touch with current and upcoming technology. They need to do so on a regular basis so they can use the technology effectively. They also need to keep their students informed. I feel like I have mastered a part of this standard by using the assistive technology artifact. I have explored the web and certain links to keep up with the technology for certain disabilities. Teachers need to do so periodically so they can keep up with the disabilities of students they might have and stay up to date on the latest research and technology.

Artifacts:
Website
Concept Map
Assistive Technology
Turnitin.com

Future Goals:
My future goal as a teacher is to stay in touch with the outside world. I want to be the best teacher I can be for my students by engaging them in the content and making them want to learn. I can do this by means of technology. I can also extend beyond the classroom and be an active member of the community. I love staying busy and being involved, so I do not think this will be a hard goal to reach.

Standard #4

Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility - Teachers  \understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. 

Teachers:

a. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

b. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

c. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

d. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

Artifacts:

· Turnitin

· Assistive technology

Reflection:

As a future teacher, it is important for me to try to always set an example for my students. By using technology, I can enrich lessons to fit levels of understanding for students who are above the normal teaching instruction. I can also use technology to modify lessons so students who don’t understand completely can go online and take quizzes that will help them to work out misconceptions and learn by doing on their own.

Future learning goals:

In my classroom, I will teach proper ways to use technology as well as teach ethical and cultural ways of using technology. It is important to model for students what is morally right in society and in the classroom. We are taught everyday to do our own work and be honest. The turnitin assignment will teach students exactly what it looks like to cheat and then how to cite information, and use your own words to make it your own.

Standard #3

Model Digital-Age Work and Learning - Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. 

Teachers:
a.) demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
b.) collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
c.) communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats
d.) model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning

Reflection:
This standard deals with the knowledge and skills of a professional teacher. It is important for teachers to be up to date on the knowledge and skills necessary to be a teacher. I feel that I have mastered this standard with several artifacts such as: Website, concept map, turnitin, and my photostory. The website and blog i created allows for communication of information to students, parents, and peers using digital-age media and formats. These also allow for collaboration with students, peers, parents and community members to support success and innovation. By using my photostory and concept map I am demonstrating fluency in technology systems because I had to narrate my photostory and had to be able to write correctly to visually show fluency. Now that I know how to create a concept map I can create a model for my class during my lecture so the students can actually see how to do it rather than just reading the directions. By doing this I would be modeling and facilitating effective use of current and emerging digital tools. It is important that the teacher teaches the students new information and then models how to use it. It is also important for teachers to demonstrate fluency whenever possible in their lessons.

Artifacts:
My PhotoStory
Turnitin
Concept Map
Web Site
Blog

Future Goals:

I will need to keep up with technology in order to keep my students up to date as possible with this fast world to better their knowledge. It is very important to keep a professional appearance during your teaching career.

Standard #2

Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments - Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:

a.)design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to   

    promote student learning and creativity
b.) develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their 

     individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals,  

     managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. )customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, 

     working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
d.) provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with 

     content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching

Reflection:
This standard discusses different learning styles. I have learned this semester that all students are different and no two students learn the same way. It is important for teachers to get to know their students so they can adapt their lessons to help each child. By doing this, teachers are allowing students to learn the best of their ability and pursue their individual interests. It is important to communicate and collaborate effectively with students and other teachers. I know as a future teacher it is my role to customize certain projects and/or activities for students who need them.
Assessments are important aspects of teaching. It is vital that a teacher asses his/her students so they can see if the way they taught was effective or not. It also allows the teacher to see what the student has actually learned. If standards have not been met by evidence of assessment, the teacher can go back and re-teach the topic.
The standard has been met by concept mapping, web tools, blog, and my movie story. By using the web tools I could differentiate my instruction in many ways. I have mastered these artifacts and feel that making rubrics, online quizzes, and worksheet are great means of assessing students. The blog, movie story, and concept map allow the teacher to see the students diverse learning styles, working strategies and ability to use digital tools.


Artifacts:
Concept Map
Web Tools (Rubric, Online Quiz, Worksheet, Puzzle)
Blog
My Movie Story

Future Learning Goals:
In the future I plan to use these resources in creating assessments. I know that assessments are important factors in teaching. I now have learned many ways to asses my students in my It365 class. I will be able to differentiate my assessments based on my students needs and different learning styles. I have gained much knowledge in using digital tools and look forward to using them one day. 

Standard #1

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity - Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. 

Teachers:

a.) promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
b.) engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
c.) promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
d.) model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.


Reflection:
Standard one consists of creativity and innovation. The artifacts that have helped me meet this standard were the the blog, concept map, and the assistive technology. This standard is met because the students are creating a concept map using reflection and knowledge to create collaborative tools to reveal their conceptual understanding. Concept mapping is a great way to allow students to organize their knowledge. The assistive technology helped me meet this standard because of the case study with the links. It gives students the opportunity to explore real-world issues and guiding them through the use of internet. It facilitates use of current digital tools, such as the internet to research and learn about the questions listed in the case study. The blog helped me meet this standard because it allows students to reflect with the teacher. These artifacts have helped demonstrate my achievement because I am now very familiar with them. I now know how to use these artifacts and can incorporate them in my classroom one day. I feel the use of technology will allow my students to become more involved and interested in the lessons.

Artifacts:
-Blog
-Concept Map
-Assistive Technology

Future Learning Goals:
Realizing that technology is an ever growing and changing field, it will be a challenge to keep up and change with it. I aspire to meet this goal in my classroom daily. This standard will give me the chance to allow my future students to be creative while using technology. I will try to keep my students as up to date as possible with the fast pace growth of technology.  

Introduction to Blogfolio

      This Blogfolio is a reflection of everything I have learned this past four months in IT 365. Over the semester, we were asked to complete a variety of assignments. I learned how to use a program called Inspiration and create a concept mapping project. I even learned how to use web tools to create rubrics, online quizzes, worksheets, and puzzles.  One of the most challenging assignments I had to complete was to create a web site.

      In my IT 365 class I also learned about assistive technology which I know will be beneficial for me when I start teaching. I also gained a broad understanding of how to use turnitin.com to discover if students plagiarized a paper or not.  The most time consuming project I had to do was a my movie story.

      This Blogfolio is going to be used to show my improvement from start of the class until the end. It is also going to be used to document my work that I did for this entire semester. I also hope that my classmates will be kind enough to make comments on it and to tell me if they like my work. This Blogfolio helped me recollect my ideas and knowledge that I learned from taking IT 365.

Artifacts

Turn It in - Good Copy

Puzzle

Online Quiz

login: brent2445 --- password: brenttanner

login: lucy2124 --- password: lucymatthews

Rubric

Assistive Technology

Turn it in- Plagiarized

Assistive Technology2

Concept Map

Worksheet

Website

Photo Story

NETS-T standards

In this post, you will find the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers.

-The first standard describes how teachers need to assist and encourage students to want to learn and to be creative while doing it. I want my students to discover and explore, and learn from their own experiences. I also want my students to realize that learning can be fun.

- The second standard describes teacher's designing different learning experiences that is geared to help each individual. Every student has a different learning style, and may need more help in certain areas. I believe every student should be given the same opportunity to succeed.

-The third standard describes how teachers should incorporate technology to enhance a child's knowledge. Many students do not get the opportunity to use different digital appliances at home; therefore, I believe it's crucial for students to use as many different kinds of technology at school to expand their wisdom.

- The fourth standard states that teachers should help students understand issues in their society, along with the correct behavior to exhibit in their professional practices. I believe that the best way for a child to learn how to act correctly is by a role model. Teachers should make sure that they act morally and ethically appropriate at all times; therefore, they will be the best role models.

The fifth standard basically states that teachers need to stay up to date with the different technologies, and be able to demonstrate them to help their students with learning. With the constant inventions of new technology, teachers should definitely be on the look out for new ways to help them teach more effectively.

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:

a.	promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
b.	engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
c.	promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
d.	model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:

a.	design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
b.	develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
c.	customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
d.	provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:

a.	demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
b.	collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
c.	communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
d.	model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers:

a.	advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
b.	address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.
c.	promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
d.	develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. Teachers:

a.	participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning.
b.	exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others.
c.	evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.
d.	contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community.

Introduction

Hi guys! My name is Kari Lieberman, and I am a senior Elementary Education major. I transferred here from MCC where I played soccer for two years. I spent my first year at USM as a Mass Communications and film major, and then changed it this past summer. Since I made a drastic change in majors, my career goals have also been altered. I'm striving to graduate, with good grades, from the Elementary Education program at USM. Also, this year I received the Critical Needs scholarship for future teachers. This restricts me to work at a critical needs school in Mississippi for at least one year after I graduate. Hopefully after a few years of teaching, I will be able to go back to school and get my Masters in Business Administration.

I have a variety of experience with different technologies. Since my previous major dealt with film, I have had the opportunity to use different digital and video cameras for my work. I also have a Macbook, which has allowed me to expand my knowledge of different computers.

Technology is a major part of my life, and I will incorporate as many kinds in my classroom as I can. Computer programs are my favorite, and I believe that every kid should be given many opportunities to play and learn from them.

Blog 8: Outline of Group Project Presentation

I. Introduction
Student Retention
1. What is student retention?
2. USM’s retention rate
3. Reasons why people drop out of school

II. Student Appreciation Program (SAP)
What exactly is SAP?
1. Explain why the program was invented
2. The prerequisites to get into the program
C. Vouchers
1. What is a Voucher?
2. The exceptions and rules that come with the Vouchers

III. Pros vs. Cons
School vs. Students
Benefits for the school from this program
Benefits for the students from this program
Negative effects on the school
Positives from those negatives

IV. Examples
Other schools that have tried

V. Conclusion
SAP can help with Student retention

To start of my presentation, I decided to briefly talk about what student retention means, USM’s current retention rate, and different reasons why the retention rate is an issue. From there I will begin talking about what we have designed to help out the student retention problem. I would explain why we came up with the SAP, who the program is for, and what all students can gain from earning a Voucher and getting into the SAP. Of course, with every issue, there are pros and cons. Pros which range from having a higher student retention rate and a higher GPA for the University as a whole, to Cons such as how much the program may cost the school or if the program just didn’t work. My group researched to find if any other schools have tried this kind of proposal. We have found some examples and would discuss how their experience was with their program. I would end the presentation with repeating all the good stuff about the SAP, and how it could really help any person that wants to go to college and further their education.

Blog 7: Editorial

The topic I chose to write about is the use of Vuvuzelas during this year’s World Cup in South Africa. I truly believe whether or not you are a soccer fan, the constant buzzing noise that was coming from those plastic horns killed the atmosphere during the games, not to mention annoyed the heck out of people while they were watching a match on the television. The big controversy is that blowing the Vuvuzelas is part of the African culture, kind of like a cow bell at a Mississippi State football game. How can you make an extremely large group of people quit a custom they’ve been participating in for years and/or decades? Well, I believe we should find the answer so that the situation with this year’s World Cup does not happen again. The World Cup is a celebration of the 32 nations that qualified and of all the others that did not but which still play and love the game; not just an Africa Cup. More than half of the players probably never experienced playing a game with that much of a distraction.

Concerns about the noise level of these horns distracting the athletes and damages the human ear spread to other parts of the world. Last week, Cyprus banned the vuvuzela after the authorities acknowledged the plastic horns as a potential weapon that could be used in riots at sports events.

I think that this post could be read by the majority of people in the U.S. The reason I think this is that soccer isn’t the most popular sport in America. The U.S.A. team finally does something to catch the American’s eyes. I know multiple non soccer fans that tried to watch a game but couldn’t enjoy it due to the constant annoying noise. This did not help Americans become bigger fans of this sport.

I would want this to be sent to www.iNewp.com

Blog 6: Collaborative Writing Process Issues

Introduction

This document is working to find creative ways to help the university address student retention. We have designed a plan that gives students a drive to maintain a certain GPA in return for a discount on their education costs.

Facts and Discussion

Our group has been working together very well! I had to miss the second meeting due to a schedule conflict, but I have talked to the people in my group and got all the information I missed. We all have roles in the group, and mine is Finance Researcher.

As a whole, we came up with a reasonable solution that we believe is beneficial to both the school and the students. Our plan involved rewarding students who have kept a certain GPA throughout a year. The reward would be a voucher to purchase books the following school year. Since students will want to ease their financial burden, students will want to make the grades; which will also help the school's GPA as a whole. Since textbooks are a major source of income for the school, the GPA we have decided is a score of 3.5 or higher. The voucher will be a total amount of what the cost of four books would be during a semester.

Conclusions

As of right now our group has been doing a great job communicating and working together. We all get along and listen to each other's ideas. A few more meetings and I'm sure this assignment will be almost perfect.

Recommendations:

To be completely honest I don't have any recommendations. I have taken an online class before and encountered a variety of problems. With this class, anytime I have had a problem or question I have received a helpful reply way before I had time to even check my email. I am very impressed with the way the communication has been with this c

Blog 5: Starting the Job Search

I wanted to start this blog off with a personal experience of mine that pertains to our topic. I have been working at Chesterfields restaurant for about seven months. Unfortunately CVS bought the building, and we, the staff, we’re given two weeks notice about losing our jobs. As soon as I found this out, I went searching for a new one. The first place I went to was Crescent City Grill. Every Tuesday morning you can go and apply there, along with getting an interview with a manager that day.
I applied for the server job at Crescent City last week. Since I have been working at restaurants all of my life, I had a variety of experience to jot down on my application. During the interview, the manager told me the kind of things he looks for before he hires someone. Of course experience is always good, but managers need employees who are dedicated, friendly, and will work hard to be good at what they do. I explained to him that I have been working in restaurants all my life and I know what it takes to help make a restaurant successful. I also told him I am always willing to put forth the effort to be good at what I do. About three days later, I was called back in for my second interview. This time a different manager explained some duties I would have to perform, the type of employees he wants for his restaurant, and how it’s important to be serious about this job before I can become a part of the Crescent City “family”. We had a good talk, and two days later I was called for job! To find out more information about employment at this restaurant, you can visit the website at http://www.nsrg.com.

With that being said, another job I could have applied for is Assistant Social Studies teacher in Stonewall, Mississippi. Some of the basic qualifications for this job are knowledge of the Instructional Process. This includes the context, curriculum, methods, and materials of the specialty to which assigned, which in this case would be Social Studies. One must have the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with students, peers, administrators and parents, along with having skill in oral and written communication.
I found this job opening at http://www.indeed.com. This is definitely a job that is right up my alley, being that I am an Education major. I truly believe I have the ability to build strong and trustworthy relationships with most people I meet. I am personable and enjoying helping people with their problems. I am also currently in the Elementary Education program; therefore, I am learning the basic steps to being a good teacher.

Another job opening is at the University of Southern Miss as a Social Worker. Some duties of this job are providing services for individuals with disabilities who are homeless or at risk, provide information/referrals for homeless individuals with disabilities and families, work with project coordinators to collect and report required data in a homeless management system and internal reporting system, and etc. The job requires experience in providing case management services for individuals with disabilities or families who are homeless or at risk.
I found this job under USM career services. I can not say that I have ever helped disabled people before, but I have volunteered at a homeless shelter multiple times in my life. I believe in hard work and making right choices; however, I do know I have experienced first hand people who have tried and tried to do right in life yet did not succeed. With this job, I feel I could help people get back on track with their life. I know I wouldn’t be a counselor, but I still feel like I could help persuade them to never give up and always to always look forward. I found this job opening at http://www.jobs.usm.edu.

The final job opening I could apply for is as a Human Resource Assistant. Some requirements for this job are excellent written and verbal communication and computer skills, such as Microsoft Works and Excel. Also, you must pass a criminal background check. I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay in that department.
I found this job at www.human-resources.jobs.net, under the Mississippi job outlook section. One of the responsibilities to this job that caught my eye was regularly interfacing with a variety of internal customers in a professional manner utilizing clean, concise, and accurate verbal communication. I believe I could do this job well because I like to think I have very good people skills. Over the years while working in my restaurant jobs, I have trained myself to stay calm in crazy situations, and I’ve built up the ability to have patience with all kinds of people. Also, I recently passed the BTLE (Basic Technology of Literacy Exam). This is an exam that tests your computer skills from different sections of Microsoft Office. I passed with flying colors.

If I had the choice of choosing one of these jobs it would have to be the Assistant Social Studies teacher. I can not wait until I am done with my program here at USM and am able to teach full time. Mentoring young children and giving them the skills to succeed is why I am working hard in college and getting my education degree. Social Studies is not my favorite subject, but I would be willing to take this job in a heart beat and eventually work my way up to the head teaching position.
My resume would not be full of experience in this field; however, I would definitely include my managers from previous jobs in hopes they could explain my work ethics to my possible future bosses. I would also give my education back ground, and what my goals are in life.

Blog 4: Web Evaluation

To be completely honest, I had a little bit of trouble with this particular blog assignment. We were to select a website or webpage online and make suggestions to how it could be improved. The website I chose was www.klove.com. It is an online site for the K Love Christian radio station. I asked myself what kind of things I could suggest to them so they could change their page up a little bit, but I could think of nothing. It has all the main choices right there on the page; including news, music, ministry, contests, events, and so on and so forth. They even have an online store that can be accessed. If I was to write a letter to the webmaster, this is precisely what I would say....

To the creators of the KLove website:

I believe that creating a website to correspond with your radio station is a really good idea. However, if I was to recommend or suggest one tiny thing, it would be that you have more info for teens on your page. For example, a button for information about certain camps for preteens and teens, or information on how they could get involved in their own community; such as tips on how to get involved in church and a youth group. It would also be neat if you had a significant amount of information for college age kids, how they, too, can get involved in a church, and what to do if they will end up having to go alone. Other than that, I think your web page is very helpful, positive and encouraging!

Kari Lieberman

The information that KLove is putting out is for religious aspects, and I think that they do a good job of it. Although, I do believe someone would need to know about or have heard the radio station to understand the website and what it's purpose is. However, I think that the website has a bit more information than they give on the radio. Granted, it is a website, and much more information can be gathered from there than from a radio station.

I think that if I was going to really critique a website, I would need to start out looking for something that I was trying to find. Usually, if that was the case, perhaps I would not be able to find it on the particular website, and that in turn would frustrate me and pose a suggestion I could make to the designer of the webpage. Also, if it was a news webpage, like my hometown newspaper's page, www.vicksburgpost.com, I would probably make a suggestion as to something such as not having negativity be right on the screen when I visit the site. I know that I have no control over that, and the media decides what gets the front page, but I would rather see something positive appear.

Blog 3: Defining Your Website’s Objectives

http://ci.unlv.edu was a very helpful site. I did have to click on a lot of sections to get to where I needed to be; however, it was very self-explanatory. On this website, they had a variety of different news stories that had to do either a teacher or student that was recognized for something good that they did. This caught my eye and made me interested in finding out more about these people's background. Also makes me think the program here must be good! There was also an area on this site that gave links to other important sites an Education Major may find important.

The USM website actually gives me a little trouble. When you go to the main page, there is that drop box on the top right where you can click on what department or school you want to see. Well, when you click on the Education department it does not go to the Education's site. It's also not very self-explanatory on how to get to the actual site. I'm not lazy, but I'd rather not stress myself out digging for information on the Internet.

OVERALL PURPOSE

The purpose of this assignment is to design a website that would be useful and helpful for any person that was interested in getting an Elementary Education degree. Hopefully, if my site is made correctly, I will have possibly lured more people into this major and helped them go in the right direction. I looked at the things in the other websites that I disliked, and I will be sure not to make the same mistakes that they did.

READER PROFILE

My primary reader is going to be high students. When I was in high school, I did not have a clue about what I wanted to major in or what I wanted to be when I grew up. I do think if I had come across a well put together website about my major now I would have decided on this major earlier in my college years. Instead, I have changed my major a couple of times and am now behind. The reader's relationship to me is solely on the fact that I am a Elementary Education major, so I can relate to them better then if just some random person put this site together. The responsibility of my reader would be to take the steps he or she would need to take to sign up for classes. On my site, I would make sure they knew exactly what classes they would need to take so it wouldn't be hard on them. Also, students that see or read my site do not necessarily have to be very interested in becoming a teacher. But maybe after they see my site and know how easy it is to get to the end they may become an Education major. The readers are most likely not very familiar with my subject or my specialty. Like I said before, I didn’t have a clue about what I was going to do when I left high school. I’m sure there are several students that feel the same. There are several communication preferences the reader and myself should take in account. This ranges from if the student has some kind of learning disability, to whether or not they are qualified to even get into the college let alone this particular major.

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

I have taken numerous English classes in my day, so I pretty well rounded when it comes to things to write about. Since I am an Education major, the age range of kids I will be teaching definitely influences the way I write.

USABILITY OBJECTIVES

Some of the keys questions my reader may ask while reading would be 1. Are there any special classes I need to take my first couple of years in college? 2. How long does the program take until I am an actual teacher? 3. Are there scholarships that are strictly for Education majors?

The most useful strategy that I have found on different websites is a search box. One would need to just type in a few key words and everything on the site that is pertaining to those words will pop up. If this doesn’t work, there could be an email or number for the student to call.

PERSUASIVE OBJECTIVES

I am hoping that the reader leaves my website with more interest in becoming an Education major. I will stress on my site that if there is anything they do not understand, or have any questions at all they can contact me and I will do my very best to get back with them as soon as I can! I want them to feel stress free.

STAKEHOLDERS

The stakeholders would have to be the faculty and staff that would be included in my website. I would also have a section where former students leave comments, blogs, their email addresses, etc. The will all be affected in a positive way because I would make sure to bring out only the best things about this major and the people who help put it together.

CONSTRAINTS

The biggest factor that affects my writing and credibility is that I am not an actual teacher yet. I do not start my teaching program until this fall. But, this could actually benefit the students even more because I will be able to constantly update everything since I’ll be going through it.

The Dream of the Rood

Blog #2
This past semester, a class I took required us to read a few Anglo-Saxon poems. One of which was called “The Dream of the Rood.” The main focus of Anglo-Saxon poetry was often centered on Christianity; spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and getting churches started. In this poem a man has a dream, and in the dream he sees the journey of Jesus Christ to his crucifixion in the cross’s point of view. Basically, he saw how the cross started out as a beautiful tree and then was eventually cut down and formed into a cross. In the man’s dream, the cross is humbled and feels terrible about playing a major role in the death of Jesus Christ. The controversy going on during the time that this piece was written was, as I stated before, the spreading of Christianity. These Anglo-Saxon writers believed that no matter what happened in life, as long as they were loyal to God and obeyed His will by spreading the gospel and witnessing to the lost, that they were bound for eternal glory in heaven.
The publication is believed to be around the 6th or 7th century, and I believe that the issue the writer (unknown) is addressing is that of the cross’s humility toward the supreme being of Christ. The cross knows he must go through with it, and also knows that it is the duty of Christ to be crucified to save the world from their sins. It is kind of like a ‘catch 22;’ in the poem, the cross says, “Once I was made into the worst of torments, most hateful to all people, before I opened the true way of life for speech-bearers” (The Dream of the Rood). At the same time, the narrator of the story, who is also the dreamer, describes the worthiness of devotion to the cross, and looks forward to the righteous being able to enter heaven.
As with most of Anglo-Saxon poetry, the looking past the negative and looking towards eternal glory is stressed repeatedly. Therefore, the writer’s purpose, to me, was to show how this ordinary man had this dream about the crucifixion of Christ, and told of how the cross even felt guilty. The writer entails both Christian and heroic themes in the poem, due to the fact that the cross was, at first, “beckoned with gold; gems had covered worthily the creator’s tree. And yet beneath that gold I began to see an ancient wretched struggle, for it first began to bleed on the right side” (The Dream of the Rood).
The word choice of the writer is simple. He does not use many special words or slang, but that of Anglo-Saxon poetry. This is a really good poem, and I recommend it for any type of reading. It’s crazy to me how it is dated all the way back to the 7th century, and it still muzzled its way into our English books today.

1. Student Profile

My name is Kari Lieberman. I am from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and I am majoring in Elementary Education. I have a part time job waiting tables at Chesterfield's restaurant, and I enjoy working there very much. I haven't really done much writing since I have attended school at USM. I transferred from Meridian Community College, and this past year was my first time living here in Hattiesburg. When I transferred, my major was Public Relations, so I am new to my Education major. Last semester in my World Literature class, we had to write a close reading paper. I had never done this before, so I was a little surprised when I found out I had to write a 5-6 page paper on a tiny passage from a novel. I didn't understand how that was possible when I could easily explain my point in a few sentences. It was difficult, but with help from my teacher I was able to get my point across and ended up with a good grade on the essay as well.

To be completely honest, writing is not my favorite thing to do. While I was a PR major, I took classes that involved graphic design, as well as a few mass communication classes. We had projects such as creating brochures and mock newspapers, and that was an easy thing for me to get excited about.

I'm hoping that with this course I will learn to appreciate writing more, as well as be able to write better than I do now.