Additional Assignment - Mr. McClung's World

1. What do you know (or have you found out) about Mr. McClung that is reflected in the way he has constructed his class blog?
The first thing that I noticed was how organized he is and you can tell that from his blog. It is important for teachers to be organized. You can tell that he is dedicated to his students because of all of the time and effort he puts in to his blog alone.
2. Comment on what you would say about Mr. McClung as an educator.
I think that Mr.McClung is not there for the paycheck. As any person who goes to school for education, it obviously is not for the money, but he seems to always go above and beyond for his students. He seems like he actually wants to be there and is excited for his students to learn from him.
3. I asked above that you read Mr. McClung's "rules" and think about them. What do they say about Mr. McClung, his teaching, and his connection with his students? What is your reaction to these rules (and guides) as a student and as an aspiring teacher?
Less is more! I really like the way he has set up the rules in his classroom. “Follow directions quickly” was my favorite rule. I like the fact that he doesn’t have many rules. It is basically like do what you know is right. Teachers who have a lot of rules constantly have to stop class to get on to students about things. This takes away from others students’ learning time.
4. What was the first thing under Everyone needs? Why do you suppose that is the first requirement?
Everyone needs a day planner. I can really relate to this because I personally use a planner. I think that this was the first thing because sometimes it can get difficult trying to keep up with due dates, homework assignments, and everything else too. In EDM310 I use our checklist as a sort of planner. I do not know how I would even keep up if I didn’t have that!
5. Note the penalties for being late (under Homework). Compare them with my penalties for being late. Comment.
Every day that your homework is late you lose one letter grade. I believe that this is a fair way of doing things because students know way ahead of time when their work is going to be due. I believe this will teach students responsibility as well.
6. Read carefully his paragraph about what he hopes to accomplish with his blog. Comment and apply to your own aspirations as a teacher.
I really like how the blog can be beneficial for both students and parents. I also really like the fact that it helps the classroom “Go Green.” It is much like our EDM310 class. Parents can always know what’s going in with their child’s school and it also helps the students to become more independent.
7. I asked you to review at least two Useful Links in depth after reviewing all of them. Which two did you review in depth? Describe each of the two. How might each be used? Why do you think each made Mr. McClung's list.
The two links that I chose were Science Toys by Stephen Spangler and Guys Read. I chose Science Toys because it was such a fun and interactive site. Parents, teachers, and students could use this site. It included different science experiments and everything. Great site! The second site that I chose was Guys Read. Studies show that boys are just as capable of being good readers as girls are. The boys just have to be interested in reading. I think it is great that Mr.McClung took the time to create this list. It shows how productive he is in his classroom.
8. Under Internet Safety I asked you to read carefully the rules Mr. McClung sets forth for safely using the Internet. Comment on these rules. Are there any you would add or subtract?
I really like the set of rules he created for the Internet. I think this is a good way of letting students know that they can feel safe while using the internet. Some parents may not talk to their children about Internet so I think it is great that he laid out some guidelines.
9. In the C4K part of this blog I asked that you look carefully at one of the categories under which you assigned post was filed. What did you find? Select one of the posts in the category and review it for me.
Investigative Reporting was a post that I found. It was about a reporter spying on public officials. The reporter recorded a conversation without permission of the public officials conversation. The public official was bashing the committee he was supposed to be leading. We had to talk about whether we believed this was right or wrong.
10. Mr. McClung uses Edublog as his blog host. In some ways it may seem more "advanced." But Blogger has many abilities that we have not covered in EDM310. This leads to this question: Is there anything (or things) that Mr. McClung can do with his blog that you would like to do in Blogger?
I really like the organization of Mr.McClung’s blog. I hope that when I become a teacher that my blog will be just as easy to navigate, as his is. You can tell that he spends ample time making his blog a great educational tool and I can only hope that as an aspiring teacher that I will do the same for my students.
11. In what ways does Mr. McClung make his blog useful to parents, teachers, administrators, students like you, and others?
It is easily accessible which is really important. I can remember forgetting to write down assignments a time or two. With this blog, if you have access to the Internet, you have access to a major part of Mr.McClung’s classroom. I also love how easy his blog is to navigate.
12. How does Mr. McClung's 8th grade blog differ from other blogs you have visited including other 8th grade blogs? Why the differences do you think?
This blog is unlike any other 8th grade blog that I have visited. I think that his blog is on a much higher level. He spends ample time with his blog. You can tell that he is just as eagar for himself to learn just as much as his students. You can tell this is not some required blog that someone is making him create. He is passionate about learning and about his students and you can see that through his dedication and blog.
13. Add any additional comments you think would be useful in analyzing Mr. McClung's World in depth.
I think that this could be a great reference and teaching tool for when I become a teacher. I would love to have something like this for my students when I have my own classroom.