This video is a final reflection of myself after taking the course EDM310, Enjoy!
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014
Project 16
This Semester I was enrolled in EDM310,within this class I have been working on my own work as well as group projects. My group's name was Slap-out. This name comes from the small town of Slap-out, Alabama. I am not kidding it really is a town.This Prezi sums up what me and my group have been working on this whole time! Click on the link below! Enjoy!
Slap-out's Project 16
Slap-out's Project 16
Thursday, April 24, 2014
C4T # 4
For the last C4T I had Mrs.Prom's Blog. Within the blog post Mrs. Prom goes over, what she feels, the meaning of being persistent. She hit the nail on the head in her analysis. I also commented on her point on being spread too thin with school and work.
The second post was on a tool called the "Little Write App". This iPad app is an aid for students to learn how to write and spell correctly. I commented on how it sounded like a great tool, because it is crucial for students to learn how to write and spell correctly. I also liked how she tries to give the students 1 on 1 time with her and this app. I commented that it was great that she was doing that. I know, due to class size, that ratio can be hard to meet. I really liked reading a teacher's blog that seems to be committed to her students. It shows that she is not treating teaching as a typical job.
The second post was on a tool called the "Little Write App". This iPad app is an aid for students to learn how to write and spell correctly. I commented on how it sounded like a great tool, because it is crucial for students to learn how to write and spell correctly. I also liked how she tries to give the students 1 on 1 time with her and this app. I commented that it was great that she was doing that. I know, due to class size, that ratio can be hard to meet. I really liked reading a teacher's blog that seems to be committed to her students. It shows that she is not treating teaching as a typical job.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Blog Post # 13
Previously in the semester I was reading a teacher's blog post on standardized testing, and how the scores do not reflect a student's true learning ability. It got me thinking about how a teacher might go about grading a student in a PBL setting. So for blog post 13 we are suppose to create a blog post assignment for our particular field of study. Instead of sticking to just general sciences I am going to broaden the driving question to all secondary teachers. How would you go about assessing a student's knowledge gained through a project based learning classroom? Start with these two resources to get a general idea of how some tackle this difficult task.
1.)Rethinking Grading in a 21st Century Project-Based Learning Enviroment
2.)How Do We Grade?
After reading these articles I have come to the conclusion that assessing an individual's gained knowledge is not easy in a PBL setting. Both articles have great points. The first stated that it is hard to switch up a grading system because parents will always try to translate what you do to a definite A-D assessment. In PBL that is not the case. In my opinion a child's progress can not be slapped with a definite grade. A teacher needs to wait for an end product to assess, whether or not a student has a grasp on the concept. By doing this I think standardized testing could also be retired. A teacher would be grading a student for the work done as a whole rather than just points during a semester. I also liked Varona's approach in his math class. He still has his kids do the lessons as a group but for the assessment he breaks them up and test them on the key concepts. In doing this he can still abide by the standardized grading system but does not have to deviate from the PBL plan. I think that the student should still be able to show what he or she can do through applying the knowledge. If standardize testing is still in effect I think this would be the best way to assess a student's gained knowledge in a PBL setting.
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1.)Rethinking Grading in a 21st Century Project-Based Learning Enviroment
2.)How Do We Grade?
After reading these articles I have come to the conclusion that assessing an individual's gained knowledge is not easy in a PBL setting. Both articles have great points. The first stated that it is hard to switch up a grading system because parents will always try to translate what you do to a definite A-D assessment. In PBL that is not the case. In my opinion a child's progress can not be slapped with a definite grade. A teacher needs to wait for an end product to assess, whether or not a student has a grasp on the concept. By doing this I think standardized testing could also be retired. A teacher would be grading a student for the work done as a whole rather than just points during a semester. I also liked Varona's approach in his math class. He still has his kids do the lessons as a group but for the assessment he breaks them up and test them on the key concepts. In doing this he can still abide by the standardized grading system but does not have to deviate from the PBL plan. I think that the student should still be able to show what he or she can do through applying the knowledge. If standardize testing is still in effect I think this would be the best way to assess a student's gained knowledge in a PBL setting.
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C4K April
I really enjoyed the blogs that I read for the month of April. I must say that I have always thought that other countries would have different ways of learning, and that no one did it the same way. It is really cool to see that the way I use to think is wrong, and that the way we learned is not much different than other countries.
9.)James's Blog
For C4K #9 I had a child named James. He talked about how a professional taught swimming lessons to him and his class. James also talked about how cold and tired he was. I commented on how I knew too well on what it was like to be really cold and tired. I also commented on how I liked his determination. and how he still focused on the lesson.
10.)Kaden's Blog
For C4K # 10 I had a child named Kaden. On his blog I viewed a presentation him and his classmates created about a classroom agreement. In this agreement they are required to be safe on the internet and to take good care of all their equipment. I complimented on such a good job he did on the presentation. I also told him that I saw the internet as a big city, and there are good places to be, and bad places. The good places being libraries and museums, and the bad places to be like near train tracks and busy streets.
9.)James's Blog
For C4K #9 I had a child named James. He talked about how a professional taught swimming lessons to him and his class. James also talked about how cold and tired he was. I commented on how I knew too well on what it was like to be really cold and tired. I also commented on how I liked his determination. and how he still focused on the lesson.
10.)Kaden's Blog
For C4K # 10 I had a child named Kaden. On his blog I viewed a presentation him and his classmates created about a classroom agreement. In this agreement they are required to be safe on the internet and to take good care of all their equipment. I complimented on such a good job he did on the presentation. I also told him that I saw the internet as a big city, and there are good places to be, and bad places. The good places being libraries and museums, and the bad places to be like near train tracks and busy streets.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Blog Post # 12
Watching the videos assigned for this blog post reinforced what I learned in EDU400. EDU400 is a special education course. This course is designed to teach you the inner workings of a special education classroom. The understood message was that these "special" kids need to have adequate learning too. During my class visitation I was able to observe many different technologies that help the students. These technologies ranged anywhere from what they called a "talker", which is an iPad set up for the students to select an audio command, to simple, plastic, colored objects that teach them sorting skills. It was also amazing to see how much the teachers accomplished and how dedicated they were.
My two technologies of choice are audio books and proofreading programs. The reason I chose these two is because they can really be used in any type of classroom. I like audio books myself, not because I need them, but I could see where if the student was having a hard time keeping up with the lesson, for any reason, they could go back and listen to the lesson as they are doing homework. Proofreading programs can replace or compliment audio books. One way that they could replace them is that if a student is taking notes, the program could correct any mistakes which would allow the student to maintain pace with the teacher. Proofreading programs can compliment the audio books for the same reason it could replace them. Say the student got behind in lecture, he or she still could get the correct notes but would still be a little lost. Then all he or she would have to do is go back with the correct notes and listen to the audio book at a slower preferred pace. One good site that explains the benefits of audio books and give a couple of places to purchase them is www.greatschools.org. A great program for proofreading is found here www.ghotit.com, this program uses an audio function so that you can hear and make better corrections.
My two technologies of choice are audio books and proofreading programs. The reason I chose these two is because they can really be used in any type of classroom. I like audio books myself, not because I need them, but I could see where if the student was having a hard time keeping up with the lesson, for any reason, they could go back and listen to the lesson as they are doing homework. Proofreading programs can replace or compliment audio books. One way that they could replace them is that if a student is taking notes, the program could correct any mistakes which would allow the student to maintain pace with the teacher. Proofreading programs can compliment the audio books for the same reason it could replace them. Say the student got behind in lecture, he or she still could get the correct notes but would still be a little lost. Then all he or she would have to do is go back with the correct notes and listen to the audio book at a slower preferred pace. One good site that explains the benefits of audio books and give a couple of places to purchase them is www.greatschools.org. A great program for proofreading is found here www.ghotit.com, this program uses an audio function so that you can hear and make better corrections.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Project # 12 Part B
This is my group's collaborative lesson plan presented via SMARTBoard. We decided to go with a math project. This project is suppose to teach the kids how to be smart with what they buy and to know the better product through math.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
C4T #3
Dupriest's Blog
1. For the first C4T I had Dawn Dupriest, she wrote on the struggle of the common core, specifically in math. I commented on how being a biology major at heart I may not relate exactly but there are things i can relate like a student should still know how to write correctly.
2. The second post I commented on was about "Hour of Coding". This is where the students receive lessons on how to make code to work math tasks. I was really impressed with Mrs. Dupriest's strives with making this a fun activity for the kids. I was also impressed on all of the common core standards she was meeting. I commented on how I was jealous that I was never able to do any of this growing up. Also she had made a comment on this new process made coding "sexier". I told her that I was a biology major, and asked if she could help me make genetic coding more "sexier".
1. For the first C4T I had Dawn Dupriest, she wrote on the struggle of the common core, specifically in math. I commented on how being a biology major at heart I may not relate exactly but there are things i can relate like a student should still know how to write correctly.
2. The second post I commented on was about "Hour of Coding". This is where the students receive lessons on how to make code to work math tasks. I was really impressed with Mrs. Dupriest's strives with making this a fun activity for the kids. I was also impressed on all of the common core standards she was meeting. I commented on how I was jealous that I was never able to do any of this growing up. Also she had made a comment on this new process made coding "sexier". I told her that I was a biology major, and asked if she could help me make genetic coding more "sexier".
C4K March
I liked reading all of these posts. I am a little biased though, as a kid I swam so I did like to read about the swimming progress a little more, but they are all doing such a great job!
1.littlevoiceslittlescholars.blogspot.com
For the first C4K in March I watched a video of a little girl named Punairu. She went into great detail about how her class gets to go swimming. I also commented about how I also really enjoy swimming. I ended the comment congratulating her on her progress, and to keep up the good work!
2.pesbrookylnc.blogspot.com
In my second C4K I had a 4TH year student named Brooklyn. She started out by asking if the reader had ever taken swim lessons. She then goes on to talk about how she will act next time so she does not get as tired so fast. I commented that she was doing a great job and I hoped that she sticks with the swimming lessons. I also asked if the water was cold there.
3.Multiplication Slide Show
For my C4K number 3 I had Taeshell. Taeshell's newest post was a multiplication table that she had made via slideshow. I commented on how she did a great job on the tables. I also told her I was never that great with math, and that her slideshow would have really helped me through school. I finished with telling her how great of a job she is doing and to keep up the great work!
1.littlevoiceslittlescholars.blogspot.com
For the first C4K in March I watched a video of a little girl named Punairu. She went into great detail about how her class gets to go swimming. I also commented about how I also really enjoy swimming. I ended the comment congratulating her on her progress, and to keep up the good work!
2.pesbrookylnc.blogspot.com
In my second C4K I had a 4TH year student named Brooklyn. She started out by asking if the reader had ever taken swim lessons. She then goes on to talk about how she will act next time so she does not get as tired so fast. I commented that she was doing a great job and I hoped that she sticks with the swimming lessons. I also asked if the water was cold there.
3.Multiplication Slide Show
For my C4K number 3 I had Taeshell. Taeshell's newest post was a multiplication table that she had made via slideshow. I commented on how she did a great job on the tables. I also told her I was never that great with math, and that her slideshow would have really helped me through school. I finished with telling her how great of a job she is doing and to keep up the great work!
Project # 10
This is my interview with a teacher. I did my with Ms. Sheila Gaither. Ms. Gaither has taught for around 25 years, she specializes in special education at the middle school level. She has taught in a wide variety of school systems, including Autauga County and Baldwin County. I apologize for the rough video work, but enjoy!
Blog Post #11
1-Brian Crosby-Back to the Future-each class is full of different students. Not only different students in each class but different classes in each grade. No class is the same. Mr. Crosby’s class is a very low income class or live in poverty. Most students could not answer simple questions regarding their home state, address and country. As their teacher Mr. Crosby did not want his students to have a different curriculum than than other students. Mr. Crosby’s classroom is much like any other class room today. He has many technological devices such as laptops, smartboards and video cameras. The class takes part in many different projects and they really seem to enjoy them and it also helps keep them engaged in the material they are learning. After the projects are completed the students use their own working blog to upload the videos of the projects they have just taken part in. The students are also instructed to write a quick summary about what happens in each video. Students in Mr. Crosby’s and also other 4th grade classes at his school also have wiki pages and flickr accounts. This helps the students show what they have learned on a specific topic. after using these softwares online they cut and paste them into their blogs. When the students realized that other people are reading their stuff it makes them feel accomplished and makes them strive to work harder and do better. In this, they also added personal goals. The students were assigned to write a “high hope.” What this is something positive that the students hope to happen in the school, community and also around the world. After doing this the students sent out a plea for people all around the world to add their high hopes in the students comments to send out into outer space along with Mr. Crosby’s classes. This spread around the globe quickly and the students got a great response, in which they had all hoped for. After this project was added to their blogs students from all around the world wanted to take place in this and teachers wanted to know how to complete the project. The students not only used blogs and writing but also video skype to show and teach other students around the world so they could learn and take part in this same activity.
2- Blended Learning Cycle - Basically all blended learning is doing is taking the parts of an online, mobile and classroom learning and blending them into one classroom setting. There are 5 e’s in the learning cycle, engage, explore, expand, explain and evaluate. This is a great way to present material and material that is to be learned. By putting those two formulas together you get the blended learning cycle. In his blended learning cycle he has 6 steps: 1-it starts with a really great question. Hook in learning. students are given data and asked a specific question. 2-investigate and experiment. using given material students try different experiments and are timed at doing so. 3-use a video to help them understand. this is a form of direct instruction. 4-elaboration. reading and research. 5-review. making sure students have a clear understanding of the material discussed. 6-summary quiz.
3 - This video, Making Thinking Visible,is done by Mark Church. The main idea behind this video is how Mark makes his classroom think aloud. By doing this all the brainstorming is out in the open rather than just sitting quietly in their head. Each group has a couple of minutes to brainstorm a headline of their new lesson. Once the time is up they have to write it down. Later in the lesson Mark will have each group do it again so they can see how their thinking has evolved. This PBL does a great job covering collaboration and self reflection.
4 - In this video, Building Comics , Sam Pane teaches his kids about internet safety by building their very own superhero. After making the hero the students have to build a comic book strip where the main character is doing something that is not safe on the internet. Then their hero comes in and stops them before it is too late. Before they do all this they have to discuss at their table what are things that are dangerous to do on the internet. I like this PBL because it includes so many things that are important. Discussion of the dangerous actions is a great collaboration method, building their own comic and hero is a great way to build up creativity, and then reviewing each other work is a good reflection method.
5.Project Based Learning This video, Project Based Learning , is about a school in Canada who combined History, English, and Technology into one class. The students work on individual, group, and class projects that incorporate all three subjects. What we can learn from these teachers is if you really believe in something, don’t give up. When they first started this they hit a couple roadblocks. The program was not compatible in a regular school setting. They worked through the kinks and now the program is up and running.
6.Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program
Roosevelt Elementary takes a Project Based Learning approach to teaching. What I learned is that Project Based Learning can help bring the community together. It encourages community participation and it encourages teachers to work together. PBL helps the students stay more interested in what they are learning. The students become self motivated, interactive, and critical thinkers. PBL helps students be more prepared the future.
2- Blended Learning Cycle - Basically all blended learning is doing is taking the parts of an online, mobile and classroom learning and blending them into one classroom setting. There are 5 e’s in the learning cycle, engage, explore, expand, explain and evaluate. This is a great way to present material and material that is to be learned. By putting those two formulas together you get the blended learning cycle. In his blended learning cycle he has 6 steps: 1-it starts with a really great question. Hook in learning. students are given data and asked a specific question. 2-investigate and experiment. using given material students try different experiments and are timed at doing so. 3-use a video to help them understand. this is a form of direct instruction. 4-elaboration. reading and research. 5-review. making sure students have a clear understanding of the material discussed. 6-summary quiz.
3 - This video, Making Thinking Visible,is done by Mark Church. The main idea behind this video is how Mark makes his classroom think aloud. By doing this all the brainstorming is out in the open rather than just sitting quietly in their head. Each group has a couple of minutes to brainstorm a headline of their new lesson. Once the time is up they have to write it down. Later in the lesson Mark will have each group do it again so they can see how their thinking has evolved. This PBL does a great job covering collaboration and self reflection.
4 - In this video, Building Comics , Sam Pane teaches his kids about internet safety by building their very own superhero. After making the hero the students have to build a comic book strip where the main character is doing something that is not safe on the internet. Then their hero comes in and stops them before it is too late. Before they do all this they have to discuss at their table what are things that are dangerous to do on the internet. I like this PBL because it includes so many things that are important. Discussion of the dangerous actions is a great collaboration method, building their own comic and hero is a great way to build up creativity, and then reviewing each other work is a good reflection method.
5.Project Based Learning This video, Project Based Learning , is about a school in Canada who combined History, English, and Technology into one class. The students work on individual, group, and class projects that incorporate all three subjects. What we can learn from these teachers is if you really believe in something, don’t give up. When they first started this they hit a couple roadblocks. The program was not compatible in a regular school setting. They worked through the kinks and now the program is up and running.
6.Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program
Roosevelt Elementary takes a Project Based Learning approach to teaching. What I learned is that Project Based Learning can help bring the community together. It encourages community participation and it encourages teachers to work together. PBL helps the students stay more interested in what they are learning. The students become self motivated, interactive, and critical thinkers. PBL helps students be more prepared the future.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Project#15
My students in my (hypothetical) 8th grade biology class will be building trophic level pyramids this week, this the lesson plan that they will follow.
Biomes Calendar
Biomes Overview
Biomes Project Checklist
Biomes Calendar
Biomes Overview
Biomes Project Checklist
Blog Post #10
I think Sir Ken Robinson is making a very excellent point in his video Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the Learning Revolution! about how our education is ran in today's world. Mr. Robinson makes the point that teaching and education is too standardized, and that everyone is different. If everyone learned the same skills growing up, there would be no diversity. In my opinion that is a very bad thing since I believe that learning is something that everyone does differently. There should be no set pace for learning. My favorite part of the video was when he mentioned that he received a guitar the same year as Eric Clapton did, and that obviously Eric benefited more from it. I think that this shows, in a comedic way, that not everyone can accomplish the same tasks. I agree that we do not need to fix this standardized education system, because all you are doing is just fixing something that is just going to break again. We do not need to remodel the system, but we need to revolutionize the system that creates more of a custom atmosphere for learning.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Project #12 Part A
This is my group's video on using a Smartboard. In this video we are all in it, but we demonstrate our individualized knowledge in using the technology.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Blog Post #9
Ms. Cassidy's classroom, in my opinion, is a great place to learn. I like how she approaches the use of technology with extreme caution. It is important for a student at that age to know what information is appropriate to put out on the internet, and what is not. One of the questions, towards the end, was "how often do her student blog per day or week?". She responded with that it depends on the class size. I like how Ms. Cassidy uses a rotation system to teach guided reading activities. For example one group of students may be doing spelling activities, and another group may be doing reading comprehension. The benefits would be greater for a larger classroom. It allows more one on one time when broken into groups. If it were a smaller class it would be easier just to go over one lesson at a time, one subject at a time. I would use this technique as well, one of the problems that could happen is the students may get off track with the work he or she is suppose to be doing, and find an online video game to play. To answer that problem I would have time deadlines to meet. Say if the students have to blog about a story they just read, I would give them 30 minutes to an hour. Well if the student does not get done by the time that hour is up, he or she will not get to play games during their break. In other words it would be like a internet time out. Doing so would hopefully compel them to be time efficient so they can have that 15 minute or however long break to play games, and not worry about getting in trouble. If I was in another setting where they might be on desktops to do a portion of the work I would have a program called ITALC which allows me to view their screens and control each desktop if needed.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Project #14
It is time in my hypothetical, 9th grade English class for my students to learn how to convey meaning in writing through craft and structure, this is my lesson plan for the week.
Comic Strip Calendar
Comic Strip Overview
Comic Strip Checklist
Comic Strip Calendar
Comic Strip Overview
Comic Strip Checklist
Blog Post #8
For this assignment we were suppose to find a tool that would be helpful for teaching. My field of education is biology, because of this I decided to go with The Biology Corner. This site is a conglomeration of different sites that can link teachers and professionals in the field of Biology. I would use this tool to help make lesson plans by using it's projects, test makers, and worksheet makers. I would use this tool to stay up to date in biology by using the education news feed and the recent posts feed. I would also use the the social media sites, that the Biology Corner has, to contact other professionals in my field. Honestly I would expect to become a more knowledgeable teacher, and to be able to make the classroom better and up to date.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Project # 9
Project 9 was a great opportunity to really learn the pros and cons of Project Based Learning, specifically the technology it brings with it. Here is a video on the opinions of my group about the topic:
If you are interested in the book mentioned and talked about in the video you can find it here:Teaching Digital Natives
Look for this cover page:
If you are interested in the book mentioned and talked about in the video you can find it here:Teaching Digital Natives
Look for this cover page:
C4T # 2
For C4T number 2 I had the blog of a Mr. Tom Schimmer. Within the couple of blog posts I read of his he focused on teaching and grading. To be specific both post hit on how the most recent grade of a student may not be the most accurate. I agree with this, and go on to comment about how I relate. In the first post I comment on how it is a real struggle to start off badly in a class and to know if I do not do twice as well that I am going to be in trouble. The second post I talk about my 11th grade English class, and how my strengths were equally weighed by weaknesses and it showed in my final grade. luckily my strengths within the course were in the second half of the semester, if it were reversed I would have finished the class with a bad grade. Mr.Schimmer has an excellent insight on how teaching should not be a profession that requires someone to sit and input grades in a calculator. Teaching should be a profession where evaluating an individual's work should be more important.
Visit:Tom Schimmer's Blog
Visit:Tom Schimmer's Blog
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Project #13
Egg Drop Project #13
By: Anna Meitzler, Evan Grace and MacKenzie Yancy
First the students must work through a bridge building module to understand structures. This module is what we like to call the learning phase. It teaches them about how different shapes and angles are stronger than others. Once they have an understanding of what they are working with then we move on to the next step, the Egg catcher project, where they will apply what they have learned.
My 10th grade Physics class was given a 100 dollar budget and a weeks time to make the best egg catcher model. The class of 20 was broken into 4 groups of 5 students. The models will be tested by dropping the egg 8 feet and using the best model to catch the egg without it breaking. Each group was given the option to buy many different materials including tape, cardboard, tissue paper, foam and regular paper. The students were also instructed to take notes and record results in a journal. These results will be presented in the class presentation of the finished product.
This project will help students in the future by having them work in a group. working in a group can be very trying at times. The egg drop project can also help with the students communication. In order for this project to be successful each group must have a clear understanding of each other and their intentions. Critical thinking and creativity are also very critical in this. At the end of the week each group is instructed to present their project to the rest of the class and prove why their egg drop model is the best. All of these skills will be required in their future.
Project Structures Calender
Project Structures Overview
Project Structures Checklist
By: Anna Meitzler, Evan Grace and MacKenzie Yancy
First the students must work through a bridge building module to understand structures. This module is what we like to call the learning phase. It teaches them about how different shapes and angles are stronger than others. Once they have an understanding of what they are working with then we move on to the next step, the Egg catcher project, where they will apply what they have learned.
My 10th grade Physics class was given a 100 dollar budget and a weeks time to make the best egg catcher model. The class of 20 was broken into 4 groups of 5 students. The models will be tested by dropping the egg 8 feet and using the best model to catch the egg without it breaking. Each group was given the option to buy many different materials including tape, cardboard, tissue paper, foam and regular paper. The students were also instructed to take notes and record results in a journal. These results will be presented in the class presentation of the finished product.
This project will help students in the future by having them work in a group. working in a group can be very trying at times. The egg drop project can also help with the students communication. In order for this project to be successful each group must have a clear understanding of each other and their intentions. Critical thinking and creativity are also very critical in this. At the end of the week each group is instructed to present their project to the rest of the class and prove why their egg drop model is the best. All of these skills will be required in their future.
Project Structures Calender
Project Structures Overview
Project Structures Checklist
Blog Post # 7
Blog post number 7 is about Randy Pausch's lecture titled Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. We find out that he is sadly about to die, but he would like to pass on some very helpful tips. What I have learned from Pausch's lecture about teaching and learning is to never give up. Make goals like he did and do not back down until you have achieved them. For example one of his goals was to become an NFL player. Pausch could not achieve that goal because of physical limits, but he still learned from it. It could be helpful in the class, say you have a student who just refuses to learn. As the teacher you can not make he or she learn, but learn from it. That way you can take steps to avoid conflict in the future.
Another topic I would like to bring up is the term "head-faking". This means to fake a student out by making them learn something then the student finding out they learned something completely different. to me this goes in hand with Dr.Strange's use of the term, "burp - back" courses. I think if a teacher could master the art of head-faking it would reduce the chances of having a burp-back way of teaching.
Another topic I would like to bring up is the term "head-faking". This means to fake a student out by making them learn something then the student finding out they learned something completely different. to me this goes in hand with Dr.Strange's use of the term, "burp - back" courses. I think if a teacher could master the art of head-faking it would reduce the chances of having a burp-back way of teaching.
C4K Feb.
On C4K number 1 I commented on Adam's post about sharks. The post was about how they are really harmless and, if anything we are the real monsters! I also left a commented on how great of a job he was doing and that he even taught me a college student!
Benjamin's Blog For C4K number two I had a 5th grader named Benjamin. The instructions left were for us to fill out the survey the child had created. I did so and then I left a comment on how Benjamin's survey. The survey really made me think of the little things in life that I enjoy and, that I need to relax more. I also told him that it was a great survey assuming they were required to make it.
Brad's Blog For C4K number 3 I commented on a post made by Brad. He reviewed the movie dodgeball to moderate length stating what he liked and disliked about the movie. I also commented on my favorite parts of the movie,and let him know that he was doing a great job.
Jacob's Blog For C4K number 4 I commented on Jacob Day Ryan's post I Believe. Within his post he talks about the NFL, and how it got started. He also goes on to talk about how his favorite game is the superbowl. I commented on how I was impressed with the facts he included, and how that it is important to back up statements with facts. Also I told him what a great job he was doing.
Benjamin's Blog For C4K number two I had a 5th grader named Benjamin. The instructions left were for us to fill out the survey the child had created. I did so and then I left a comment on how Benjamin's survey. The survey really made me think of the little things in life that I enjoy and, that I need to relax more. I also told him that it was a great survey assuming they were required to make it.
Brad's Blog For C4K number 3 I commented on a post made by Brad. He reviewed the movie dodgeball to moderate length stating what he liked and disliked about the movie. I also commented on my favorite parts of the movie,and let him know that he was doing a great job.
Jacob's Blog For C4K number 4 I commented on Jacob Day Ryan's post I Believe. Within his post he talks about the NFL, and how it got started. He also goes on to talk about how his favorite game is the superbowl. I commented on how I was impressed with the facts he included, and how that it is important to back up statements with facts. Also I told him what a great job he was doing.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Blog Post #6
To start off I would like to say the PLNs are very beneficial. It gives you support with what you are doing as a teacher. It provides several minds to bounce ideas off of and, to shoot questions to about problems that maybe happening in the classroom. Also it is important to "round up" so to speak like minds that are supportive. I decided to go with Symbaloo, I like the set up of it. I also like how Symbaloo utilizes the Cloud, it is really comforting to know everything I need is safely stored away. One of the reasons I like Symbaloo is that it really drives home the message of information being at your fingertips. I know I have not gotten a chance to really dive in and make connections, but I am already excited about the possibilities. For example a teacher ,that is new to the great process of Project Based Learning, could use it to quick search projects that could be utilized in class. Symbaloo can also bring up other sites quickly like Skype for a conference call with a professor around the world.
I think now that I have this tool that makes my life easier, I am going to sit back and wait like Mrs. Eva did. Mostly because I want the people in my PLN with the best qualities. It is like molding friendships the best ones take time, but I am very excited to see where it takes me!
Sources:
Building Your PLN-A Primer For Anyone
My Wonderful PLN - An Interview
I think now that I have this tool that makes my life easier, I am going to sit back and wait like Mrs. Eva did. Mostly because I want the people in my PLN with the best qualities. It is like molding friendships the best ones take time, but I am very excited to see where it takes me!
Sources:
Building Your PLN-A Primer For Anyone
My Wonderful PLN - An Interview
Project # 8 Book Trailer
If You Take A Mouse To The Movies
Written by: Laura Numeroff
Illustrated by: Felicia Bond
Written by: Laura Numeroff
Illustrated by: Felicia Bond
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Blog Post #5
The following videos were of conversations between Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange, on topics about Project Based Learning.
1.) Project Based Learning Part 1:Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher
2.)Project Based Learning Part 2: Experiences of a Third Grade Teacher
3.) iCurio
4.)Discovery Education
5.) The Anthony - Strange List of Tips for Teachers Part 1
6.)Don't Teach Tech - Use It
7.)Additional Thought About Lessons
There were several things I learned from the videos mentioned above. Foremost, the biggest I pulled away is to be malleable as a teacher, meaning be ready to change. The way Anthony talked with such enthusiasm in Project Based Learning Part 1: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher it really made me reassess my opinion of where learning is headed. I first thought that learning should not go straight to all technology. Then I thought that "Here is a teacher with first hand experience with all the new tech, and accepts it." Most likely I even had more access to technology then he did growing up, so why should I not accept it? After watching the two videos on PBL it made me think back to a Comedy Central movie Accepted. In this movie the main character invents a college where the student is the teacher. Whether it was joking with the idea or not it gave a good definition of PBL, and maybe it is not a joke after all?
Technology, as mentioned above, I did not like the idea of it. The idea does scare me a little since it is new. After watching the two videos, iCurio and Discovery Education , I have decided to reconsider. To think that the information load like that would be at a child's fingertips? I would have killed for that rather than spending relentless hours searching through books just to find a sentence worth of information. The video Don't Teach Tech - Use it really made me feel comfortable with this fear. Be open minded, let someone teach you no matter who it is, or what it is about.
All the videos above have taught me that teaching is changing, and I need to learn more everyday if I want to keep up. The video The Anthony - Strange list of Tips for Teachers Part 1 really opened my eyes on some of the things I need to fix. I like to consider myself a decent learner, but I need to remember how to keep learning and not to stop. Mostly because there is always something new to learn.
1.) Project Based Learning Part 1:Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher
2.)Project Based Learning Part 2: Experiences of a Third Grade Teacher
3.) iCurio
4.)Discovery Education
5.) The Anthony - Strange List of Tips for Teachers Part 1
6.)Don't Teach Tech - Use It
7.)Additional Thought About Lessons
There were several things I learned from the videos mentioned above. Foremost, the biggest I pulled away is to be malleable as a teacher, meaning be ready to change. The way Anthony talked with such enthusiasm in Project Based Learning Part 1: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher it really made me reassess my opinion of where learning is headed. I first thought that learning should not go straight to all technology. Then I thought that "Here is a teacher with first hand experience with all the new tech, and accepts it." Most likely I even had more access to technology then he did growing up, so why should I not accept it? After watching the two videos on PBL it made me think back to a Comedy Central movie Accepted. In this movie the main character invents a college where the student is the teacher. Whether it was joking with the idea or not it gave a good definition of PBL, and maybe it is not a joke after all?
Technology, as mentioned above, I did not like the idea of it. The idea does scare me a little since it is new. After watching the two videos, iCurio and Discovery Education , I have decided to reconsider. To think that the information load like that would be at a child's fingertips? I would have killed for that rather than spending relentless hours searching through books just to find a sentence worth of information. The video Don't Teach Tech - Use it really made me feel comfortable with this fear. Be open minded, let someone teach you no matter who it is, or what it is about.
All the videos above have taught me that teaching is changing, and I need to learn more everyday if I want to keep up. The video The Anthony - Strange list of Tips for Teachers Part 1 really opened my eyes on some of the things I need to fix. I like to consider myself a decent learner, but I need to remember how to keep learning and not to stop. Mostly because there is always something new to learn.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Sunday, February 9, 2014
C4T1
My assignment for C4T1 was to review the blog posts of Jeff Delp. His blog Molehills Out of Mountains supports his ideals about the lives of teachers. Mr. Delps first post was 6 Things on my Education Wish List. The ideas behind this post are: how teachers should be professionally treated,good teaching is not only the curriculum, provisions of adequate resources, how tests and poverty effect the educational system, and to set less restrictions.I started out the comment on this post by agreeing with these ideas. I then stated that graduating from a large class, that I agree most with his number 1 statement; how teachers should be treated as professionals. I also requested his ideas on how to eliminate the political system within schools that reward poor teaching over greater strives.
The second post I commented on was Teaching for Today... and Tomorrow. Within this post Mr.Delp explains how it was difficult to make a presentation on School credits to a crowd that was so poverty diverse. I commented on his Prezi presentation, the one he used for the kids. It was amazing how he tied in a video of education independence, so to speak, with credits. Like I said in the post it sounded to me like "hey! school is going to be tough, but you need those credits! Do not be afraid to be yourself and rely on your teacher. They are there for a reason."
The second post I commented on was Teaching for Today... and Tomorrow. Within this post Mr.Delp explains how it was difficult to make a presentation on School credits to a crowd that was so poverty diverse. I commented on his Prezi presentation, the one he used for the kids. It was amazing how he tied in a video of education independence, so to speak, with credits. Like I said in the post it sounded to me like "hey! school is going to be tough, but you need those credits! Do not be afraid to be yourself and rely on your teacher. They are there for a reason."
Blog Post # 4
Before I get into the details of each resource, I would like to say that they all share a common case. I think that particular case is to take time to be a teacher. What I mean by that is take THE time, make questions, think about your questions, and most importantly are your questions bettering the students or making your job easier? To start off I would like to dive into the making your job easier statement. Are the questions bettering the students or just making you feel better? Ben Johnson makes this point in The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom with his thoughts on the "Do you understand?" question. I agree with his point that the question does kind of relieve you of any remaining burden. I also liked how the Asking Questions Based on Bloom's Taxonomy stated in Asking Questions to Improve Learning would be a great tool for a teacher to use to review their own questions. Its a great rubric to really get the gears turning when developing in depth questions for the classroom.
The second topic that I found interesting was playing with the questions. The tips from Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom and also the demonstration showed in Questioning Styles and Strategies really helped with perspective. It really made sense to pause after asking a question. I know as a child I was relieved when the teacher called on somebody right away. That scared feeling really motivates one to think, though I do not believe "scared" is what the teacher is striving for. Also I believe Joanne Chesley's Asking Better Questions in the Classroom is a great model to play with questions. Chesley really opens up the field for questions with her point of just the way you ask the question.
The second topic that I found interesting was playing with the questions. The tips from Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom and also the demonstration showed in Questioning Styles and Strategies really helped with perspective. It really made sense to pause after asking a question. I know as a child I was relieved when the teacher called on somebody right away. That scared feeling really motivates one to think, though I do not believe "scared" is what the teacher is striving for. Also I believe Joanne Chesley's Asking Better Questions in the Classroom is a great model to play with questions. Chesley really opens up the field for questions with her point of just the way you ask the question.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Blog number 3
I have gathered some decent pointers from Paige Ellis' Blog Assignment #12, What is Peer Editing,and Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial. To start off I would like to talk about peer editing. Peer editing is when two people edit the work of one another. These two people are normally classmates around the same age. What are some things a student could edit? Well first remember that it is not your paper, so do not become a "Defensive Dave" if the other student chooses to ignore what you point out. Some of the topics a student might look at in editing are; punctuation, clarity, grammar, and sentence structure. Also when peer editing, it is a good idea to stay positive. Honestly in my opinion that is the most important rule.
Being positive leads me into the next topic that was covered. To sum it up I would say it is the attitude you take into the room with you. Being positive helps, imagine if negative feedback was coming your way. Would it not be helpful if the reviewer stayed positive and showed you what you did wrong? Generosity can be shown and given. For the person reviewing you, listen, they are taking time out to help you! In return, as a reviewer, make corrections, point out what the problems are, but do not pick at every little error. If you tell them "oh punctuation might be an issue." they can go back and figure out what they did. Peer Editing is not hard, there are just some simple rules that need to be observed!
Being positive leads me into the next topic that was covered. To sum it up I would say it is the attitude you take into the room with you. Being positive helps, imagine if negative feedback was coming your way. Would it not be helpful if the reviewer stayed positive and showed you what you did wrong? Generosity can be shown and given. For the person reviewing you, listen, they are taking time out to help you! In return, as a reviewer, make corrections, point out what the problems are, but do not pick at every little error. If you tell them "oh punctuation might be an issue." they can go back and figure out what they did. Peer Editing is not hard, there are just some simple rules that need to be observed!
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Second Blog Post
Mr. Dancealot
After watching Mr. Dancealot by Mrs. Johnson, I flashed back to all of the teachers I have had that would have benefited from watching it. I feel like the Mrs.Johnson's case was that maybe there should be a Dummies guide to teaching next to "College Planning for Dummies". My point is the Author shows how to be a bad teacher in many ways. First was the teacher reading off a power point. Doing this sends a message to the students that maybe Mr.Dancealot does not even know the material that well. Another mistake Mr.Dancealot made was the suppression of student interest when he got up to try dancing himself. The biggest mistake, in my opinion, is when Mr. Dancealot sets the class up for the final and leaves. As a student with a former teacher like that it made me feel like he or she could care less. Having experienced a teacher like that I would have to agree in the negative teaching styles, as I would never want to take a course with that teacher again.
Teaching in the 21st Century
I feel like Mr. Roberts recognizes a need in change with the role of the teacher with his video on Teaching in the 21st Century . With the new technology out there the Teacher needs to become more like a moderator of learning. Meaning they need to teach the students on how to utilize what they have at their finger tips, give them a task to accomplish, and then get out of the way. Of course staying close making sure the students are staying on task, because that game of Mahjong sure is tempting.
Following that intro is a outline of the arguments and points Mr. Roberts is trying to make:
A.) Teaching will be different in the 21 Century.
1.) Teachers can not get away with just teaching the content.
2.)The students have access now to unlimited information via.
D.)Learning to create.
E.)Teaching moral standards.(professionalism)
F.)Rethink the classroom entirely.
Since education is going to the internet I could not agree with him more. I am also torn by this as well. My interest in teaching comes from seeing that spark of understanding in the eye of the student. If the "new teacher" becomes more like a filter it might take away that motive. Utilizing the internet will change me as a teacher though. The part where he talks about engaging the student really made sense. Too many teachers want to entertain, and get frustrated when the student snoozes in class. If a student was more engaged I doubt the teacher would have that problem.
Networked Student Ms.Wendy Drexler introduced me to a term I had never heard of before in her short video Networked Student . This term that she introduced was connectivism. Connectivism is the idea that a student can learn from connections he or she has made all over the world with help from the teacher. These connections can be made anywhere, Ivy League Schools, to universities abroad, and can include any technology that is available. Within the idea of connectivism the teacher is more like a filter or moderator. One may think the teacher is not needed, but that is quite the opposite. The teacher is there to teach how to use the technologies available such as skype , google, teachers' blogs, and sites like Itunes. I am totally for the idea of sharing, but I do have one issue on the topic. Will the student truly understand the material? From personal experience I have reviewed several articles and topics on the internet. One such topic is the 3-D printer, I understand that it can print out any object, but I have no idea how it actually works. Also in Biology, say a student looks up the attraction of genders. He or She may understand the very complicated levels to it, but will they understand the chemical make up that drives it?
Harness Your Students' Digital Smartness Ms. Vicki Davis shows her belief, in her short video Harness Your Students' Digital Smartness, that it is important for students to collaborate with others. I agree that this has it's place in the educational system, but I do not believe that it should replace everything. Within the video she states that she is for the movement, because some students may be be limited by pencil and paper. I agree with this, but could this very same argument be made for the opposite? Is it not possible that some children may be limited through this new process? My opinion of what she said about the teacher knowing everything is that, yes as a teacher you do need to know the material. Do you have to be an expert? Not by any means, but if you are going to teach something you need to know it.
Flipping the Classroom Ms. Munafo's , youtube short film Flipping the Classroom, 4th Grade Stem , brings some really interesting aspects to the educational table. It is new to me I will admit, but the ideas behind it are excellent. The whole idea to flipping the classroom is for the student to do the core learning at home via recorded video. The student watches the recorded video of the teaching. He or she then fills out an outline, and prepares questions for the next day. This way the teacher can get straight to the material at hand, meaning no wasted time on homework, and more quality learning. One word that came to mind was accommodation. the fact that if the student has no access to a computer at home it will not be held against them. knowing this is really comforting, it shows that the teachers behind this idea understand that not everyone is the same. I think that flipping the classroom is a positive innovation to the learning enviroment. I would also be thrilled to see the same innovation applied on the college level.
After watching Mr. Dancealot by Mrs. Johnson, I flashed back to all of the teachers I have had that would have benefited from watching it. I feel like the Mrs.Johnson's case was that maybe there should be a Dummies guide to teaching next to "College Planning for Dummies". My point is the Author shows how to be a bad teacher in many ways. First was the teacher reading off a power point. Doing this sends a message to the students that maybe Mr.Dancealot does not even know the material that well. Another mistake Mr.Dancealot made was the suppression of student interest when he got up to try dancing himself. The biggest mistake, in my opinion, is when Mr. Dancealot sets the class up for the final and leaves. As a student with a former teacher like that it made me feel like he or she could care less. Having experienced a teacher like that I would have to agree in the negative teaching styles, as I would never want to take a course with that teacher again.
Teaching in the 21st Century
I feel like Mr. Roberts recognizes a need in change with the role of the teacher with his video on Teaching in the 21st Century . With the new technology out there the Teacher needs to become more like a moderator of learning. Meaning they need to teach the students on how to utilize what they have at their finger tips, give them a task to accomplish, and then get out of the way. Of course staying close making sure the students are staying on task, because that game of Mahjong sure is tempting.
Following that intro is a outline of the arguments and points Mr. Roberts is trying to make:
A.) Teaching will be different in the 21 Century.
1.) Teachers can not get away with just teaching the content.
2.)The students have access now to unlimited information via.
- Youtube
- Wikipedia and so much more!
- How to validate.
- How to communicate with iformation.
- How to problem solve with information.
D.)Learning to create.
E.)Teaching moral standards.(professionalism)
F.)Rethink the classroom entirely.
- How to test the student.
- Reliable source using.
- How to publish and evaluate work.
- Student collaboration.
Since education is going to the internet I could not agree with him more. I am also torn by this as well. My interest in teaching comes from seeing that spark of understanding in the eye of the student. If the "new teacher" becomes more like a filter it might take away that motive. Utilizing the internet will change me as a teacher though. The part where he talks about engaging the student really made sense. Too many teachers want to entertain, and get frustrated when the student snoozes in class. If a student was more engaged I doubt the teacher would have that problem.
Networked Student Ms.Wendy Drexler introduced me to a term I had never heard of before in her short video Networked Student . This term that she introduced was connectivism. Connectivism is the idea that a student can learn from connections he or she has made all over the world with help from the teacher. These connections can be made anywhere, Ivy League Schools, to universities abroad, and can include any technology that is available. Within the idea of connectivism the teacher is more like a filter or moderator. One may think the teacher is not needed, but that is quite the opposite. The teacher is there to teach how to use the technologies available such as skype , google, teachers' blogs, and sites like Itunes. I am totally for the idea of sharing, but I do have one issue on the topic. Will the student truly understand the material? From personal experience I have reviewed several articles and topics on the internet. One such topic is the 3-D printer, I understand that it can print out any object, but I have no idea how it actually works. Also in Biology, say a student looks up the attraction of genders. He or She may understand the very complicated levels to it, but will they understand the chemical make up that drives it?
Harness Your Students' Digital Smartness Ms. Vicki Davis shows her belief, in her short video Harness Your Students' Digital Smartness, that it is important for students to collaborate with others. I agree that this has it's place in the educational system, but I do not believe that it should replace everything. Within the video she states that she is for the movement, because some students may be be limited by pencil and paper. I agree with this, but could this very same argument be made for the opposite? Is it not possible that some children may be limited through this new process? My opinion of what she said about the teacher knowing everything is that, yes as a teacher you do need to know the material. Do you have to be an expert? Not by any means, but if you are going to teach something you need to know it.
Flipping the Classroom Ms. Munafo's , youtube short film Flipping the Classroom, 4th Grade Stem , brings some really interesting aspects to the educational table. It is new to me I will admit, but the ideas behind it are excellent. The whole idea to flipping the classroom is for the student to do the core learning at home via recorded video. The student watches the recorded video of the teaching. He or she then fills out an outline, and prepares questions for the next day. This way the teacher can get straight to the material at hand, meaning no wasted time on homework, and more quality learning. One word that came to mind was accommodation. the fact that if the student has no access to a computer at home it will not be held against them. knowing this is really comforting, it shows that the teachers behind this idea understand that not everyone is the same. I think that flipping the classroom is a positive innovation to the learning enviroment. I would also be thrilled to see the same innovation applied on the college level.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Thoughts on EDM310 before the class started.
Going into EDM 310 I was nervous from what I heard about the teacher. I heard that the class would be tough, and that it would not be a walk in the park. Knowing that classes get a bad reputation due to students getting accustomed to burp classes, I went in expecting anything. My biggest fear is that, despite the hard work, I may not be as talented as I thought. EDM310 shows a lot of promising aspects though. One of the features is that it is paper clean. Do not get me wrong I enjoy literature and English classes, but it will be nice typing rather than writing. Compared to the American Literature 252 course I went through last semester it will be a nice change. I may not learn some of the regurgitated, interesting, facts but I will get my hands on some of the newer technology the education world has to offer via the internet.
I think the most difficult objective in EDM310 will be time management. That difficulty is already being fixed. For example I started working on this post a lot quicker than my high school self would have. The hard part will be to stay on task all semester. I find it very easy to start getting "senoritis" and to get impatient for the summer. To stay on top of that it will take staying focused and not getting distracted by niceties. One important question I have about EDM310 is "will it last?". What I mean by that is will it die like the education through the radio did. How to address that would be to test if it is better than the norm. Pencil and paper may seem archaic but it was proven to still be the best way for the education system.
I think the most difficult objective in EDM310 will be time management. That difficulty is already being fixed. For example I started working on this post a lot quicker than my high school self would have. The hard part will be to stay on task all semester. I find it very easy to start getting "senoritis" and to get impatient for the summer. To stay on top of that it will take staying focused and not getting distracted by niceties. One important question I have about EDM310 is "will it last?". What I mean by that is will it die like the education through the radio did. How to address that would be to test if it is better than the norm. Pencil and paper may seem archaic but it was proven to still be the best way for the education system.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Practice Post
What a bold statement. these words are slanted. This is underlined.
I am tired of writing on the line above.
I am originally from Montgomery, Alabama, I have also lived in Coosada, Alabama. I am a veteran video game player along with a good bit of sports under my belt. I also like to travel, I have been to many states some of which i do not remember due to my age. I have also been to one other country, Guatemala. I came to the University of South Alabama because the campus is nice and I enjoy the environment around the campus.
Education is in my heritage, that fact has a lot to do with why I entered the education field. My Grandfather and my Grandmother, on my Mother's side of the family, are both teachers including my Mother. My Father was in a different ball park altogether with an education in business. My personal interest in education came with my trip to Guatemala. When I was there I taught a child how to pitch a baseball, and getting to see him learn really made me happy. As previously stated, one of my passions is playing video games. I understand though that there is an unhealthy amount one can play.
alt='www.seoclerks.com'
I am tired of writing on the line above.
I am originally from Montgomery, Alabama, I have also lived in Coosada, Alabama. I am a veteran video game player along with a good bit of sports under my belt. I also like to travel, I have been to many states some of which i do not remember due to my age. I have also been to one other country, Guatemala. I came to the University of South Alabama because the campus is nice and I enjoy the environment around the campus.
Education is in my heritage, that fact has a lot to do with why I entered the education field. My Grandfather and my Grandmother, on my Mother's side of the family, are both teachers including my Mother. My Father was in a different ball park altogether with an education in business. My personal interest in education came with my trip to Guatemala. When I was there I taught a child how to pitch a baseball, and getting to see him learn really made me happy. As previously stated, one of my passions is playing video games. I understand though that there is an unhealthy amount one can play.
alt='www.seoclerks.com'
Monday, January 13, 2014
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