Blog post #16

C4t summery

The first week I commented on Sharon Davison's blog, kindergartenlife.  In the post that I commented on she was talking about how great Skype was in her classroom. She uses it to have her students talk to other teachers and students. I told her how great it was that she was getting connected to other classrooms around the country and world. I told her it was great that she was showing her students at a young age that technology can bring the world closer together.



This week I commented on David Wee's blog , The Reflective Educator , where he gave us "20 things every teacher should do".  I told him that I loved all 20 things and that I will keep them in mind when I become a teacher. However, my favorite one was that he said teachers should learn something everyday. I told him that I couldn't agree more with this one!

Blog post 5 part 2

I have talked before about what Personal Learning Network, or PLN is. This is where you can go if you need advice or ideas from fellow teachers. Before EDM310, I heard a little about PLN because my mom is a teacher. At the beginning of this class I made a Symbaloo, which I have played around with a little, but not much. I do think that once I become a teacher I will use this a lot more. I also started following on my twitter my fellow classmates and some faculty here at USA, as well as some teachers that I have commented on their blog. I strongly believe that twitter will be the biggest thing that I grow and use as a teacher. Twitter seems to be the best way that other teachers can give advice and ideas of things they have done, and what has worked best for them. I look forward to growing my PLN even more in the future.

C4K Summery

My first kid I commented on was Wonga  who posted a photo and discussed the life cycle of the frog. I talked about how interesting it is that a frog starts off as a little tadpole and then becomes this big frog. It truly is amazing.




Next, I commented on Carter s blog.where he discussed that he was having trouble with a certain project and needed help, so he asked a friend who was able to help him figure it out. I told him that was great problem solving skills. He tried to figure out the problem on his own, but then asked a peer for some guidance.


Lastly, I commented on Maggie  blog.   She was talking about how she is excited to be the leader in her school next year. She said she has waited for this and can’t believe she is only one year away from being the oldest in her school. I told I could remember when I was in elementary school and couldn’t wait for the year to be the leader and oldest ones that everyone else looked up too. 

Blog Post #14

In Mr. Klein's  article about public schools he mentions a few things that in his opinion need to be changed.

1.     Pick from the best

The problem: college students wanting to become teachers are not being trained properly. Anyone with a degree in education can get a job regardless if they are the most qualified for the job. Also, teachers are not getting rewarded properly. There is this idea that teachers are interchangeable, so the only way to reward them is with seniority. 

The solution: Mr. Klein believes that if we have more training for future teachers and pick them from the top 1/3 of their class and we reward teachers with how great their performance is rather than seniority.

            I agree with Mr. Klein on this problem and solution. Mr. Klein stated that he thinks we need to professionalize teaching just like doctors and lawyers. I agree that if we up the competition and implement more training for future teachers then that will help make teaching a more professional field. In my opinion, teaching is just as important as doctors and lawyers because teachers are the ones that shape the lives of our future generation, and that is something that should not be taken lightly, therefore, just because you have been a teacher for years does not mean that you should be rewarded. Sometimes, as teachers get older, they lose their fire to be the best teacher they can be and then the students suffer. But, if we had a reward system where you had to keep your performance up no matter how long you have been teaching, then that would help keep the right type of teachers teaching and the ones who need to go will be forced to leave.

2.     Seniority distraction

 The problem is that if you have been teaching for years, then you have more seniority over those who just got hired. Therefore, there is no way to get rid of the incompetent teachers that have been around for years. The solution is to base teachers on how well they perform instead of who has been there the longest.

Once again I agree with Mr. Klein on this problem and solution. Once a teacher is tenured it is almost impossible for them to be fired, while those right out of college will be let go if someone needs to be let go, even if they perform better as a teacher. I personally have seen teachers who have been teaching for years be tired out and just not care as much anymore get to stay as a teacher, while a new teacher with lots of enthusiasm be let go. However, I have seen teachers who have been teaching for years still have that enthusiasm and drive to be the best teacher. I strongly agree that we need to do away with the tenured system and base letting teachers go on how well they perform.

3.     Radical Change

The problem: teachers who are incompetent need to be let go over the last one hired. 

The solution: Albert Shanker suggests that teachers have a board to police standards and professionalism to be sure incompetent teachers are removed from teaching. Also, he states that teaching should be a merit-based career where teachers would be promoted based on specialty exams.

            In my opinion this is a great idea. I agree with Albert Shanker , that incompetent teachers should not be allowed to teach anymore and that there should be a way to remove them. Also, I agree that there should be a merit system to promote teachers to do their very best and work hard.

In conclusion, I believe, just like Mr. Klein, that teaching needs to be more professionalized and the main way to do that is to better train future teachers and reward teachers for their performance instead of seniority.

             

blog post 13

After watching/ reading the links below summarize why technology is important in each link.


Integrating technology in the special education classroom


This article talks about how technology is great for the special education classroom because there are so many different children with different, yet, specific needs, and technology can help each individual student in their own way. It’s more common to think of using technology to help those students who are blind or deaf, but technology is also good for those with learning disabilities. For example, for students that need help in reading, there is read- along- books that can help the students learn to read. Using technology in the special education classroom can give teachers more one- on- one time with the students. All student love using technology and these students are no different. Technology gives them the motivation to want to learn.





speechbuddy.com



In this article, they talk about how teachers can work with students better as a whole because they can use things such as clickers. This method allows the kids to answer the questions at the same time, allowing the teacher to instantly know if each student understood the information. Also, technology levels the playing field with all the students, thus making the students with disabilities feel more accepted among their peers. Because students with learning disabilities already feel like they are different from other students, technology gives them the confidence to know that they can be just like the other kids.




Ipads for children with disabilities

In this video, this special education teacher talks about how iPads has changed her classroom. Students with disabilities have a difficult time wanting to think and work that hard, but when you make it fun, they won’t look at it as being something they have to learn, but something they want to learn. Ipads do exactly that, they help children with learning disabilities want to learn in a fun and new way.

Project 12 part B

Our Smart board lesson video





Our smart board lesson

Blog post #12

C4t Summery

venspired

In Mrs. Venosdale’s first blog post that I commented on was about how the education world is tough, and at times you seem to be all alone doing what you think is best for your students. She compares this to salmon trying to make it up stream at Niagara Falls. She says that education is like Niagara Falls with everything pulling you down as you try to fight your way up, trying to defeat the odds of making it just like the salmon do. I told her that I have family members in the education field, so I have seen firsthand what education is really like. I understand the hardships and tough times that come with being a teacher.


In her second post that I commented on she was talking about how we need to remember what it is like to jump into a project scared and excited all at the same time. Students need to be able to know what it feels like to be excited, and scared, and nervous about starting a project, and then feeling like they have accomplished something once they have finished the project. I told her that in this class right now I know the feeling of being nervous and excited about trying a new project, and after I have spent days and hours working my very best on it, I get a knot in my stomach because I love what I put together and I just want everyone else to love it as well. I also feel good about myself when I have learned something new and made an accomplishment in the process. I told her that I hope to one day show my students what it feels like to finish a project that you are truly proud of.

project #10 Interview with teacher

I had the chance to skype with Mrs. Howard a kindergarten Spacial education teacher in Enterprise Alabama. I really enjoyed getting to talk with her about her classroom. I actually had to cut out part of our interview due to time restrictions.

Project #14

Lesson Plan calendar

Rubric

Lesson plan overview

Checklist

Blog Post #11

Back to the future

In this video, Brian Crosby shows us different ways that he has his students actively doing something instead of just listening to him talk all day. For example, he had his class come up with “high hopes” for their life and write them down. They then shared them on their personal blogs and people all over the world responded to their posts. Some people even wrote back giving them their hopes for the world. This little project showed the students that you can connect to countries all over the world. I learned through this video that the more you blog, the more connected with the world you can be. Also, PBL is a way that teaches children that there is a world outside of their little town and even outside of this country. Blogging also teaches that we can have things in common with other people from other countries. My favorite part of this video was watching how a little girl could not attend class because of her health, but they still included her in their classroom everyday via Skype.

Blended Learning Cycle

In this video, I learned what blending your classroom is. The teacher first asks students a good in depth question or a hock. This gets students thinking on the track that you want them to be on. The students will then learn more by exploring and experimenting. After that, the students watch a video or another educational tool to expand their knowledge of the topic and go more in depth. My favorite part of this idea is before the students can continue on and take the quiz, they must first come to you, as the teacher, and you ask them questions about the subject making them explain to you what they know. This will ensure that the student fully understands the material before being quizzed on it. I love what Mr. Andersen says about this, “I don’t think you have learned something until you can explain it to someone else”. I couldn’t agree with him more! Students have a way of just memorizing things for a test, but not truly understanding the material. If you can sit down and have someone ask you truly hard questions about what you have just learned and all you can do is either spit out pre programmed definitions that you have memorized or you don’t know anything at all, then you have not learned anything. If however, you can explain in your own words the material correctly, then you have learned something. This “review” process, as Mr. Andersen calls it, is the best way for teachers to know if students really understand what they have learned. I believe blended classes are a great, new way to teach children using hands on technology and projects, yet still be there as a teacher to help them along the way and also to make sure they are learning the core standards that are required.


Mr. Andersen’s Blended Learning Cycle:

1. Question
2. Investigation
3. Video
4. Elaboration
5. Review
6. Summary quiz

Make thinking visible

In this video, we saw Mr. Church give his students instructions to write a headline or question, and then post them on a wall in the classroom. After they finished the unit, they did the same thing. This was a way for the students to see how their ideas had changed, if they had changed, and to see how much they had learned throughout the unit.



Super digital citizen

I love how, in this video, Mr. Pane starts the conversation off with a quote from Spider Man. This gets the kids listening to him because most probably, like with the example of Spider Man, they want to know what Spider Man has to do with what they are about to learn. He then talks with them about how to be safe online and uses characteristics to make up a safe, online superhero. Once the class has their list, they each get to make their own superhero that has these characteristics using a website. I learned from this that if I make things relevant to my students, they will find it more fun and interesting to learn. It was cool watching as the students’ faces lit up when they found out they could make a superhero. Once the students made the superhero, they then had to write a story using the superhero and themselves. I learned that when the students can make something of their own, they take more pride in their work and it becomes meaningful to them. Lastly, I learned about this cool web site. They can create a comic book and superhero all within this one website. This is a neat and different way to have students write stories, instead of the old fashion way of just writing with pen and paper.


Project Based Learning

In this video, we see where a Canadian school has incorporated 3 different subjects into one Project Based Learning class. The students spend all morning in this one class with all 3 teachers, working on projects. I learned that by teaching this way they have more time to go deeper, making their projects better, and as a result they understand the curriculum better. Now, American schools are not going to change to this type of learning anytime soon. However, as a teacher, I can incorporate different subjects into one project in my classroom that meets the core standards they need to know. Just by my incorporating subjects and projects together will give my students the opportunity to go deeper and spend more time on subjects. Hopefully, this will also give them a better understanding of the curriculum.


PBL in Roosevelt Elementary

Project Based Learning teaches children to solve real world problems, and how to complete a project from start to finish. It teaches children to know how to think for themselves and be independent learners. Project Based Learning gives students the power to choose how to do things. It gives them the power and then, in return, this makes the students want to do well and give them a sense of pride in their work. It gives students the practice of 21st century life skills they will need when they get a job and are out in the real world. They learn to be comfortable speaking in front of people at an early age. Project Based Learning gives students the practice they need for working together as a team to get a project done. This is real big because most people do not like working in a group, especially as they get older. But, in a job one day you might need to work with your co-workers on a project and will need to know how best to work with people. Lastly, Project Based Learning helps those students who learn in different ways than most people because it is more hands on and uses all different types of learning strategies in one project.

C4K for October

     I first wrote to Aliya, in Mrs. Ripp's class. In her post, she talked about how she wished that school was from 10:00-5:00. She gave some great pros and cons to school being changed to these hours. I told her about how my high school was destroyed in a tornado in 2007, and the high school students had to attend class from 10:00-5:00 for the rest of the school year at a community college in my home town.  I also shared with her how this caused a lot of conflicts with sports and other activities. I told her that there will always be pros and cons to any time we attend school. 


    I then wrote to a little first grader named jersey, who simply said that she liked learning at school. I told her it was awesome to like to learn and that I like learning as well.

     I finally wrote to Tamara  in England. She posted a short google docs presentation about herself. She said that she liked using the computer at school. I told her that I, too, like being able to use the computer at school.   

Blog Post #10

     I really enjoyed watching the first video we saw of Mrs. Cassidy's first grade class  talking about the technology they use in her classroom. It was a great way to show us that the students really do love, and learn things from the use of technology. I loved how the students were telling us how to be safe on the Internet and how to only say nice things when commenting on each other’s blogs.  One thing that really stuck out to me was one of the students talking about their grammar getting better each time they write on the blog. I think knowing that people all over the world can view what you are writing helps make students want to do their absolute best on each assignment, especially in the upper grades. I know, because I use to be lazy and would just think it didn’t matter because only my teacher was going to see my spelling and grammar mistakes, no big deal. However, when you know the whole world will see your mistakes you will try your absolute best not to make those mistakes.  

     The next three videos I watched were all an interview with Dr. Strange and Mrs. Cassidy. I found this interview to be eye opening, as most of the videos I have watched for this class this semester have been.  I still might not think technology is everything in the classroom, but I am starting to see that it is a very important part of the classroom. Dr. Strange asked Mrs. Cassidy where the best place to start teaching with technology was. She answered saying to start using something that you feel comfortable using, whether that be twitter, blogging, or something else.   Then, start trying new things.  I think this is very important because, as a teacher, you don’t want to feel overwhelmed since that might affect your teaching. Most teachers that have been teaching for years do not want to change their teaching method, and I think that is partly because they feel so overwhelmed with the thought of having to learn all new things. Mrs. Cassidy told us that she started just using a web page and from there her use of technology has grown. I think we need to remember, as we start teaching, we will not know all there is to know about using technology in the classroom, and that we will have to continue learning new things and new ways every year.   

     Mrs. Cassidy also spoke about the fact that she is one of the few teachers in her school to use technology, and I think that is very brave of her. She also does not have a principal that is making her use technology, she is doing it all on her own with the help of her technology coordinator.  I have a lot of respect for her for going against what most of her fellow teachers are doing, and doing what she thinks is best for the kids.  I hope that when I become a teacher, if I am in a school where they do not incorporate a lot of technology in the classroom, that I will still try and incorporate it into my classroom.

     I really enjoyed hearing her talk about how she uses the kid’s blogs as an online portfolio so the parents can see their student’s work whenever they want.  I think this is a great way to keep the parents involved in what their child is learning.  In the very first video, some of the students talked about how their aunt or grandparent commented on their blog some too. I LOVE this! Being an aunt that lives 4 hours from my 6-year-old niece, I am missing out on what she is doing in school. If I could go on a blog and be able to read things she has written or drawn, I would love it. Blogging is truly a way to keep connected to the world.

     The most important thing I got out of Mrs. Cassidy’s interview was how to teach the students to use technology safely. She is a first grade teacher and she is already teaching the students to access the internet and getting them to talk to people all around the world. However, she makes sure that her 6 year olds know how to keep their identity safe, and how not to access sites that are not safe.  She does this by teaching them to only use their first name not their last, and she has all the links that the students are allowed to visit on her web page so the students do not find sites on their own. In this generation, children will be learning how to access the internet eventually, so why not teach them the dos and don’ts at an early age. So, when they do become old enough to get on the Internet unsupervised, they have the knowledge of how to be safe.  Also, Mrs. Cassidy mentioned that she has students who get upset with each other and post mean comments on each other’s blogs, and she has to set them down talk to them about it. I think this a great example of teaching children at an early age that once you post something on the Internet that it will always be there.

     Overall, I found the interview with Mrs. Cassidy to be a very eye opening video.  She is a true example of how using technology in the classroom, even in the younger grades, can better help your students learn. I am still hesitant about this new teaching method, but I am becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of using technology in my classroom.
Interview Part One

Interview part 2


Interview part 3

Smart Board Project part A

Blog post #9

In the article ,7 essentials for project based learning I learned that the two most important things as a teacher I need to do is to first, be sure that the project I am doing with the children is something they will find worth working on and putting forth the effort to do their very best. Also, I need to be sure that the project is educational based and has content that the children need to know. Basically, I need to be sure that I am not just giving the children “busy work”. In this article, I learned to first to ask children questions about the problem. Instead of coming in and just talking about the topic and problem, the children need to think for themselves on how they would solve the problem. Once you have the students thinking in the direction you would like, ask them the “big question” or driving question. This question should be open ended, complex, and should link to the big picture that you want them to see. This question is important because without it, the concept of the project you want them to know could be lost. After the driving question, let the children know that this is their project and that they have freedom in what they choose to do. It is important for the children to have a voice in their own project. They will be more willing to work on it if they get to put their own ideas and opinions in it. Make sure they know that this is their project and it doesn’t have to be just like yours or just like their friends. Also, make sure the children are using skills such as group work, critical thinking, and technology through out their project. Be sure to encourage the students to ask questions and then research and discover answers to their questions through out the project. Teach the children to always be looking for ways to learn new things. As the class is finishing their projects, have the children look at and edit each other’s work. Show the kids that it is important to get feedback from each other about their project. Once the projects are complete, either share them on the Internet or with other faculty and classes. Children enjoy sharing their hard work with others.

PBL Video
This video was very interesting and had a lot of information in a short time. Basically, what I got out of this video was that Project Based Learning is a new way to teach where the teacher gives the students a driving question that is in depth and requires the students to research and discover the answer. This way of teaching gives children the critical thinking skills they will need in the real world.

What motives students in the classroom

In this video, the first child talked about how he is most motivated when the teacher compliments him in front of the class. I feel like this is very important to be able to do as a teacher. Everyone wants to feel like the work that they are doing is great and someone likes it, especially children. Children need to feel like their work is good, and if you as the teacher comment on a student’s work in front of the class, then they will be more willing to do their work and do their best on it. One of the boys in the video talked about how in his class his teacher has classroom money and when you’re being good or you stay on green all day, you a get a certain amount of classroom money. However, if you’re being bad or you get moved from green, then you have to give her a certain amount of the classroom money back.  At the end of each week, she has a classroom store with different things they can buy.  I really like this idea for a reward because it teaches the kids responsibility and how to manage money.  If they want an expensive item, then they need to save their money and be good in order to buy that item. Also, in the real world, money is going to be the incentive to get up and go to their job, so why not use money in school to teach them to be good.

Project Based learning in PE

You don’t really think about Project Based Learning being a part of a PE class. However, in this article this teacher put together a neat idea for a high school PE class. This teacher had her high school PE class put together a work-out plan for the middle school students each week. This required the high school students to know the standards for that age group and they had to work together to think of different ways to have the middle school students work-out.  I think this is a neat and fun idea. I also think it would be cool for the middle school students to come up with plans for the elementary age students as well. This would allow the younger kids to look up to the middle school students that are staying active, and maybe encourage the younger students to stay active as well.

Ketchup Video

I found this video to be very interesting. I can not stand ketchup I am completely grossed out by it. However, my brother loves it and he has talked about the problem that these students are trying solve.  I would love to use a 3D printer that these boys did. You can tell that they were having fun and were very engaged in trying to find a solution to this problem.

  

Project #9

C4T Summary

This month I commented on Julie Vincentse’s blog.

principalmusings blog

The first blog I commented on was titled, “Capturing Struggling Readers”. In this blog she talks about audio books and how they are great for children who are low readers but want to be able to read the same things their classmates are. I told her how I was a low reader and that I loved using audio books so that I wouldn’t feel left out of what all my friends were reading.

In her second post that I commented on she was talking about the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. had on society and how far we have come in such a short time. I told her I agreed that we have come so far from the time that Martin Luther King, Jr. told his “I have a dream” speech to now. I wonder what he would think he if he were still alive today and could see just how far we have come.

Implications and teaching opportunities for camera use in teaching and learning

Part A:
The data that Dr. Strange has shared with us confirms my belief that technology is taking over our generation. Don’t get me wrong. I love being able to carry my camera, phone, laptop and game boy all in one device. The fact that the only record of my nephew’s first steps are on my iPhone shows just how important our smart phones are to us. However, I strongly believe that too much of a good thing is bad. As you walk through Wal-Mart, look around, you see people too busy looking down at their phone rather than looking where they are going. We are becoming a generation of people who cannot function without their smart phone. I am one of them. I would not survive a day without my smart phone. I would be late to class because my alarm is on my phone, I don’t know anyone’s phone numbers anymore, all my test dates and information is on my phone, and heaven forbid I can’t take a picture of my niece or nephew doing something adorable and be able to post it instantly to social media. Being so obsessed with capturing every moment on picture or video by having a smart phone with a great built in camera is the best thing ever!
Yes, I believe technology, including smart phones, can be bad. However, I do believe if used properly and monitored closely cameras built into smart phones can be a great tool used in the classroom. Nevertheless, the teacher should always be aware of where the smart phone is at all times. Also, there should definitely be some rules in place, both system-wide and classroom-wide. These rules should be written so the parents and students all know and understand these rules, and possibly a written agreement from the parents /students indicating they have read these rules. If the pictures are going to the internet, the teacher needs to approve them first and needs to be sure to know if any of these students are not allowed to have their picture posted on the internet. Once these issues have been discussed, then having smart phones with cameras on them will allow students to learn in a whole new way. There are so many apps out there that children can play that teaches them to learn new skills as well. They will have fun learning. Having these in the classroom can help the teacher as well. For example, if students get done with their work before others they can be allowed to play a fun, educational, learning game on the phone/iPad while they wait for the others in their class to get done. This allows the teacher to be able to walk around helping those that are struggling with the assignment and not having to worry about “busy work” to give to the students who are already done.




Part B

Having a smart phone or tablet with a built- in camera for every student in your class would give a teacher some great tools and fun activities for the students. Some activities could include:
1. Have a picture scavenger hunt - have a list of different types of things they must get a picture of.
2. Matching game with definitions-have a list of words and definitions and they must take a picture with both the word and definition together.
3. QR hunt- Hide different QR codes through out the school and have the children go on a hunt for them. Once they find one, they must listen to it and it will give them a clue to the next one.
4. Have the students group up and give them a story in history that would be easy to act out or make puppets to act it out and then video themselves and show the videos to the class.

Blog post #8

Blog Post #8

After watching , Randy's Last Lecture all I can say is that if I found out I had cancer and was dying I only hope that I could have at least half of his happiness and joy. This video has taught me so much, not just on how to teach children, but how I want to live my life chasing my dreams. In this video, Randy talked a lot about his childhood dreams and how, even though he wasn’t a NFL player like he wanted to be, that he learned a lot through the experience. I learned that it is very important to teach children to have childhood dreams, and ones that may seem impossible, because even if you don’t reach that dream, you will learn something from the process. At the beginning of his lecture he tells us that he has tumors on his kidney and is dying and yet he looks and acts happy and healthy. He is dealing with his cancer in a way that is so inspiring. Randy says, “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand”, and this to me has so much truth behind it that we need to be teaching to the younger generation. As a teacher, I hope I can teach my students not to feel sorry for things they don’t have or how they were raised, instead, be happy and find a way to change the situation, whatever it may be. Randy said that when you mess up look for someone to correct you, if there isn’t someone correcting you, then that means that they have given up on you. I have never thought about that, but it is so true. As a child, whenever you do something wrong over and over again and your parents or teacher is correcting you over and over again they are doing this not because they want to repeat it over and over again, but because they care enough about you to constantly repeat themselves until you get it right. I hope that, once I become a teacher, I will have the patience and willingness to show my students in a loving way how much I care for them by always correcting them until they have mastered it. I learned that it is important not to set a bar for students because students will surprise you with how far they can go when you do not set a goal for them to reach. Another thing that I learned from Randy was “the best gift an educator can give a student is to teach someone to be self reflective”. This is very important in project based learning, especially in group work. The major thing I learned from Randy was Project Based Learning is students having fun while learning something hard or something they might not have wanted to learn if it wasn’t fun. If we make learning a fun experience then children will have a desire to want to learn more and work hard. I also learned from Randy as a teacher I should teach “head fake” learning. “Head fake” learning is when you teach two topics at the same time. Lastly, there were two statements that stuck out to me most in Randy’s lecture. The first statement was, “Never to lose the child like wonder”. As Randy was talking, you could tell that he was still a child at heart and he loved teaching his students. I think that as teachers if we still have a child like heart that loves to be happy and loves learning and teaching, then our students will be better off from that. The second statement that impressed me was actually a question he asked, “Are you Tigger or Eeyore?” Meaning are you going to be looking for the good in things or always looking at the bad in things? Which one are you?

Project 7 part B

To the parents




To the students

Blog Post #7

After watching these videos on how to incorporate project based learning and technology into the classroom, I have learned a lot about different ways teachers are using technology in the classroom. I love technology and everything we can do with it. Because of my dad’s job, I grew up constantly learning about the new types of phones, laptops and other devices. Being able to use and play with technology was a must in my house growing up. Because of this, I am confident in being around technology and using it, which I think is a good thing, so I can teach that confidence to my students. However, I have also seen the bad side effects of technology. Meaning that I see what happens when all the computers are down and as kids we didn’t know what to do because our devices were down. How were we going to entertain ourselves now? Or as my dad always says, “no one ever needed 100 copies of anything until the first copier was invented”, meaning that technology has caused us to work more than before. Having a little negative attitude about technology is one of my weaknesses that I hope I will not bring into my classroom. I don’t want people to think that I don’t like technology, because I do. I love it! I love learning new things about it and I love that as a teacher I will be able to bring some fun learning activities into the classroom that the kids will love to do and play with. I love that I will get the chance to teach the younger generation how to bridge learning with technology.

How to make a QR code

In this video I learned how to record my voice or a student’s voice and then be able to make it into a QR code. I think this would be a very neat idea to use as a teacher. I like the idea she mentioned on the video where teachers can record their voices reading a story and then have different ones set up at the reading center with iPads. Then, the students can go and listen to the teacher read the story and they can read it as often as they want. This would be great for the younger grades where they are not independent readers yet. In this reading center you could have them listen to the story and then answer simple questions that they could read and answer. Also, I think it would be cool if you had the students make a reading journal throughout the year. You could have them record themselves reading different stories throughout the year and make QR codes. You could then keep the QR codes in a folder in order and by the end of the year they could see how fluently they are reading.

iPad Learning centers

In this video I learned how to incorporate reading with technology and also a way to make it fun for the children. The students can use the iPad to record themselves reading a story or fluency words and then they listen to the video of themselves while following along to be sure they did not make any mistakes. I think this is a great idea because it would make reading fun for the kids since they get to use the iPad. Also, they can go back and see where they made a mistake and they can know what they need to work on. They can practice as much as they want, instead of going to the reading table and reading in a group to the teacher and then going back to their desk to do “busy work”. The teacher has the freedom to walk around the room and see which students need the most help and she has the time to sit and help that student as needed. I absolutely love this and think it’s a great idea!

poplet as a center

In this video I learned about an app you can download onto iPads that the students can use to make a reading web. Once they have read a book, they can take pictures of the book and place them into the web. In this video it was kindergarteners working on a poplet so there wasn’t a lot they could write in the web. However, if you used this app in some older grades then you could have students go into detail about the story. This is a great app that could be used at any grade level.


AVL

I have used the Alabama Virtual Library many times throughout my middle and high school career. But I have never thought of using it for the elementary aged students, especially kindergarten. In this video I learned a great way to use the AVL in the kindergarten classroom. The students using their iPads go to the AVL app and then find the elementary tab for them to use. Once they are there, they search a word from the list of words the teacher has given to them. They can then watch videos, look at pictures, and it can even read the text to them. Once they have done research on the word, they draw a picture and then write one sentence they have learned from what they have researched. This activity teaches them how to research things on their own.

Board Builder's

In this video I learned how students can research different topics and then make a power point type of thing using the smart board to share what they have learned with the class or other people. This activity is great for having students work together as a team and it teaches them how to take information and pictures they have taken from the internet and put together a presentation. Lastly, if the children are required to present it in front of the class it teaches the kids to be comfortable standing and talking in front of their peers.


AVL and iMovie in Kindergarten

In this video I learned that kindergarteners are using iMovie to make book trailers on books that they have read in class. They are not just making these trailers but they LOVE the process of it. We, as college students, do not like having to edit our mistakes but these students love editing. Also, I learned that kindergartners are using AVL to learn how to do research.


We all become learners

In this video they were talking about how everyone is always learning. Michelle Bennett was talking about how she had a kindergartner teach her how to do something on the iPad and it made the student feel proud to know that he knew something the teacher didn’t know and was able to teach her. Also, my favorite part of this video was what Michelle said about how everyone teaches each other. As a future teacher, this is very important for me to remember. I will never stop learning and my students will more than likely teach me more than I teach them some days.

Project #13 Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan Overview

Lesson Plan Rubric

Lesson Plan Calendar

C4K September Summary

James' Blog

My first comment I wrote was to James in England. His first post that I commented on was to the Prime Minister asking him to put a ban on the usage of plastic bags. He talked about the harm they do to the environment. I told James that I agreed with him that plastic bags are bad for the environment and that it was neat to see a kid stand up and try and make a difference in this world.

My second comment was to James again and this time he was talking about how he and his group were making a Mortal Kombat movie in their school’s green room. I told James that I use to love to play that game with my brothers growing up and that I thought it was pretty cool that they got to make a movie about it in school, and that they had the equipment to make one using a green room.

Ethan's Link

My third comment was to Ethan here in the United States. In his blog post he was talking about what he would change about school if he were in charge. He said that he would make school shorter so that kids could have time to play outside and that he would make lunch longer so that kids could have more time to eat and chat with friends. I told him that I agree that kids don’t have much time anymore to be kids. By the time they get home from school and finish home work they are too tired to go play. I said that it is important for kids to have time to learn and to play. He also talked about how he would have some classes some days and some classes others days. I told him that I thought that would be a good idea, in college that is how we do classes and that I loved it. I told him that I thought he had some great ideas

Book Trailer Project #8

Blog Post #6

In the first two videos with Anthony Project Based Learning Part 1 and  Project Based Learning Part 2I got a deeper knowledge of how PBL works. It is not just a project you do with your kids after teaching a lesson to see if they understood what you taught them. It is a new way of learning that incorporates the ACCRS and gives students a way of learning by doing something instead of just sitting and listening to the teacher lecture all day. For example, Anthony talked about a project he did with his 3rd graders where he told them about a current event at the time; which was about women getting to fight in open combat. He and his class discussed this event and talked about if they thought this was ok or not. Then, he had each of his students to write a letter to their congressman stating their opinion and backed their opinion up with historical facts on whether they thought it was right to allow women to fight in open combat. The students then read the letters and chose 8 of them to send off. This one project interested the students and brought history to life for them. It also met the needs of the ACCRS reading, writing and history standards. Anthony stated at the beginning of part one of his video that he is always changing the way he teaches PBL, and I think that is so important for teachers to learn because once we become teachers, we are going to want to teach the same way for years. However, with technology changing so rapidly and the way students learn is constantly changing, we as teachers need to be diligent at trying to teach students in new ways, using new technology instead of sticking to the old traditional ways we were taught. In part 2 of Anthony’s video he talks about how much time teaching takes up, especially the first year. I have personally seen this with my sister-in-law. She and her family were living at my house her first year teaching. Before that time, I thought teaching was just an 8:00-3:00 easy job. However, she would go into work early, stay late, and then come home and work some more. She was constantly thinking and planning activities for her students. The longer she has worked the easier it has gotten, but she still puts more than 8 hours every day into her students. I have seen the dedication that Anthony was talking about. Just like he said, you must learn what to prioritize and what to not worry so much about. I think this is going to be the hardest thing for me to do when I become a teacher. I want to do whatever I can to impact my students and give them the best education I can, but I always over stress myself about the little things and having to take on everything at once. I think knowing ahead of time that it will take a lot of work and I will have to prioritize everything will help me be more prepared for my first year teaching.


icurio
The next video I watched of Anthony’s is where he was talking about icurio. This is an online database/search engine where students must have a login to use and they can search for educational websites and videos that meet the ACCRS and other state standards without having to go through all the non-educational sites that you would normally have to filter through otherwise. Another feature it has is that it allows students and teachers to save and organize, through folders, things they find valuable. In today’s world, being virtually organized is becoming more and more popular and this teaches children at a young age how to organize their work. Lastly, icurio has a feature called historical figures where students can search for particular criteria. Anthony gives the example that if you want something on the civil war you would search 1960s, African American male. My favorite feature is that it saves your work. So, if your students are working on a project and it’s time for lunch or PE the students do not have to worry about saving their work. It also has a feature that will read the text to you. This could be good for students with learning disabilities that need a little help with reading.

Discovery Ed
In this video Anthony tells us that this educational tool is great for children to learn by watching videos. He gives the example that if your students are learning about plants they can research through Discovery Education about different flowers and watch videos of experts explaining the particular flower they are researching. There is only so much a teacher knows about a subject and this gives the children the opportunity to research and learn more in depth about a particular subject.

Anthony- Strange trips for teachers
Dr Strange and Anthony are talking about the 5 key things any new teacher needs to know. 1. A teacher needs to be willing to learn themselves- there will always be something new for you to learn. And if you are not eager to learn, the students will see that, and then they will not be as eager to learn. Students copy their teachers and want to be like them. So in order for your students to be willing to learn you need to show them that you are too.
2. Teaching is hard work but let it be fun- teaching is not an easy job. You will put in more work than just the 8:00-3:00 you get paid for. If you don’t enjoy learning new ways to learn and new ways to teach then you will be miserable. Teaching must become your hobby just as Anthony says.
3. Teachers must be flexible- things always happen that you cannot control. Learn to be ok with the unexpected and role with the flow. If you don’t, you will be one miserable teacher because almost everyday there will be something that happens that you cannot control.
4.Get kids engaged- Students learn better when they are actively doing stuff. It’s easier to learn something by doing it yourself instead of watching others teach you.
5. Reflect- Students need to be able to reflect on their own work. They need to look at their work and decide what they could do better and change the next time on their work or project.

Use Tech Don't Teach It

Something that I found very interesting that Anthony talks about in this video is that you shouldn’t teach technology. It is not something you teach children like you would reading or math. You slowly incorporate technology into the student’s projects and assignments. You wouldn’t just all at once have them do something that requires a lot of technology, but in each project add a little more technology into it. Also, you let them use one tool at a time. Let them master, for example, imovie and then move on to another tool they can use. Each week use a different tool so that they can learn all different types of tools and also go back some and work with the tools they used in the past to help them remember them.

Additional Thoughts On Lessons
In this video I learned that a lesson is four layers thick. The first layer has to fit into your year. Are you going to be able to cover all the content of that lesson in one year? The second layer is that it has to fit into your unit. Is your lesson organized in a way that it builds on to each other within the unit instead of expecting the kids to learn the whole material in one day? The third layer is by the week. Once you have organized your lesson into a unit, you need to figure out how you are going to teach the lesson each day within a week. After each week what will your kids know? The fourth layer- is that it has to fit into a daily plan. What and how are you going to teach students daily so that they will learn what you have planned? Then, how will you test them so that you know where to begin the next day? How will you keep on track with your weekly lessons, and then your unit lessons, and finally your yearly lessons? I think it is important that you look at what they need to know by the end of the year, and then break down each level of the yearly lesson into units, and then from the unit lesson, to the weekly lessons, then to the daily lessons, so that students are not so over loaded with information at one time that they will never remember, but instead the standards they need to meet yearly are spread out evenly through out the year to give students the time to understand and comprehend the information.


All of these videos have taught me a lot of how I need to teach, what I need to teach, and how hard this job is going to be. I know I will never know everything there is to know about teaching because it is always changing, but after watching these videos I feel as if I have a good foundation of learning how to teach.

Project #7

My Sentence is...



My passion is...

Project #3 Presentation

Blog Post #5

Before EDM310 I had heard a little bit about PLN since my mother is the technology coordinator for her school. However, I had not fully researched them until now. According to the Developing A Personal Learning Network.a PLN is the people, places, and activities which someone uses to help them learn. It is a way in which people can share their experiences and help others learn. It is a collaborative way to learn about new things. You can post things that have helped you, or you can go looking for ideas to help you. It is a give and take kind of thing. It is a great resource for teachers to help one another. It always changes, so therefore, you can always find new information. If used in the classroom, it allows students to be able to learn at their own speed and take some personal responsibility; just as the 7th grade student said in her video, 7th grade personal learning environment. I personally have not made my own symbaloo yet, but I have played around with my moms and I think it is a great tool for PLN. It allows you to keep all your work and important sites organized and it is all right there for quick and easy access whenever you want it. Right now I do not have a lot on my PLN. I am just getting started with it, but I currently follow some of my education teachers on twitter and I have commented on some teachers’ blog posts and a child blog post. I do, however, plan to make my PLN bigger and better. I want to eventually create a symbaloo and be in contact with lots of different experienced teachers all around the world. I plan to do this by both following them on twitter, if I can, and also looking at different teachers’ blogs. I believe in order to be a great teacher I must learn from some great teachers.