Blog Assignment #16 Final Reflection

Blog Assignment #14

Mr. Joel Klein, who wrote the article Self-Discipline and High Standards Can Secure the Future of Public Schools, has been the front runner of the New York City school system for eight years. When asked the question, "If you could change one thing, what would it be?" He responds with how he believes there are many things needing change within schools, such as:

• Allowing more school choices for families
• Using more technology within the classroom
• Adopting a knowledge-based curriculum 
• Letting children begin school before age five.

Although he states some of those problems, he chooses an obvious problem he would change, which is to professionalize teaching. Some of the problems teachers face hinder the career from becoming a professional workplace.  These problems are:

• States not providing enough academic training for teachers
• School systems allow anyone with a degree (of any kind) to become teachers
• School systems award teachers incorrectly, valuing seniority over quality.

To solve these problems Klein suggest that:

• States require teachers to undergo national teaching exams that will test the mastery of pedagogy and content knowledge
• Schools recruit teachers from the top third of graduates, and require a one to three year supervised internship to evaluate their in classroom performance
• Removal of incompetent teachers by having teachers establish their own board to "police" the colleagues in their profession.  Along with that, teachers who master in the field of teaching should have aids that are college graduates as teaching assistants.

My thoughts....

I agree that these are some pivotal problems we face in the teaching profession.

First, having more opportunities to train and learn new techniques will only enhance our abilities to teach, and influence the way our students learn.  Teachers should continue to become highly qualified through continued academic training throughout the span of their career.

Next, not just anyone with a degree should become a teacher, no more than a graduate with an education degree should become a doctor, lawyer, or other professional.  Whatever degree a student is working toward prepares them for that specific field of study.  Throughout the course of earning a degree we are taught very different practices for our future careers.  When working toward an education degree, we study the behaviors of children and methods of teaching for helping students learn. Through internships and students teaching tiers, we have field experiences that allow us to observe these behaviors and teaching techniques.

Lastly, just because a teacher has been in a school longer does not mean he or she will be more technically qualified than a first year teacher.  In our ever-changing times the techniques continue to change and our students' behaviors also change.  An older teacher may have "set in ways" of doing things while a new teacher may be open to learning new styles of teaching.  Do not misunderstand what I write, experienced older teachers are at times the best at the job and can be excellent mentors for us new and upcoming teachers.  However, I believe that tenure should not be the rule, teacher quality should prevail.  Also, when older, qualified teachers retire the school is at a major loss.  Along with that thought, at times new teachers have no business being in the classroom and it is great to find a balance and work together to eliminate the teachers who are not meant to be in this profession.

Blog Assignment #5 Final Part

Summary of My PLN (Personal Learning Network)

When beginning this class, I had never heard of a PLN or in general anything else we studied over the summer semester. I was a little apprehensive to use most of the tools and honestly felt that some of it was a waste of time. As we near the end of the semester, I am excited that I have developed a new perspective and begun to use these tools and am working on continuing to grow my PLN.

Although I can honestly say twitter isn't my favorite, as I have had a bad experience in the past with social media, I definitely now see how it is relevant to learning and can be used in an effective way. I am hoping to continue the use several of the social media tools like Twitter,  Skype, and Symbaloo to chat and conference with the people I meet as I continue my journey to becoming a teacher and to bookmark all the important things I find interesting to aid in my teaching.  I am the type of person that likes to have face-to-face interaction with people, so I look forward to working more with teachers like Anthony Capps, Mrs. Bennett and others throughout Baldwin County, as well as educators from South Alabama. While there are many blog writers we have followed over the course of the semester, I particularly would like to continue following and learning from teachers like Mrs. Cassidy and Mr. Shareski, whom are educators and writers of blogs. As Dr. Strange would say, "we are just scratching the surface." Well, I am just scratching the surface of my PLN, and hope that as time passes I will have built a large amount of resources that provide me with more helpful and effective teaching ideas.

C4Ta #4 Post #1 & Post #2

Post #1
Summary of:
The Dr. Will Show - EdTech Check With Celine NG-O'Hara

In this blog post, Dr. Will chats with teacher and "Ed Techie" Celine NG-O'Hara. In the first paragraph, he provides us with some information about Ms. NG-O'Hara and he list some of her qualifications, which are:

• Bachelor of Arts (History & Sociology)
• Bachelor of Arts (Special Education)
• Two Masters (Teaching & Special Education)
• 24 years of experience in education

Ms. NG-O'Hara has worked all over and he states,"she has a broad global perspective on education." He speaks about her interest in using educational technology in the classroom, and explains her creation of a discussion Facebook page called, "Ed Techie." This page is used to promote the use of technology in the classroom, and help other educators effectively use technology. Ms. NG-O'Hara also holds monthly EdCamp meetings in her district to share ideas and tips with local educators about the use of technology in the classroom.  Dr. Will has included an 18 minute video chat he held with Ms. NG-O'Hara to discuss the trends and progress of her ongoing work with Ed Tech.

Comment:

Dr. Will,

Ms. NG-O'Hara has many accomplishments and I think it is great to have educators who have experience from all over the world who also have a good knowledge about the use of technology. I am on my way to becoming a teacher and have recently learned about PLN's (Personal Learning Networks). I think her Facebook page idea and EdCamp meetings are a great way to share ideas with teachers that may not have the knowledge of using some of these cool technology tools. She is definitely an educator I would personally like to add to my PLN. Thanks for your post.

Amber

Post #2
Summary of #BEYOUEDU - Finding Your Swagger With Kerry Gallagher

In this blog post, Dr. Will explains how he strives to bring a certain type of swagger everywhere he goes and in everything he does. He wants all of his students and colleagues to perceive him as friendly, warm, and inviting. He also wants others to know he is there to fulfill a purpose. He hopes that others do not judge him based on what they see in his writing or what they see on other social media, but they will see his true swagger when they meet him in person. Dr. Will also thinks that other teachers can benefit from reflecting on the impact of their swagger. 

The impact of your swagger can make or break the behavior of students in your classroom. He then describes three types of swagger (personalities?) that teachers often bring with them.  These three are:

• The confident and smart teacher that explains her high expectations of her class.
• The quiet teacher who doesn't have much to say, but has students read along as she reads the class rules and guidelines.
• The teacher who smiles and greets students, who also values the students and their opinions.

The impact of swagger on colleagues is just as important. You should always be yourself and celebrate the successes of your colleagues. You should listen and value others, and help other colleagues to find and maintain their swagger. We should also know why we are there, to help guide our students.

Comment:

Dr. Will,

This is a very interesting post, and a very unique concept. It truly makes a difference what type of swagger a person brings to the table. Being an optimistic and inviting person at your job and in all aspects of life will most definitely make things go smooth throughout the course of the day. People will learn to trust you and know they can depend on you. You will also have people value what you think and have to say. To answer your question, I am not yet a teacher, but I hope I will be the teacher that will wear a smile and greet my students daily. I hope to always value their thoughts and opinions and listen to what they have to say. Most of all, I hope to help my students achieve all of their goals. Thanks for another great post.

Amber

Group Project #12B Delivering a lesson on the SMARTboard

Blog Assignment #13

 Assignment for Blog Post #13

What can you learn from these articles/videos? 

Would you use the "The Leader in Me" program in your classroom? Why?

Read the articles and watch the videos about "The Leader in Me" program.
 
1. The Leader in Me Program

2. Students describe the 7 Habits

3. Sutton School Students Sing

My Blog Post

The Leader in Me program can be used school wide or in our own personal classroom. Staff and students can use this program. All students, even "college kids" can be greatly affected by applying these habits into our individual lifestyles. The Leader in Me program has many themes, seek out talents within all people, seeing and using strengths of all people, and to develop the whole person - in mind, body, heart and spirit.
The Leader in Me program shows us that every child is capable and can become leaders. Five paradigms of the program can help all children understand that:

• They can all be leaders
• They all have genius
• They can start the change
• Educators can help empower students to lead their own learning
• They can develop the whole person.

The Seven Habits within the program consists of:

Habit #1 Be Proactive - take charge of your own life
Habit #2 Begin with the End in Mind - Have a plan
Habit #3 Put First Things First - Work first, then play
Habit #4 Think Win-Win - Think of ways everyone can win
Habit #5 Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood - Listen before you speak
Habit #6 Synergize - Collaborate with others
Habit #7 Sharpen the Saw - Take care of yourself and find the balance.

I have witnessed this program being used in a school and it greatly affects the attitudes of students. The students learn to believe in themselves and they learn to believe in each other. This type of program teaches the students to be respectful of themselves and others. If I take a teaching job at a school that doesn't adopt these habits I would still like to teach them in my classroom. I think using the 7 habits will teach students to value each other and their education, thus offering a safe and effective learning environment.

I highly recommend buying the books associated with this program.
These books are: The Leader in Me and The Seven Habits of Happy Kids.

Blog Assignment #12

What Assistive Technologies are available to us as teachers?

Blog Assignment #11

What can we learn about teaching and learning from these teachers?

As teachers, what do we want from our students? This is simple - we want children to learn. We want them to grow and be able to function correctly in society. We want them to learn to solve problems, tackle tasks, and make a brighter future for themselves.

Children need to feel connected to what they are learning in school, they need the drive to complete tasks and they need to feel pride in everything they do. It is our job to connect students and learning. We can do so by using project based learning in our classrooms. As I've previously stated in one of my blog post, students and teachers will continue to learn how to effectively use project based learning as it is used daily.

Using project based learning in the classroom gets students excited and involved in their own learning. It gives them a sense of power, and it creates pride in all the work they do. Often there will be areas of the curriculum where students are struggling. It is not our job to simply meet the standards, it is our job to help students understand. We need to find ways students can actively and enthusiastically meet standards. We can do this by getting students involved in projects that relate to "real-world" problems.

In the video, Back to the Future, Mr. Crosby's students are struggling in general social science knowledge and language arts.  To help solve this problem, they are given a balloon science project, where they are provided the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world through blogging, comments, wiki's and flickr. This enabling them to learn about geography, communication and grammar. Through the use of these technology tools, they were able to meet their science standards as well as improve their writing and language skills. The students took pride in this project and were thrilled with the results. The teacher was also excited with how he took their learning process to a whole new level.

Paul Anderson gives us an acronym he uses in his science classroom to promote learning. This acronym QUIVERS, as seen in the video, The Blended Learning Cycle, stands for:

• QUestion - What is the question?
• Investigate - Let's try and investigate it.
• Video - Maybe we can find videos that relate.
• Elaborate - Explore it in further detail.
• Review - Let's check our understanding.
• Summary - Take a quiz!

He uses these steps to boost learning and to be certain all students have understood the content being delivered.

Safety is key, as explained in Sam Pane's video Super Digital Citizens. Mr. Pane takes us on a journey into his fourth grade classroom. He explains how he merges technology, safety, and writing standards in a fun and interesting way. His students are eager to learn and use the technology to build their super digital citizen characters. They also get the chance to show off their writing and creativity, by taking a gallery walk around the room. Showing work to others encourages students to take pride in their work and create a better quality product. "Doing work this way gives the children a greater sense of ownership and makes learning meaningful" (Pane).

It is so important that we use and understand the use of project based learning. Using it will keep our students engaged, more knowledgeable, learn communication, collaboration, and cooperation. It will apply life long skills and give students a choice. It also motivates our students to continue their learning.

Other resources:
Project Based Learning by Dean Shareski
Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program

C4Ta #3 Post #1 & Post #2

Summary:
My Ongoing Struggle with Diffusing the Impact of Grades

This is a very interesting blog post. The author Dean Shareski discusses his opinions about grades and self-assessment. He mentions that he has written many posts regarding assessments and that they are something very challenging to discuss. He also indicates that he is always looking for new ideas to explore on better methods of assessing students. He values feedback and thinks that students will value their work and time if they have the opportunity to assess themselves. He would also like to see the students receive more feedback from their peers. Although most institutions require the submission of grades, he expresses the importance of reflection and self-assessment. No matter the age of students, all students should be able to reflect and evaluate themselves. Mr. Shareski doesn't like traditional methods of giving grades, so he has made a template for his students to follow in assessing themselves.

This assessment looks like this:

• What I did well this week?
• What I struggled with?
• My interactions?
• My grade? (with 10 being a perfect score)
• How might I improve this assignment?

This template works well in his classroom, and usually the students assess themselves correctly. He usually honors the grade they have given themselves. Granted, some students will give themselves a perfect score knowing there is room for improvement. In this case he always tries to be considerate and provide meaningful feedback.

Comment:
I also value self-assessment. I think that students will try harder when they they are providing a personal assessment of their performance and resulting grade. At times when teachers provide a grade they may not take into consideration how hard someone has worked, it just may not be something that comes easy to that student. I feel it is fair to give the student consideration for how hard they have tried, not the grade based only on the number of incorrect answers. This is definitely a method of assessment that I would prefer to use in my classroom. Thanks for a great post.

Summary: What About Snapchat?

Dean Shareski gives us a look into Snapchat and what it is all about. He states that, "Snapchat has been around for years" and he also explains how he thought it has been used for sharing inappropriate videos and images. After a conversation with his daughter, he realized that may not be the case. His daughter informs him that she likes Snapchat because it enables her to share images and have private conversations with friends, and that just because they are private that does not mean they are inappropriate. Mr. Shareski believes that while we try and protect our identity, as well as our children's identity, he now realizes that Snapchat may be a tool that helps to aid in protecting privacy and identity.

Mr. Shareski has created his own Snapchat story which he embeds in his blog. He finds it interesting to make stories and learn from others stories. He assures the audience that he isn't pushing for the use of Snapchat in schools, but if it seems to enhance learning and be useful he would explore the idea further.

Comment:
I think that like all social media tools, Snapchat can be fun and informing. I have had my concerns about Snapchat as well, as I am a little confused with where the images go once they disappear after being viewed. I believe that we can all share too much from our personal lives and use inappropriate images. We should train ourselves and our children to use these tools in moderation. We should also continue to learn how to protect and respect ourselves.

Blog Assignment #10

What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy?

To answer that question, we can learn how to effectively use technology in the classroom. 

Using technology correctly makes it an effective learning tool for teachers and students.  In the video, Little Kids...Big Potential, Mrs. Cassidy has recorded her first grade class explaining all the technology tools they use in the classroom and what these tools contribute to their education. The children are actively participating in the video and take turns to explain in detail each tool and how that tool works. Technology tools being used in her classroom are blogging, wikis, videos, Skype, and Nintendo DS. All of these tools enhance different aspects of learning. For instance, when students blog they can improve their writing skills.  By commenting on their peers posts, they can engage in peer editing to help one another. Wiki's are used to ask questions and find responses from people all over the world. In the class video, the students pose the question, "What are some traditions?" on their wiki.  Responding people quickly began to comment about the types of traditions their families participate in. The students use Skype to video connect with other people, maybe from somewhere across the world, or perhaps in the next classroom. Videos from video libraries are useful as they give the students a visual concept of how things work.  The Nintendo DS is used in Mrs. Cassidy's classroom to teach the students about responsibility and sharing.

I like what Mrs. Cassidy said about technology and kids. She states, "Kids and technology go hand in hand, so we are handicapping them by not letting them use it." When using technology in the classroom Mrs. Cassidy also says, "Teachers should use technology that interest them." I am interested in improving literacy, reading and writing skills in children. I think it is important to know what to say and how to correctly say it (write it). Blogging would most likely be the tool I would use most in my classroom. Blogging will help the students improve writing skills, and can also be used to keep parents up to date on current events and classroom notices. Students will take pride in their work when they blog since they will be displaying their work to a greater audience and the students will feel the need to do quality work. It also helps when students comment on other student blogs as it teaches students to respect each other and it will help the writer gain self-esteem as their writing skills improve. I don't believe there are many impediments when blogging, only that as teachers we must always teach online safety.  Safety is extremely important to me, so I will use methods similar to Mrs. Cassidy when teaching online safety. This would include students not using their last name, not linking pictures to names, and not providing personal information. I would also create the links for my students to use only after I have checked out all of the tools and websites first.
Other resources:
Interview with Mrs. Cassidy Part 1
Interview with Mrs. Cassidy Part 2
Interview with Mrs. Cassidy Part 3

Special Class Blog Assignment

Six Resources for my Future Classroom

On Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs' web page Curriculum21, she provides teachers, parents, or virtually anyone with some excellent resources for finding a plethora of helpful information. Information that can be useful in lesson planning, aiding academic study, or simply help making daily decisions. Of the 68 resources available on her web page, there were a few that caught my attention. The resources I have chosen are geared toward education, and mainly toward the early childhood curriculum.

 
1. ZooBurst
ZooBurst is a digital storytelling tool that uses images from the students own image collection or an offered set of images to create pop-up books. The use of this tool in my prekindergarten or kindergarten classroom would be useful in aiding collaboration and literacy skills. Students love animals and using technology. Giving students the chance to create stories and illustrations with their own ideas will enhance the quality of their work and keep them interested in learning.

2. QR Code Generator
We have all seen those little digital squares at the bottom of a magazine, a store window or other places, well those are QR codes.  When a person installs a QR code scanner onto their electronic device they can scan the code that will take them to the associated website.  A generator is a tool that will create these QR codes.  When I sat down for an interview with a prekindergarten teacher, she discussed with me the use of technology in the classroom.  She described her interest in generating QR codes in the classroom creating a situation whereby students can simply scan a code to take them to all kinds of other interactive learning websites. I think that this is a neat tool.

3. ABC Circus
ABC Circus is an application that is in the iTunes store, and may be downloaded to the iPads which students in Baldwin county use in the early childhood grade levels. It does have a small fee, but seems to be very educational and can aid in learning letter and number recognition. Students can play games that help them recognize the letters and use their fingers to draw them. It also offers the option to print the letters A-Z and numbers 1-10. This application can be used on personal home iPads as well as in the classroom.  This way parents can participate in their children's learning.

4. ZoomSci 
PBS Kids has created this interactive site to help children learn about science.  ZoomSci offers a variety of different science subjects, such as life science, water, senses, and chemistry. By clicking on individual links they can view materials and instructions regarding an assigned project, this way they will have a hands-on learning experience and be interested in what they are learning. There is an offered daily project that I could check daily to see if it is something that would meet the standard I'm trying to teach that day. I also like PBS Kids because so many children can relate to the characters on this site. They can see these characters at home on their private television and use them at school by creating various projects.

5. Crabby Writer 
This is also a paid application offered on the iTunes store. The target audience is for Preschool - 1st grade. It enhances early writing, reading, and literacy skills that is crucial in children's learning by offering alphabet letter recognition games and sight word recognition.  I think that the children would enjoy learning literacy skills by using this application. It has cute characters and vibrant colors that connect the children to the learning tools.

6. Pinterest 
Okay, so just about everyone has heard of Pinterest, the visual online tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interest, and I am always finding Pinterest to be helpful in all aspects of my life. I visualize finding ideas about things I want to use in my classroom, creative projects I can use with my students.  As a teacher I would  use the offered ideas and utilize my own imagination by placing different twist that will make these ideas my own.  I will "pin" the ideas I find useful to a board to come back to later.

Project #10A Interview with Serena Parson

Blog Assignment #9

What can teachers and students teach us about project based learning?

"Project Based Learning is creating projects over extended periods of time to answer driving questions." As stated in the video, Project Based Learning For Teachers.

According to the article, Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning, teachers need to follow seven guidelines when using project based learning in their classroom.

These seven essentials are:

• A need to know
• Have a driving question
• Hear student voice and choice
• Use 21st century skills
• Inquire and innovate
• Provide feedback and revisions
• Present products publicly

As Dr. Strange says, we are just scratching the surface. In my opinion this is very true. When reading and viewing the different resources on project based learning I came to the realization that I may have not had a clear understanding of how project based learning works.  And, that even now after reviewing the articles, I understand it will take time to fully understand the process and by using and doing project based learning in my own classroom will I become proficient in its use. I think what is important about using project based learning is that if you use it correctly you will know you have achieved your goals for yourself and for your students. It is so important to engage the students, thereby providing them with the drive to complete their tasks. It is also important to give students the chance to voice their opinions and make choices that can improve their lives. Collaborating is so valuable, it will give students the chance to value each others opinions and communicate about ways of working together where they can achieve goals and make a difference. When we use project based learning in our classroom, we can create an environment where students will communicate and have discussions, that can provoke new questions allowing students to gain new ideas and perspectives. For any project, it is so important that we get feedback from peers, this way we can enhance our own learning and we can revise and reflect upon what we can and should do differently for future projects. Providing a presentation of students participation and projects through project based learning to an audience gives them a sense of purpose and leads them to do better in all of their endeavors.

I also enjoyed reading the articles about using project based learning in physical education. PE is something I never valued much as a youngster, but it has become much more important to me now as I now understand that it is a key to good health. Generally, unless a student is physically gifted, PE has little meaning.  By using project based learning in physical education it will cause the students to interact and will involve them in all aspects of physical education learning while they are young, and could possibly instill the desire to be physically active later in life. The project presented in the article, Project Based Learning in PE, is for high school students to design a personal program for middle school students, thus enhancing the learning and importance of physical education to both high school students and middle school students. The project creates a way for students of different ages to collaborate together, and provide feedback and reflection about the project.

The final article which I also found interesting was Project Based Learning in Kindergarten. Being that Kindergarten is the grade I would like to teach, I was excited to find an article that was keyed toward the use of project based learning in kindergarten classes.  I feel it is important for me to learn as much as I can about incorporating project based learning into my lesson plans. I was sad to see the authors of the article was not able to find as many projects using project based learning geared toward Kindergarten.  In the absence of resources, the teachers collaborated to create four projects that they could use in a Kindergarten classroom. The bulk of these projects were geared toward meeting science standards that relate to community parks, nocturnal animals, patriotic symbols, and protecting marine life.  As limited project based learning lesson plans for kindergarteners are available, this is an area that new teachers can collaborate on to fill an obvious void in available resources.

 I am excited to learn more about project based learning and am anxious about using it in my future classroom. I think it is amazing the amount of resources we have available and think that collaborating with other teachers can help us to take learning to a whole new level.

Additional Resource:
Project Based Learning and Physical Education

Project #12 Part A

Using the SMARTboard tools

Project #14 Project Based Learning Lesson Plan

Krystal Taylor, Taylor Calvi and I have collaborated to create a first grade science (project based) lesson plan that incorporates the use of iMovie. Our students will meet the 4th Life Science Standard from the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards. We have created our plans by using google docs.

Take a look:

Lesson Plan

Project Calendar

Rubric

C4Ta #2 Post #1 & Post #2

C4Ta Post #1
Summary of Authentic Learning- Connecting Literacy to Mathematics:
   
In the post, Authentic Learning- Connecting Literacy to Mathematics, Jennifer Brokofsky tells us that she recently listened to great teachers; I am assuming that she attended a conference. She talks about how the speakers reminded her that teaching is bliss if you engage students. The literacy teachers explained that when they are able to get children to read and write, they do so by giving them books that relate to them and that relate to their experiences. This way they enjoy what they are reading and what they write as well. Engaging students is powerful and can inspire students to become better at their tasks, making their work "authentic",  whatever those tasks may be.  Ms. Brokofsky, who serves as a mathematics teacher, also wonders how she can bring this "authentic" concept to her teaching in mathematics. She posed several questions to herself. Questions like, "How can students be engaged in their mathematics studies?" and "How can students enjoy and have a passion for mathematics?" She makes a statement that by changing how we teach and learn mathematics, methods should be more than just worksheets and questions from the text. She knows that making these changes are  possible and that all children are capable and deserving.

 Comment:
I do believe in "authentic" reading and writing,  I also believe that this same concept can be used in teaching mathematics. When you feel connected to what you are reading or doing, it is much easier to be engaged. You will also gain deeper knowledge about the subject and take that knowledge with you in the future. I also believe all children are capable and deserve a fair chance. I think that this is what makes her a great teacher. Teachers should have respect for the children they teach and they should inspire them to be the best they can be.

C4Ta Post #2
Summary of If You Give A Kid Some Cards They Will #PlayMath:

In this blog post, Ms. Brokofsky, explains how her love of playing card games has spilled over into her children's lives. They have grown to love it. She explains that allowing children to play card games will not only allow them to have fun and interact, but will enhance their mathematical abilities. She gives us the instructions of how to play three of her family favorites, which are:

• Chase the Ace
• Sticks - A game of sets and runs
• Uno

She also provides links to other interesting card games.
Check out these links at: Jennifer Brokofsky's Blog Page

Comment:
My family and I also love to play card games. I think it is something that will continue to be passed down from generation to generation. I do believe playing cards truly enhance your mathematical abilities. Playing cards gets the player to use more critical thinking and problem solving. It also enhances decision making, allowing the player to take the time to consider all the possibilities available to reach your goal. I think that letting the "little ones" play is a good way for children to learn number recognition and it will also help them start using addition and subtraction.

Blog Assignment #8

What can we learn about teaching from Randy Pausch?

Let me begin by saying how fascinating this man was; his lecture was funny, informative, inspirational and enthusiastic.  Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. More than that he has a story that will continue to be an inspiration to people everywhere for many years to come. Randy Pausch gave his final lecture on September 18, 2007.  During this lecture he reveals to the audience that he has been diagnosed with ten tumors and that he only has a short time left here on Earth. This lecture teaches us lessons on how we can become good teachers and learners, but most importantly how we can live life to the fullest.

Randy Pausch gives us a snapshot look into his life where he expresses his childhood dreams and his vision to enable the dreams of others. Something he taught me personally in the lecture was how to come across as a good teacher by connecting with the audience or students and giving every person a real life connection to what is being spoken about. Mr. Pausch makes us laugh and he uses technology in a fun and interesting way.

Some things he teaches us is to:

Never lose sight of our dreams

Have something to bring to the table

Understand the fundamentals

Be enthusiastic

Have valuable information

Use indirect learning through sportsmanship or teamwork

Lead people

Make an impression

Show the facts

Be inspiring

 
Randy Pausch had a dream to be an imagineer and he demonstrated his inventiveness at Disney Studios and at the university, where he achieved most of his dreams and he performed them exceptionally well.  His enthusiasm about learning and teaching inspires us to be and do more in our own lives. Mr. Pausch continuously reminds us that we will encounter brick walls in our endeavors. These brick walls are there for a reason, he believes that reason is to cause us to work hard and prove how badly we want our dreams to become reality. Other helpful teaching and learning techniques we can learn from Mr. Pausch comes from his advice on becoming an enabler of childhood dreams.

We can do this by:

Setting the bar high to help students achieve success

Helping students make others happy

Give children a sense of excitement

Bond with others

Pioneer

Have fun

Collaborate

Give credit where credit is due

We can also learn, and help our students learn, by doing projects and focusing on the quality and success of others. As teachers we should always take the time to reflect. In all we do, we learn lessons from the ones we love and all those others around us. These people help us enhance our teaching by inspiring us and giving us advice. As teachers we should be good at promoting education. We should also be open to learn from our students. We should respect our students. Mr. Pausch also provides us with a few extra tips to excel in teaching, but to sum them up we basically need to be genuine by doing the right things, cherishing feedback, showing gratitude, working hard, value the importance of people and always understand that we can make our dreams come true through hard work and dedication.

Check out his amazing and inspiring lecture below:
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Project #9 Video Book Commentary

Blog Assignment #7

How do we all become learners?

For this blog assignment I had the opportunity to watch several videos that offer some great advice on becoming a better learner. Along with becoming a better learner, the video teaches us ways to collaborate leading to learning experiences from students and other teachers around us.

Ms. Bennett, Librarian, Gulf Shores Elementary School

Video Summaries

In the video, Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten, we listen as Dr. Strange, Elizabeth Davis and Michelle Bennett explain how eager and excited the kindergarten students are about using the iMovie application.  Ms. Bennett explains how she will help the students make book trailers using the iMovie application. She also explains how they only need to be shown how to do these particular projects once to twice and then they become little experts. She is so excited about the reaction from the kindergarten students and excited about the new things they can do. Ms. Davis speaks about the Alabama Virtual Library where she tells us how great of a resource it can be for all students and how it can provide accurate and relevant information to all students, and best of all it is a free resource.

In the video, We all become learners, Ms. Bennett talks about her job at Gulf Shores Elementary School where she explains how she and the students work together on various types of project based learning tools.  An example, padlet, teaches us to learn together and enhances our learning abilities. She tells the story of one of her kindergarten students showing her the proper way to hold the iPad. She makes the statements over and over that she learns from her students, and that we are all able to become learners.

Keynote Presentation is a video from Ms. Bennett's google+ site. This video is published by two young female students from Gulf Shores Elementary who display their abilities to use the iPad and the Keynote application. Not only do the girls do a wonderful job providing details about their science lesson, they also show great collaboration skills.

Planet Earth by Lauber's Class is a video from a group of students that collaborate to make an iMovie. This iMovie describes the Earth and many of its characteristics. The students added audio to the iMovie, which has each student saying and explaining their part in the lesson. The students have learned how to use these application tools effectively and even better they have learned to work together toward common goals.

Ms. Tammy Shirley is sharing her first grades students success, in the video, Tammy Shirley sharing first grade students becoming leaders of their own learning.  Ms. Shirley displays a graphic organizer that she, other teachers, and students have created by collaborating together. She also mentions how she wanted students to do a research study on adventures, and the students were so eager to work with their technology, they didn't waste a minute before pulling out their notebooks and researching the information. The collaborative effort and the use of these technology tools enhances the learning experience, bringing it to a whole new level.

Mrs. Munoz's  kindergarten class at Gulf Shores Elementary also works with technology to create projects using applications like iMovie. In the video, Predictions about seeds, her class created an iMovie where an image of each child is displayed and you hear the audio of their voice. The audio added to the movie is a prediction from each student about what they think will grow from the planted seeds.

My Summary

We have watched all kinds of videos in this blog assignment. Videos that range from teaching us about project based learning to videos of kindergartners showing us how to use an iPad. While viewing all of these videos, I began to worry a little. While I am learning how important it is to use technology in the classroom and throughout the school, and realize how well it engages and enhances the way our students learn, my worries and concerns are that I am not prepared to handle all of the technology.  And, when I do teach, I may teach the available technology wrong or ineffectively. Growing up in a time where students didn't always have a computer in every classroom is very different than that of what we face today. In the county where I live and hope to teach, every child is provided a computer and is expected to use it in their class assignments.  It is just a way of life and something that us "older" kids need to come to terms with. I realize that I am from a generation of students that was only becoming introduced to some technology when I attended high school. Now, as a college student, I have the privilege of taking EDM 310 which provides us an introduction to and instruction of the use of many of these programs.  My basic weaknesses is that I am afraid of putting myself out there and trying some of these new programs and techniques due to my discomfort with changing technology. Another fear is that I will never know as much as some of my students will about technology. Yes it is sad, but it is true.  I think together, there will be things that I will teach my students and there will be things they will teach me. As Ms. Bennett says, "We we all become learners." I think that as I continue my studies toward becoming a teacher I can keep myself up to date on current tools and programs. I can also find more resources and amazing people to work with to gain ideas and insights about how to effectively use project based learning and technology in the classroom.

Resources/ Videos:
Using iMovie and AVL in Kindergarten
We all become learners
Keynote Presentation
Planet Earth by Lauber's Class
Tammy Shirley's graphic organizer
Predictions about seeds
Ms. Bennett's Google+ site

Project #13 Project Based Learning Lesson Plan Collaboration

Science Lesson Plan

Our group created an engaging lesson plan for fourth graders who are learning about Earth and Space Science. In this project the students will use the interactive tool, Padlet, to arrange the planets into their proper sequence. They will also describe some of the features about each individual planet. Through this project they will meet standards from the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards.

Take a look at our plans:
Planet Padlet Example
Science Lesson Plan
Padlet Rubric

Blog Assignment #6

What did I learn from the conversations with Anthony Capps?

Let me first start by expressing my thoughts about the interviews. I had limited or no knowledge about some of these offered computer based methods.  I thought Dr. Strange and Mr. Capps did a fantastic job explaining Project Based Learning, iCurio, and Discovery Education. I also found the Strange-Anthony tips to be very helpful, tips to take with me in my future career. It sounds like Mr. Capps is a great teacher that values his students and fully taps into their abilities, helping them to become better students and retain knowledge.

Project Based Learning is a good way students and teachers can learn together, by working on projects that engage the students. These projects relate to real-life experiences and particular areas of interest for each individual student. For example, Mr. Capps' third grade class did a project where they wrote a letter to their congressman, and in their letter each student could express their individual opinions/ concerns regarding women being able to serve in combat. While the students worked on this fun interactive project, they also worked on their writing skills fulfilling state writing standards, standards that help students progress in the education process.

I also learned about a search engine called iCurio. I wasn't aware that the school used this type of search engine. My son just completed kindergarten and they were not yet allowed to bring computers home, so the use of technology and programs in the classroom is unfamiliar to me. iCurio is a safe search engine that Baldwin County schools use in order to provide safe and accurate educational information while students are online. A neat feature that iCurio offers is the ability to research information about their assigned topics and projects and then they are able to bookmark this information and store it in folders. This bookmarking tool makes the information able to be recalled by the student at a later time.  This way they can easily return to their research and use it for projects.

Discovery Education is also something new to me. It sounds like it is a tool that has access to educational videos that will aid in student studies. At times children have trouble with reading comprehension.  So alongside reading, this video tool could be very useful in helping students understand what they are reading. They can look up a video that relates to their reading and watch someone explaining it or better yet performing the activity. This will help students learn better.

Lastly, Mr. Capps along with Dr. Strange give us some helpful tips on becoming an effective teacher.
These tips are:

• Be interested in learning. (As in learn something new yourself.)
• Work hard.
• Be flexible.
• Begin with the end in mind. (This a part of a cool habit program that my son's school participates in.)
• Engage students 100%.
• Reflect
• Use technology, don't just teach it. (Although this wasn't in the same video,  I consider a helpful tip.)
• Good lesson planning. (When planning a lesson they are 4 layers thick.)
• Plan for the year. 
• Plan for the unit.
• Plan for the week.
• Plan for the day.
Planning lessons this way will help teachers be fully prepared and help students learn better.

Resources:
Conversations with Anthony Capps Part 1
Part 2
iCurio
Discovery Education
Strange-Anthony Tips
Use Technology
Lesson plan thoughts

Project #8 Book Trailer

Why Is Blue Dog Blue?

Project #3 Presentation

Blog Assignment #5

What are PLN's?

 

 PLN stands for Personal Learning Network. A PLN is a way educators and others collaborate, network, and share new ideas with each other, which in turn can help your teaching and improve learning in your classroom. PLN on edutopia.

You will be the creator of your PLN, by following others on twitter, blogs, and various other social media sites. Your PLN will consist of the group of people you follow and share ideas with.  Although I had never heard of a PLN, I realized we use them everyday for all sorts of things.  For example, often people are looking for new ideas for their homes, or social events so they will turn to pinterest to find ideas and creative ways to do things.

I found Michael Fawcett's video, "Michael Fawcett discusses his PLN", to be very helpful in understanding what a PLN is.  He explains how you can enhance your PLN on twitter by following more people and asking questions. When you ask questions you can get suggestions from other teachers and people from all over the world. Suggestions about new tools to use and new ideas to take into the classroom.

To begin building your PLN all you need to do is sign up for a social media tool like twitter and begin to follow others from your area and around the world. Once you begin following them you can find interesting facts and ideas that you can take with you as a teacher.  It is just as important that you make comments about your ideas and suggestions, so that you may help others as well. When you begin to explore more people and more tools, your PLN will begin to grow. As I grow my PLN I will start by following some of my local friends and instructors from South Alabama, in particular Dr. Paige Vitulli.   She is such a unique person with great ideas. Then I will most likely follow Michael Fawcett.

Project #7 My Sentence Videos and Teacher Videos

My Sentence Is...
My Passion Is...

To My Students...

To The Parents

Project #15 Search Engines

Bing

Bing is a very useful search engine, one that offers a broad variety of topics. Similar to google, bing has a single search bar where you can find information about the particular topic you are looking for. When you put your cursor into the search bar, current popular topics will pop up. Bing has several other tabs at the top of the page where one can find images, videos, maps, and more. They also have a tab that uses office online for people to create documents and access them from anywhere. Bing has beautiful backgrounds that change daily, the pictures have little squares you can click on to read information about the picture.

WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha is a search engine that I had never heard of and when I asked several of my friends they had not either.  I am very glad that I have been introduced to it.  It is definitely a search engine I could see using in my future classroom. It has a search bar mid-page that you type your topic of interest into and when you click the equal sign it pulls up actual facts. For instance, I typed in "University of South Alabama" and it gave me the schools location, website, student population, and more. It is very detailed and very simple to use. On the main page, there are several topic selections a person can choose to explore, topics ranging from school subjects to finance and many, many more. This is a very interesting engine, and I recommend using it.

Kidrex

Kidrex is a search engine powered by google that looks out for the safety of children while they are online. It is a very cute page, the search bar is drawn in crayon with a Tyrannosaurus Rex nearby. There is an option for kids to use, as well as one for parents. When a child searches for information on this engine, the results will be those suitable for children's eyes. When I typed the word school, I was given many applications that aid in child studies. I feel like it is a safe site for my own children and future students to use. If my children are online I want to take the best safety precautions I can to protect their youth. All websites are not always completely safe, so I would always suggest adult supervision.

Ask

 Formerly known as "Ask Jeeves" this search engine is designed for users to ask questions and find correct answers. The tabs at the top of the page are different from those on google and bing, they are topics that relate to nature and activities in everyday life. Some of these topics are birds, sea creatures, star gazing, yoga and more. Underneath the search bar there is a question of the day, although it may not be relevant to what you are looking for it is interesting and makes you think. When you perform a search it basically gives you the same information that google or bing gives, such as websites and related topics to help answer your questions.

Yahoo & AOL

Yahoo and AOL are similar search engines that are very popular and were probably used more about 20 years ago.  They are different from the other search engines, as they preview all kinds of current events and popular news right on their front page. They offer an email service that allows users to log in from any computer, anywhere. Both sites have tabs that are related to popular topics, such as sports, entertainment, shopping, and parenting. These search sites can get a little cluttered, but you can stay up to date on current pop culture.

Duck Duck Go

Duck Duck go is a search engine that prides itself on user safety and privacy. The search engine searches on a broad variety of topics. It doesn't track your search history or share personal information. It is very easy to use, just type in your topic and click the magnifying glass. Users can personalize the page to choose the font, style, or theme they prefer. It is an easy to use search engine that seems to go great lengths to protect user safety. I am extremely concerned with my online privacy, so it is definitely one I will consider using more in the future.

   Web Crawler

Web Crawler is a search engine that combines results from google and yahoo. It is a very simple layout that offers you only web, images, and video news. There isn't too much to the webpage.  I'm not sure how safe it is to use, only that the results are similar to those of google and yahoo. The page also offers users a few featured searches incase you don't know exactly what you are looking for.

Blog Assignment #4

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher?

What questions do we ask, and how do we ask them?

As teachers, it is very important that we ask questions in our classroom.  Asking questions correctly will help students be engaged and learn interactively.  Teachers use questions to aid in comprehension and to check understanding about a particular subject.  The only problem with asking questions is that a teacher may ask them incorrectly.  A teacher may ask, "Does everyone understand?"  The problem with that question is that not all students do understand, some may not know and some may have a  fear of feeling inadequate, so the student(s) that don't understand will allow the teacher to move on.  A typical classroom has three types of students, the smart students who know all of the answers, the ones who do not know, and the ones who do not care.  Often teachers ask closed ended questions, questions that require only a "yes" or "no" answer.  The students who know the answer will quickly provide the answer the question, and the class will continue moving on.  This type of questioning offers no support to the struggling student, or to the student who simply doesn't care.  A method that has been proven more effective is asking open ended questions.  Asking an open ended question requires students to think at a higher level, leads to deeper thinking and can provide a variety of responses.  Instead of asking "What was the cause of civil war?", a teacher could ask "What factors led to the start of the civil war?"
     
  Some ways teachers may effectively ask questions is by:

• Preparing and composing questions ahead of the lesson.  When composing questions teachers should keep in mind what you would like your students to take with them. 
• Follow up closed ended questions by asking for details.  These details may come from the student who answered or another classmate.
• Do not ask more than one question at a time.  Asking three questions at once will be confusing to students who are looking for answers. 
• Do not interrupt students, or tell them the answer is wrong.  Telling a student they are wrong will discourage them from answering future questions.
•  Lastly, encourage students to be active in the questioning process and allow them to have open discussions.  Discussions help students actively participate and keep them searching for answers, even if students' answers differ.

Resources:

The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom.

Asking Questions to Improve Learning

Asking better questions in the classroom/ Youtube video

Open Ended Questions/ Youtube Video

Project #4 C4Ta #1 & #2

C4Ta#1

Summary of Pineapple's Don't Have Sleeves:

The blogger is recalling an article about standardized test, and how they are not relevant all the time.  He shares a worksheet with the viewers from his daughter's sixth grade classroom.  The assignment is to answer questions from an excerpt of a classic children's story, which is supposedly designed to aid in improving reading skills.  The author inserts several versions of the excerpt into the blog, none of which clearly answer the question contained in the worksheet.  The writer expresses his concern over the lack of correspondence between the story and the questions.  He also is upset over the way students are being forced to not think for themselves, but think the way the writers would want them to think.

Comment:

First, let me say that I consider standardized test unfair, as they do not necessarily measure the knowledge of the individual student.  I think that all children learn differently and at a different pace. I personally have never done well at standardized test and feel that it doesn't make me a less qualified student.  This is where I stand on the worksheets.  My opinion is worksheets and test need to be relevant to the curriculum being used and need to help students learn skills that will help them not only in the classroom, but also in everyday life.  My experience leads me to believe the creators of standardized tests and worksheets make it hard for even adults to understand.  It makes it very hard for teachers and parents to help our students/children.  Again, I think students need to be tested on what is being used in the classroom, and would hope that the creators would be people that have experience working with these students.

C4Ta #2

Summary of Algorithmic Education:

The article was written a couple of years ago.   The writer expresses his concern over effectively using technology in the classroom. In the year 2013, a picture was posted of students using iPads to take AR test, and he made the comment about how taking those test by iPad is a waste of technology in the classroom. He tells us that people were highly offended by his comment, and he felt the need to remove it. He goes on in the blog to talk about all of the ways technology and computers can be an effective tool within the classroom. He remembers a time when computer programming was offered in schools, and how now (2013) it is barely taught. A main point he makes is that there is so much more teachers and students can do with technology, and they should know how to do it all to have an unlimited amount of resources. (More than just taking a online test) He also states that when it comes to reading, students and adults read all kinds of things they do not receive proper credit for like email, blogs, news, and webpages. He feels that this reading should also be taken into consideration when testing children.

Comment:

I agree that testing should not be the only way to use technology within the classroom.   Frankly, I find computer test hard and at times not relevant to what has been taught. I feel that today in 2015 we have come so far with technology and children know how to use a computer more than I do. They understand most all programs, and how the inside of a computer works. They are little genius's now when it comes to technology! He made the comment that we are just scratching the surface, but now I feel we have dived all the way in.

Blog Assignment #3

Peer Editing

     "Peer editing is providing meaningful feedback to peers, improving the quality of their writing. Peers refer to people within the same age group (readwritethink.org)." Peer editing can boost confidence for insecure writers. I am an insecure writer, and I constantly fear what my peers and instructors will say about my thoughts and opinions. Over the past year, I have written more papers than I thought possible. Through the help of peer editors making suggestions, I have built my confidence about writing. Although it may not be my strongest area, I do believe it has greatly improved. Along with improvement in writing, my grammar and vocabulary have improved tremendously.
      I learned that it takes steps to become an ideal peer editor. Steps that include positivity, suggestions (not forcing an idea), and proper corrections. When a person is peer editing they should always find what they like about the writers thoughts, and express those likes. They should also make suggestions that will help improve the paper, not upset the writer. If corrections are needed, corrections such as punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, and spelling, the editor needs to be sure that he/she makes the proper corrections and that the corrections are accurate. A person that is editing can easily make a writer feel inadequate and self-consious about their writing if they do not approach all these steps correctly.

Blog Assignment #2

                         "Mr. Dancealot"
 I felt the central message of the video is to address what it takes to be a good, effective teacher, and to point out that there are teachers who do not teach effectively. The author makes a valid point when in conclusion the professor asks the students to test and show their skills and knowledge regarding dance. His ineffective teaching is proven when all students are confused and unsure of what to do during the test. I do not agree with the teacher. I do not agree with the teacher who teaches them ineffectively and then expects them to know what to do, but I do agree that the central message was proven correct from watching the movie.
                               
                                       "Teaching in the 21st century"
 Outline
 I. 21st century teaching
    A. Students
        1.access to technology
        2.social media
        3.learn anything online, no teachers needed
    B. Engage
        1. Teach students skills, how to correctly and effectively use technology
        2. Use it as a tool, and learn together
   
 I think that Mr. Robert's believes that teaching in the 21st century is exciting, resourceful, and can be engaging. I think it is a little scary the way technology changes all the rules, especially at my age where I see my children use the tools better than I can. I think as an educator I will need to learn everyday alongside my students, and together with the use of technology we can have endless opportunities.
                                           
                                                      "Networked Students"
 In the networked student video, it is true that students have any and all information at their fingertips. I think it is great that students have the access and resources to help them but feel that having a reliable live person (teacher) can help students grow along the way. A person that can be there to encourage them, and support them in all their endeavors.
                                                                                 
                                                                                "Harness your students digital smarts"
I agree with Ms. Davis in the video, it is great for students to learn from a hands-on approach. I feel it is the best way for students to retain their knowledge. I also agree that there will be things even the teacher will not know, but students will be able to teach them.

                "Who is ahead in the race?"
 In this video Dr. Strange has compared Elementary Education students to college students, like myself. It is no surprise to me that the results are way ahead for the younger students. The current students and upcoming generations of students have tremendous amounts of access to all the tools that aid in learning. I am the student in college now that is older and we didn't have all the resources available yet. (As in they weren't created yet!) I know I have much to learn, but with my students help and now the technology to figure it out, it will not be an impossible journey.

                                                             "Classroom Flipping"
This is the first time I have heard the term flipping the classroom. It is definitely a new and different concept. I feel that it could be useful in some ways. For instance, if a student is absent or needs remediation. In the area I live and hope to soon teach in, I'm not certain all students and parents would participate. I don't particularly love this new form of teaching, I think that one-on-one personal time with a student is so important, but I guess it is a new way of providing instruction.