Sunday, July 20, 2014
Blog Post 16
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Blog Post 14 & 15
Over the duration of this course, I have learned many new tools that I am excited for my own personal use as well as to enhance the educational experience of the students I have the opportunity to teach. I believe I have gained so much knowledge as far as new forms of technology that can be implemented into the classroom. I have become very fond of the SMARTBoard imparticular. I have also gained one of the greatest tools any has given me, time-management. I have also come to realize time-management is one of my weaknesses. I now know that I willingly overload myself all too often. The new skills I have been given will be a great attributes to me as a educator and knowing my weaknesses will only help me improve them as well. The videos we were assigned to watch in this blog assignment opened my eyes to even more knowledge I can use in my future.
In How to make an audio QR Code, we learn an easy way to make an audio QR Code. The video shows how this particular code is for an audio file a teacher created for her student's parents to access. She first recorded the file using Record Mp3. Next, she uploaded it to QR Code Monkey and generated the final product.
In the video, iPad Reading Center, the teacher shows how she incorporates iPad use in her class. She has found the iPad as a great tool when helping her students with their reading skills. One way she had found success in her reading center is by having the students record themselves reading and watch the video to hear errors they made and make the proper corrections to improve their skill.
The next clip, Poplet with Ginger Tuck, Ms. Tuck and her class show how Poplet is a fantastic application that is compatible with the Apple iPad. Students can add useful information such as pictures and text to create a wonderful visual aid to advance the reading techniques.
AVL and kindergarten Students,This video shows a teacher demonstrating how to access the Alabama Virtual Library on the iPad. She has her students search words from a list using the class iPad. She ask them to draw a picture showing what they learned as well as writing a sentence that correlates with the information they researched.
C4Tp Last Post
On July 1, 2014 Ms. Tolisano writes her blog post Documenting for Learning. She opens her blog with how she has always been one to document anything and everything. She believes documenting can be used for:
-Heutagogy
-Pedagogy
She also sees documenting as
-Process of international documenting serves as a metacognitive purpose
-reflective practices
-memory aid
-professional and much more
She has until now mostly used documenting for personal purposes, but she now sees how it could be used as a great tool for teachers, students, schools, and school districts.
In her second blog, Building Good C U L T U R E Mr. Dan McCabe mentioned Ms. Tolisano on Twitter in a tweet. He asked her to build an acronym from the letters in the word culture and create a sketch to go along with her creation. The following is her work.
C4Ta Last Post
Ms. Lisa Thumann writes a very interesting blog on her site, Thumann Resources
In "Let's Talk about Attrition Rates at Unconferences," Ms. Lisa Thumann discusses how she and colleague have been organizing different conferences since 2009. She talks about how organizing these conferences are "not rocket science" but a lot of time and effort is necessary. She enjoys being able to have the opportunity to share information and ideas in a informal setting. She states her concern is whether 50% attrition is acceptable? She ask the question, "Why do we accept only half of registrants on a free event showing up acceptable?"
"Honestly, the time and efforts donated by the organizers is the same whether it's 200 people or 400, but I hate to see the wasted food that could have fed some local hungry families. She goes on to explaining how vendors could have the money for the conference on equipment or supplies for a local classroom in need. Ms. Thumann states how attrition rates have been increasing every year. When concluding her blog she ask for her readers to weigh in on how to improve the current process.
In her second blog she opens up discussing how she works with a great team of people. Since it was the closing of the academic year, they were coing together to re-invision how they would like to approach the Common Core. "Since we view learning and teaching as a special process of collaboration, creativity and sharing, our team has decided to form Common Core Communities of Practice. They would focus on improving the practice and provide collaborative workspace for teachers. She stated their would be a conference held a month and a half after writing this post. Unfortunately, Ms. Thumann has not blogged in nearly a year so I am unable to discuss the outcome of their conference.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Blog Post 13
I chose to become a Secondary Education major specializing in Social Sciences because I have been incredibly blessed to have phenomenal history teachers my entire life. History has always come easy for me due to my intrigue to learn about the past and different cultures. In high school, I had two particular teachers who have made some of the greatest influences in my life. One taught me three different courses and I loved how he always found a way to relate the subject to something modern that students could understand. My favorite class he taught was Law and Society. He gave me the fundamental tools to draw my own opinions and that my views matter. The second teacher taught me English. She is a strong woman who knew how to get everyone's attention on the subject and to keep their interest. She taught me so much more than the English language she taught me about life. When I think about the impact these teachers have made on my life it makes me long to have the same positive influence on others. Whenever I have big life decisions to this day I can always count on them and as a young person having people who are in your corner always brings up your confidence.
The part of history I find most intriguing is English history when King Henry VIII ruled England. The decision to leave the Catholic church because of another woman is mind blowing. His rule and decisions were constantly undermined by his love life. The turmoil in Europe during the 1400 and 1500s is a fascinating part of history. Even after his death, you can see the effects of King Henry III and his decisions had on his children as well as other parts of the world. I also enjoy learning about the Holocaust and I hope to one day share my love of these topics with students.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Project 12 SmartBoard Instruction Part B
This is the link to our bloopers if anyone would like to watch.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
C4Ta #3 Post
In Supporting Complex Change, on July 5, 2014, Beth Knittle discusses how all teachers should have change in their pedagogical practice. She views her students as teachers, each an individual, and adapts to "help them achieve success as they continually fine tune and perfect their craft." She uses Knoster's thoughts on managing complex change. Doing so, she has a chart she likes that helps her figure out what students are missing that is keeping them from personal success. She has learned when her students are having difficulties she can refer back to the chart and it is typically a good indicator of what is the hindrance.
Blog Post 11
I found this video not only to be inspirational and motivating but innovative. Dean Shareski narriates and interviews three teachers who taught History, English, and Information Technology that came together and went to the administration to combine their classes and used Project Based Learning to teach the students. Research has shown when using PBL it increases student engagement and creates a better understanding of the topic. They used technology to enhance the student's learning experience to help them bring the content alive. Once they changed the schedules and had the combined class approved and with three credits it allotted more time for both the teachers and students which allowed them to have a greater quality of learning. I personally feel this is an amazing idea. The group I am in in EDM310 wanted to do a similar structure when we created our first PBL. I believe this is something I would like to try sometime in my teaching career.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Blog Post 10
In First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Classroom we see how she is incorporating technology to help her students learn. Her students work with a SMARTboard like the one we are learning in EDM310. Each of her students have individual blogs where they discuss what they are learning. She has also set up a class web page. One of the students talked about how they are able to go home look at what is upcoming. I thought that was a great idea because it would allow not only the students access to their work but the parents could take a more active role in their child's education. Other types of technology Ms. Cassidy's students are using is Wiki, making videos, skyping with other classes, and playing educational games on the Nintendo DS. They are not only learning critical thinking but they are learning how to share. Ms. Cassidy is a great example of how we as future educators can incorporate technology.
Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 1
Ms. Cassidy is being interviewed by Dr. Strange and he begins the interview by asking how she got involved with technology. Ms. Cassidy talked about how she got involved about 10 years ago when 5 computers where given to her classroom. She first learned about webpages and blogging and her technological journey took off from there. She created her webpage 10 years ago, she had her students start blogging 5 years ago, and began making videos 2 years ago. Each year she has parents sign consent forms that give permission so she can post their work, photos, etc. to the internet. She only post her students first names and makes sure the names do not directly match the pictures. Parents typically enjoy being able to see their child's progress throughout the year not just at scheduled meetings. They can check their blogs and the class webpage whenever they want. The students are excited about having blogs because it allows other students, in and out of their classroom, to comment on their work. Another comment Ms. Cassidy stresses is how technology is here to stay. When you do not take advantage of technology you are only handicapping yourself and your students.
Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 2
Ms. Cassidy discusses how she does not use technology in the same way most people would use Facebook. She tends to use it for more educational purposes and to find others with similar educational interest. She talked about how the best way to utilize technology is to relate it to our own personal needs or interest. She also discussed how it is important to build a Personal Learning Network or PLN. She has started using Twitter most recently as a resource to add to her list.
Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 3
In the third interview Dr. Strange allowed EDM310 students to ask questions. She talked about how students this particular year were only required to blog once a week. There are certain blogs that are required for students to do although they are free to do extra. She tries to keep things flexible in her classroom. One of the EDM310 students asked how she was able to protect students while on the internet. Ms. Cassidy stated that she goes over precautions with her students like not writing their last name, not posting personal photos, and the importance of staying positive. She also explains to them what they should and should not click on while on the internet. She also discussed how she wants all her students to be good digital citizens.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Blog Post 9
Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning
In the Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning the author discusses how every project must fulfill two criteria to make it meaningful. One that students need to find it as personally meaningful. This is a task that will make them want to do the project well. Secondly, that a meaningful project should fulfill an educational purpose. The authors, Mr. Larmer and Mr. Mergendoller, discuss is the seven elements to make a project a success.
1. Need to Know
2. A Driving Question
3. Student Voice and Choice
4. 21st Century Skills
5. Inquiry and Innovation
6. Feedback and Revision
7. A Publicly Presented Product
I feel that I will keep these seven elements close to me when I am teaching that way I can ensure the success rate in m students.
In Project Based Learning for Teachers
It states how PBL has students working over an extended period of time answering a driving question. The question is deep and requires students to complete a product and share their new knowledge with others. It shows how Common Core Standards are the what. PBL is the how. While meeting standards and creating a product students learn how to collaborate and communicate with others, they learn critical thinking skills as well as career and life skills. I know I have certainly learned or improved in all of these categorizes by taking EDM310. I am thrilled to share my new found excitement using PBL with my students.
What Motivates Students? I have learned that every child is different but all students feel motivated when they are praised for doing something well. Other students are self motivated because of a future goal or dream. In the video one child reminded me of myself when I was younger talking about how he was motivated because if he did not do well he would not be able to do his extracurricular activities. My mother was always hard of me about my grades and would take my tv, phone, or not allow me to do something special away very quickly. Regardless all children like to be rewarded for their accomplishments and I plan to capitalize on all the good things they do in my classroom.
I know this is terrible of me as a future educator but I honestly had no idea you could incorporate PBL in Physical Education. I never had to take PE in high school because I cheered and that counted as my credit. After reading this it opened my eyes to having PE students do a project on a fitness program could not only effect them while in high school but farther in life as well. I believe all students need to stay healthy and this would be a great resource for them.
Why do we learn history?
The question why do we learn history is a question I plan to hear throughout my teaching career. I have never asked that question because it is by far my favorite subject. I was always the odd ball who loved watching the history channel. I have always been intrigued by the past and the different cultures. My younger brother on the other hand hates history, all forms of history. He will be in seventh grade this upcoming school year so naturally the first person I called to ask this question is him. He said, "We have to learn history so we can learn from the past to make our future better." Although he is very bright and his answer is the same as I gave when Dr. Strange first asked our class, he still thinks it is boring and not fun. I firmly believe that history is one of the most important subjects taught in our school system. If you do not know the what happened in past you are unable to understand what led to your present and what will ultimately become your future.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Sunday, June 22, 2014
C4Tp #4 Post
Ms. Tolisano discusses in her blog, on June 10, 2014, about the responsibility of educators to teach students about copyright, plagiarism, and intellectual properties. She talks about how many educators did not grow up in with modern technology students have today, such as easy internet access. She states, "The waters are murky, it is not an easy topic. While there are some clear cut rules about copyrighted material, Creative Commons and Public Domain content, Fair Use in Education are supported by GUIDELINES, not clear cut rules!" She discusses how other organizations have began creating better policies to help other teachers. Ms. Tolisano and the school library coordinator worked together to create flow charts to help other teachers be better equipped. I think together they have created something great that I know I will use in my classroom. I also feel the charts they put together will be very helpful for students too.
Blog Post 8
Mr. Pausch's Last Lecture Video is incredibly touching and inspirational. I have worked in the medical field for over six and a half years and I have seen how easy it is to give up on yourself when you find out bad news. He has a beautiful outlook on life even tough he has recently received devastating news about his health. The fact the Mr. Pausch is not at home feeling sorry for himself, but out giving lectures to possibly change the lives of others is not only motivational but shows his passion for teaching.
He discusses how Projected Based Learning is a great way for students to express their creativity as well as their individuality. He also talks about how most students learn better and have a fuller understanding of the topics. As I have recently learned, project based learning is one of the greatest tools I can use to teach my future students difficult concepts.
Mr. Pausch also brings up a point I have been taught my entire life and that is being the best you can be. EVERYONE should try to keep this in mind not only in the classroom but in life. If you always push yourself to be the best you will go far in whatever you may be pursuing.
C4Ta #2 Post
Mr. Hadley Ferguson, the author of "Middle School Matrix," decided to break away from the monotony of how he typically ran his classroom. He reworked his plans of giving the students a vocabulary list and having them read the textbook to research other significant information. His newly modified plan allowed the entire class period to split into small groups and use whatever source they like to research the list. He still asked them to find additional information terms that correlated with their given topic.
He discussed his results once the students began to work on his new assignment. The states how the students were only interested in researching only the given terms and did not add any additional terms to his list. His first reaction was anger because they simply were not interested or put any effort in doing their part of the assignment. He then realized that their learning and engagement in the activity was his responsibility.
Mr. Ferguson altered the lesson again by creating an environment by showing images that corresponded with the assignment to help give them inspiration. He tested his new plan with a second class and was successful! This is a great example for me to remember when I began teaching. I will keep in mind how important it is to adapt and have an open mind when it comes to changing my plans in order to help students learn and grow.
In Almost Boring, Mr. Ferguson discusses how he works diligently through the school year, starting in September, to prepare his students to become independent learners. He states that by the end of the school year he assigned his students a project to tell about the Black Death, a plague that took place in Europe. In his blog he tells how he may only get a few questions regarding proofreading and making sure they are on the right track. He allows them to disperse any where in the room or hallway as long as they work on their project. Mr. Ferguson tells how they work quietly and he is able to sit in his desk and relax. He has taught them everything they need to know when it comes to researching so they are well equipped. He talks about how he gets to take a more passive role than when he is directly teaching a lesson, and that it feels great knowing the time was about them.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Blog Post 7
Once I began the task of finding new learning and communication tools I can one day share with my students. I am wanting to become a high school History teacher, but I know many students do not enjoy history so I need to find innovative ways to bring the subject to life.
Socrative -Socrative is a way for both the students and teacher can interact on their computers, tablets, and smart phones. The site uses interactive games and exercises. What is great about this site is that it allows the teacher to track the progress and view their grades.
Another great resource for teachers is Quizlet. What I found interesting about Quizlet is that it allows the teacher to create personalized study tools, such as flashcards, to help the student learn the information. The site also aids teachers in creating study guides. I feel that I could use this site to support the many other methods.
Pinterest -This is one of my all time favorite site! It gives everyone access to a broad range of ideas, from recipes, decorating, to lesson plans. I am an active Pinterest user and I have started working on a board that I feel will help me inspire my students and make History exciting and intriguing. It gives me ideas on how to decorate my classroom that will stimulate the student's minds. Anyone can access this site and I would like my students to become active pinners and look up new pins that would relate to the topic being discussed.
I have a new, exciting outlook and I can't wait to start looking up more sites that will help me help others in their educational journey.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Blog Post 6
He states, "Whatever text article you can give a child, if you can couple it with visual they will retain a lot more. I find this to be very true in my own learning experience. I can read an article multiple times but whenever my instructor coupled it with a movie or even audio clip I had a better sense of what they wanted me to learn. I believe this appeals to most students at all ages. Using multiple learning styles helps to reinforce the content. I am a hands on learner in most circumstances, but when teaching a subject, such as English, it can be hard to provide students with a hands on method. This is why I have always supported educational videos like, School House Rock, to reinforce the material being discussed. Mr. Capps also talks about how letting students use technology helps to enrich their research experience and helps bring the text to life. I feel that if I had more teachers in elementary and middle school that would have allowed us time in a discovery lab I would have been better equipped once I reached the high school and college level have a better grasp on leaning on myself to research a topic and find credible resources.
Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange had another online meeting ad discussed what it takes to build a good lesson plan by using a "staircase" method.
In Additional thoughts about Learning Lessons, Mr. Anthony Capps discusses how a lesson is 4 layers thick.
1. The first layer is covering the material in within certain a time frame. He tells us to keep in mind when making a lesson plan to be realistic and ensuring yourself that you can cover the content and all of the standards within one fiscal year.
2. The second layer is the Unit. Have unit projects set up in a way that is meaningful and blends leading into the upcoming unit.
3. The next layer is how you devise your weekly plan needs to also be meaningful with a purpose. Ensuring the content is on track and still coinciding with the rest of the necessary standards.
4. The last layer is the daily plan. This is how you will deliver the content and allow them to discover it.
I am certainly going to remember these steps once I start my career in order to have an organized, successful plan.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Blog Post 5
What is a PLN you may ask? A PLN is a Personal Learning Network that consist of a set of people and tools that someone can call upon for help, consultation, collaboration, or other assistance. PLNs can be extremely resourceful particularly for teachers. This group of people you can access anytime, anywhere at the wonderful price of FREE! When you are creating your PLN list it is best to look for individuals and resources that are diverse and credible that share similar interest as you. The goal is to find people and sites that can further your knowledge on a variety of topics.
Social media is going to be the best resource for most people when creating their list. I plan to use my Twitter and Facebook accounts to start adding people to my list. The first people I will add will have to be some of my former History teachers, both college and high school. I have been very blessed throughout my education to have wonderful instructors such as Dr. Erin Cage, Mona Lisa Blackburn, Brandon Rice, Jeremy Williams, and Doris Fincher Gladen. I would also add my group members from my EDM310 course. They have been an incredible group of women who have been a driving force for me in my class. Another important individual that is a necessity to have would be Dr. Strange. He has the most knowledge and resources to help make my list a true success.
Monday, June 9, 2014
C4Tp Post #1
Silvia Tolisano, the author of the Langwitches blog, created a post on May 26, 2014 about "Telling a Story with Data." In her blog she discussed a class of sixth graders who were learning how to take data, analyze it, and tell a story with their findings. What their instructor, Laurel Janewinz, was able able to do with her technique was check her students ability to understand the concepts and their way to communicate the information. Once her students analyzed the information they then created charts and graphs to help others comprehend the new found knowledge. Thus, telling a story with the data.
Tolisano made another intriguing post on May 28, 2014. This post was called "Back to the Future Project: Life Cycle Snapshots in Target Language." In the post she discusses a Portuguese seventh and eighth grade teacher who had her students work on target language in the Life Cycle unit. The students were taught vocabulary and traditions from birth through adolescense, through adulthood to retirement. The task she gave her students was to create a character and a fake Facebook page to document their character's life. She had the students update the ficticious character's Facebook frequently which allowed them to engage with others using social media while learning.
Project 15
1. Dogpile This is one of the original search engines. It was one of the used until Google came and monopolized the industry. Most of the results typically came from other search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Anyone can ask any type of questions. I personally would rather go straight to the source and use Google.
2. DuckDuckGo: This is a great search engine that gives their users optimum privacy settings. The site prides themselves of being the best at keeping the privacy, which is not an option for most other search engines. I think having the option of higher privacy levels are very appealing and I will consider using this site in the future.
3. Priceline: Best use is for travel and booking hotels, flights, and vacation trips. I thought the site was easy to navigate and user friendly. This search engine could be a great option for me and my family.
4. Ask.com: This search engine's been the best at promoting you it to find the answers to the users questions. Users are able to ask any question they would like to know. I personally felt that some of the sites that Ask.com would give to answer your questions were not as reliable.
5.Bing : Bing was designed by Microsoft and has many similarities to Google. Like most search engines Bing gives you the option to ask any question your heart may desire. I use the Bing search engine second only to Google. I do like that it has less ads than almost all other sites.
6. WebMD: WebMD is a medical database that allows people to research any health related issue. It allows users to read credible articles about their symptoms, diseases, and even offers options to help diagnosis a possible illness. I think there are both pros and cons to this site. From a healthcare stand point it allows people to create illnesses and creates problems for healthcare workers when patients come in believing they have a certain diagnosis. I do feel it can help educate people and do so in a way an average person can understand.
7. MapQuest: One of the best search engines that can be used for traveling and calculating distances of two locations. I love this search engine. My personal experiences using the site have all been good. Anyone can use this to help them get just about anywhere.
8. Wolfram Alpha: The search engine is best used to help with mathematical questions. Anyone can use this site to help. I wished I would have known about this site sooner in life. I absolutely detest math and this could have saved me a lot of stress.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Blog Post 4
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Blog Post 3
Peer editing according to the video "What is Peer Editing" means working with someone your own age to help improve, revise, and edit his or her writing. The video teaches that there is three steps that are important to follow when you are participating in peer reviews. Step one is always start with a compliment. It is important to stay positive and try to consider the feeling of the person you are reviewing. Step two is to give the writer specific ideas about how to make their writing better. Step three, when making corrections check for punctuation, grammar, sentences, and spelling. After watching the video I believe I will be a better person giving peer reviews. I am usually worried about offending someone or making them feel inadeqaute. I now know I am only hindering the other person by not helping them try to improve their writing.
"Writing Peer Reviews Top 10 Mistakes" was a very interesting video that gave examples of what not to do. The narrator gave the example of "Jean the Generalizer." Unfortunately I can relate because like I said earlier I am worried about hurting someone's feelings. Another skit in the video was "Mean Margaret." She was too critical of her partner's writing and even asked "Are you dumb." There were many other examples that were very true and need to be acknoweledged before participating in a peer review. I feel that we should all take a lesson from the children in the video so we can grow and be better in the future.
