Final Project 16

Blog Assignment #5 - Part 2

It has been a few weeks since I have learned about personal learning networks (PLN) and since I have made my own PLN. My classmates and I have already created an extensive PLN just through this class. We have been assigned to comment on teacher's blogs throughout the semester, enabling us to gain valuable information that we can use when we become teachers.

Another way that I have increased my PLN is by using Twitter. Twitter is a great resource for anyone. There is so much information that you can get from Twitter, and you can also get in touch and communicate with other educators from all around the world.

Lastly, Symbaloo is a great resource that can be used for building PLN's. I did not use mine very much because I used Twitter more often. However, Symbaloo is great because it is very easy to have all of your links to various websites and blogs in one place. You can also organize Symbaloo in anyway you would like.

Blog Assignment #16 - Final Reflection

Blog Assignment #13

What did I leave out?

In this blog post assignment, I get to choose something that I think should have been assigned as a blog post. After choosing my assignment, I will actually do the assignment.

What educational apps can be used in the classroom?

ClassDojo
This app replaces classroom management tools. Teachers can use this app to customize behaviors that they find to be the most important. Teachers can also reward students on this app by giving them Dojo points. This app is great in that it also allows communication between teachers and parents. The students can also create their own account and customize their Dojo avatars. Lastly, this app is great because it can be used on any device such as laptops, iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, and even smartboards!

Raz-Kids
This is an app that contains numerous e-books. There are many different levels of e-books available on this app. This app also contains e-quizzes that allow the teacher to keep track of the students comprehension level. Along with providing a plethora of e-books for children to read, the app also gives teachers the ability to customize assignments, view reports, and track the student's progress.

Top-It
This is a math game app. This app is a great way for the younger elementary students to learn basic addition facts. The game is a two player game. Each player draws two cards, finds the sum of those two cards, and compares the sum of their cards to the sum of their opponent's cards. The players are awarded points based on correctly finding the sum of the two cards, identifying the greater sum, and having the cards that equal the greater sum. The person with the most points at the end of 8 rounds is deemed the winner.

Sight Words for 2nd Grade - Talking Flash Cards
This app is composed of sight words that are common for 2nd graders. The app consists of flashcards that have a word printed on them. The child reads the word on that card and then the app will say the word correctly. This is a great way to have children practice their sight words at home or even in the classroom while there is free time.

Toca Store
Toca Store is a great app that allows children to play a game while also learning important skills. It teaches children turn taking, cooperation, negotiation, basic math skills, resource management, and how to spend money wisely. This app allows children to be either the store owner or to be the customer. It is meant for two players, but it works perfectly fine with only one player.

C4K Summary for April

My first C4K for this month was James A. from Mrs. L's Awesome 7th Grade Class 2014-2015

James' blog post that I read was about basketball. James said that basketball is his favorite sport. He likes it better than football because there are more games in basketball than in football. James dreams to one day be able to play on a NCAA Division 1 basketball team. He mentioned that he had met a professional basketball trainer and that he asked that trainer to make him a division 1 basketball player. The trainer told James that it was possible since James has so much talent at such a young age. James is also trying to get on a competitive basketball team over the summer that would allow him to not only play his favorite sport all summer, but also allow him to travel.

I started off my comment by telling James who I was and why I was commenting on his blog. Next, I told him that I think it is really great that he found a sport that he loves playing. I mentioned that although basketball is not my favorite sport, I still enjoy watching it, even with my limited knowledge about the game. I told him that it sounds like he is going to have a great summer. I mentioned that summer was my favorite time when I was in junior high and high school because I got to play my favorite sport, softball, almost everyday of the week. Lastly, I told James that I enjoyed reading his post and that I hope he has a great summer doing something that he loves and enjoys.

My second C4K assignment was India from JHFI Class of 2015.

India's post that I commented on was about her life and what her future plans are. She explains that in five years she would like to graduate and also have a career modeling in New York City.  In ten years, she would like to settle down and have a family with her boyfriend. It does not mention this in the post but I am assuming, after browsing through her blog, that she would like her boyfriend to be Chris Brown.

In my comment to India, I told her how great it was that she has goals. I think it is very important to set goals for yourself. I then proceeded by telling her a few of my goals that I hope to attain within the next 5-7 years.

My last C4K for this month and semester is Charlotte from Room Three @ Auroa Primary School.
This school is in New Zealand, and I think that it is awesome that we get to comment on a student's blog post from a different country.

In Charlotte's blog post 321 go... she explains how she had completed the triathlon at her school. She talks about her experience as a story. She writes what she was feeling and thinking as she was doing the triathlon. She said that she was so excited when it was her turn. She started off running to her bike, then she biked for about 4 meters. She discusses how sweaty she was and how red her face was. She thought her legs were about to give out when she finally made it downhill. After finishing the biking portion, Charlotte goes on to swim 2 meters before she is finally finished. She won 5th place, and one of her friends won 7th place.

I began my comment to Charlotte by explaining to her who I am and why I am commenting on her post. I then told her how I enjoyed reading her post and how she did a great job explaining how she felt about the triathlon. I also told her that I think it's amazing that she was able to complete the triathlon and come in 5th place. I do not think that I would be able to do a triathlon, much less win 5th place in one. Lastly, I told her that it sounded like she had a lot of fun at the triathlon.

Blog Assignment #12

What assistive technologies are available to you as a teacher? How are they useful?

According to the Assistive Technology Industry Association's website, assistive technology is any item or software that is used to "increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." I believe that every educator should have some knowledge about assistive technologies, because you never know when you may encounter a student who needs this kind of assistance. There are many different types of assistive technologies. In the following paragraphs, I will describe a few of the types of assistive technology.

The Mountbatten - Assistive Technology for the Blind is a video that explains and shows how a Mountbatten works. The Mountbatten is a braille writer that allows visually impaired students to be involved in the curriculum. As the student "brailles" the Mountbatten will produce the braille while announcing what is being "brailled." This way students can confirm that they are using the correct buttons on the machine. The Mountbatten can not only save files, but it can also send files to a computer and receive files from a computer. I think that this is a great invention. I had no idea that something like this existed. I believe that this would be a great tool to have in the classroom because it allows better communication between the student and teacher.

Both the videos iPad Usage for the Blind and Having a Great Time
show the ways that an iPad can be beneficial for visually impaired students. iPads come equipped with VoiceOver which makes using an iPad incredibly easy for visually impaired individuals. VoiceOver is gesture-based, so it requires the individual to touch the screen in order for it to work. By simply dragging your finger across the screen, VoiceOver will inform you of what is there. If you hear something that you want to access, all you have to do is double tap anywhere on the screen. Both of the videos listed above show not only the functions that VoiceOver is capable of, but they also show how easy it is for anyone to operate the iPad using the VoiceOver program. Since many schools already have iPads in the classroom, this would be a very beneficial tool for visually impaired students. It would not require any additional money to be spent, since all iPads come equipped with this program. It is also very easy to learn how to use VoiceOver, so there is no reason that this program would be a problem to use.

One invention that is a great tool for the hearing impaired is FaceTime. FaceTime is a video call program that is available on Apple products such as Macs, iPads, and iPhones. FaceTime enables the deaf to communicate non-verbally with others. Other video call systems, such as Skype, can work this way also. Another tool used for communicating with deaf individuals is text. Texting is a feature that is available on all cellphones. Almost everyone in the world owns a cell phone of some sort, so texting is a great tool that allows the deaf to easily communicate with others. I believe that FaceTime or Skype would be an effective way to communicate with a deaf student in the classroom. If the teacher did not know sign language, an interpreter could be called via Skype and relay the information to the deaf individual.

C4T #3

For this week's C4T, I was assigned to comment on Jennifer Ferguson's blog My Journey as an Educator.

In her post InfoWhelm and Information Fluency, Ferguson has a video that discusses the enormous amount of digital output we produce. It was very shocking to see the numbers of just how much digital output we use. The video mentioned that it would take thirteen stacks of books from Earth to Pluto just to show how much information we have. Ferguson mentioned how she was"in awe at the increase (and continued exponential growth) of our digital output."

My comment to Ferguson stated how I am also in awe at how much digital output we produce. I also mentioned that as technology continues to grow, students will need to know how to use this technology and information correctly. I believe that as a future educator I need to stay up-to-date with the latest technology so that I will be able to effectively use it in my classroom.

The second post that I commented on was entitled Professor Ferguson: An Affectionate Moniker.
In this post, Ferguson describes the close relationship that she had with her students at a small K-12 school. She also explains that she and her students were both learners. Ferguson was very honest with her students as well. For example, she mentions that whenever her students asked her a question about her life, she would tell them the answer. Ferguson even said that her students probably knew her better then her colleagues.

I really enjoyed reading this post, and overall, I have enjoyed reading Professor Ferguson's blog. She seems to be such a great person. I started my comment to this post by telling Ferguson that I believe that it is very important to have a strong relationship with the students you teach. I also told her that I came from a small K-12 school similar to the one that she taught at. I explained how beneficial it was that I was able to have such close relationships with all of my teachers when I was in high school. I finished off my comment by stating that I hope to someday have close relationships with the students I will teach, as Ferguson has had with her students, and as I have experienced while in high school.

Blog Assignment #11

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

  

Back to the Future is a video of a lecture by Brian Crosby. Brian Crosby is a 4th, 5th, and 6th grade teacher. He discuses the many ways that he uses technology and project based learning to inspire his students. Crosby mentions how much more the students are learning when it is project based because they are having fun. He also mentions some of the projects that he did with his class. He did a balloon project in which they had professors from a university help them to release a balloon into the atmosphere. Because the balloon was equipped with audio, video, and a tracking device, students were able to see what happened to the balloon and where it all went. I personally think that this is a really neat project to engage students. From this video, I learned that it is important to actually work with students and inspire them to learn, instead of just making sure they make the teacher and the school look good through their test scores.

Paul Andersen's video Blended Learning Cycle discusses what exactly the blended learning cycle is and how Andersen uses it in his classroom. Andersen uses the acronym "Quivers" to explain how he teaches his class. "Quivers" stands for:

                                                                Question

                                                                 Investigation / Inquiry

                                                                 Video

                                                                 Elaboration

                                                                 Review

                                                                 Summary quiz

During the review part, Andersen goes around to his students, whether it be individually or in small groups, and makes sure that the students have really learned what the lesson was about. Andersen does not allow his students to continue on to the summary quiz, until they have demonstrated to him that they have learned and understand the material. From this video, I learned what a blended learning cycle is, and a way to possibly incorporate it into my future classroom.

In the video Making Things Visible, Mark Church shows how he has students make headlines for driving questions. Having groups of students make a headline about the subject that they have been talking about is a great idea. This allows students to really think about how to sum up what they have learned about that subject so far. This also allows students a chance to explain why they chose the headline they did. Explaining their answers may give new ideas or a better understanding to another student in the classroom. Mark Church also said that he was going to display all of the headlines somewhere in his room, and as they delve farther into the topic, make a new headline for that topic.

Super Digital Citizen is a video where Sam Pane, a 5th grade teacher, explains how important it is for students to be a good digital citizen. A good digital citizen is one who acts safely, respectfully, and responsibly. Sam Pane is teaching his students how to be safe on the internet and why it is important to be safe. It is very important for educators to teach children how to use the internet safely and how to protect themselves. After receiving a short lesson, the students get to make their own superheroes (how awesome!). Not only do the students get to create their own superhero, but they also get to create a story around their character. After everyone was finished, the students went around and read each others comics. I think this is a great idea on how to teach students to be a good digital citizen. It wasn't just a boring lecture that the students had to sit around and listen to; it was a fun, engaging way to learn. Because the students were able to make it their own project, they will be better able to remember what this lesson was about.

Project Based Learning is definitely an interesting video. This video is about how three teachers decided to combine their classes into one so that they could better incorporate project based learning. Combining the three classes also allows for a collaboration of projects to be done while meeting the standards for all three subjects. Having the three classes combined into one also allows the teachers more time to teach and give guidance and instruction to the students. I love how these teachers stepped up and found a solution that could better accommodate all of their needs.

Throughout the video Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program, parents and teachers are saying how beneficial project based learning is for their students. The students at Roosevelt Elementary are truly learning how to be independent learners and how to think and speak for themselves. At this elementary school, the teachers also incorporate public speaking into their lessons. I think that this is a wonderful idea not only because students are learning at a young age how to speak in public, but because it also reduces the amount of fear students have when taking public speaking courses later in higher grades and even in college. I would love to incorporate PBL into my classroom as much as possible.

Blog Assignment #10

What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy?

After watching Kathy Cassidy's video Little Kids...Big Potential it became very apparent to me how easy it is to incorporate technology into the classroom. The first graders in Mrs. Cassidy's class are doing exactly what we students in EDM 310 are doing. Mrs. Cassidy's first graders have their own blogs that they regularly post on, and they also use Wiki pages and Skype to connect with other classes and people from around the world. In my classroom, I hope to not only incorporate blogs, but also Skype. Students will be more excited and inclined to write when hundreds of people from all over the world can see what the students have written. As Mrs. Cassidy mentioned, having a blog is also beneficial for the parents since they can track their child's progress and see how their child is improving throughout the school year. Skype would also be beneficial in my classroom because I can have people with different occupations talk to my students, and my students will be able to directly ask that person any questions that the students may have.

One problem that I might encounter with the use of technology in my classroom is teachers who are completely against the use of technology in schools. These teachers might be opposed to the idea of technology because they do not want change, or because they do not know how to incorporate technology into the classroom. I could overcome this issue by stressing the importance that technology has in our everyday lives now. I could also show these reluctant teachers just how much children learn when they have access to an unlimited amount of information. 

In Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 1, Dr. Strange asks Mrs. Cassidy various questions related to her use of technology in the classroom. One question that Dr. Strange asked Mrs. Cassidy is if she believes that all teachers need to be technologically literate. Mrs. Cassidy answered immediately by saying yes. She mentioned that technology is here and that it isn't going to go away; it is only going to continue to advance. I completely agree that teachers need to become technologically literate so that we can help our students learn more information. As teachers, we have to be willing to constantly learn new things so that we are able to effectively guide our students in their educational journey.

Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 2 is a video in which Mrs. Cassidy suggests using something that you are interested in so that you can begin incorporating technology into your classroom. An example she gives is if you like photography then join Flickr, and you can begin to build your personal learning network through that. Another example she provides is if you enjoy writing then perhaps blogging is for you. Mrs. Cassidy also stresses how important it is to have a personal learning network (PLN). PLN's allow us to connect with others who could possibly answer any questions about anything that we may have  PLN's also allow us to help others in the same way.

During all three parts of the interview, some of Dr. Strange's EDM 310 students were able to listen in on the conversation. In Part 3 of the interview, the students even had the opportunity to ask Mrs. Cassidy some questions of their own. One question that was asked was how to incorporate technology into a physical education class. Mrs. Cassidy suggested blogs and even sending texts to the student's phones to let the students know important information, instead of having to use the intercom system to alert the students. Another question that was asked was if Mrs. Cassidy believed that cheating was becoming more of a problem as blogs become more accessible. Mrs. Cassidy replied by saying that things are becoming more collaborative and that teachers need to be more creative with the way they ask students to present their ideas. She also believes that students should use other people's work as guidance, but present it in a way that would make it their own work.

C4K Summary for March

For my first C4K for this month, I was again assigned to Adan P. from Mrs. Weil's Fourth Grade Froggies. Unfortunately, Adan still does not have any posts, so I chose to comment on Alondra C.'s post Writing Fiction. 

In her post, Alondra discusses how she struggles when writing fiction. She begins her post by saying that it's easy for her to write in the beginning, but once she gets to the middle she finds it difficult to think of what she is going to say. She believes that the hardest part of writing is when she gets writer's block. 

In my comment to Alondra, I told her that I am the opposite of her when it comes to writing. I have a hard time starting my papers, but once I get started I can usually finish my papers quickly. I agreed with Alondra that the most difficult part of writing is when you get writer's block.


Per 6 David from Moments that Matter with Mrs. Masloski was my second C4K for the month of March. When I first went to David's blog, I was amazed at how neat it looked. Just by looking at David's blog, it appears that he likes science. 

David's post is about the meaning of Valentine's Day. David describes Valentine's Day as a day when people spend time with their loved ones and also give those special loved ones gifts. He also explained that on Valentine's Day many people express their feelings for others, only to get their feelings hurt in the process. After this happens, David believes that it gives the rejected people confidence since they came out of their comfort zone to express their feelings for someone else. Overall, David believes that Valentine's Day is both a happy and sad holiday, but that it can sometimes create special memories.

I started off my comment to David by explaining who I was and why I was commenting on his post. I then told him how I thought that his post was interesting. I told him that I have never really thought about Valentine's Day as being a happy and sad holiday, but after thinking about it I agreed with him that the holiday can be both happy and sad. Lastly, I told him that I agreed that Valentine's Day can generate special memories for people.


My last C4K for the month of March was McKenzie T. from Mrs. L.'s Awesome 7th Grade Class 2014-2015

McKenzie's blog post, Book Project, is about a book that she read entitled The Kill Order. McKenzie explains that this book is a prequel to the Maze Runner series. She gives a short, detailed synopsis of The Kill Order. She also mentions how she enjoyed reading the book and recommends it to anyone who likes action stories or who are fans of the Maze Runner series. McKenzie believes that The Kill Order was a great prequel to the Maze Runner. Because one might get confused, McKenzie advises reading the Maze Runner series before reading The Kill Order.

I mentioned to McKenzie that I thought she did a great job describing The Kill Order.  It sounds like an interesting book. I also told her that I am glad she mentioned it was a prequel to another book, otherwise I would have never known. Lastly, I told McKenzie that I think it was a great idea to mention that anyone who is interested in reading The Kill Order needs to read the Maze Runner first so that they will not get confused.

Project #9 - Video Book Conversation

Blog Assignment #9

What can teachers and students teach us about Project Based Learning?

The article Seven Essentials for Project-Based Learning begins by describing the difference between busy work and project based learning. The article then continues by stating what every good project needs. Every project needs to not only be meaningful, but it also needs to fulfill an educational purpose. Next, the article lists the seven essentials for project based learning.

1.  A Need to Know - This part is saying that the project should have an "entry event" so students will feel a need to know the information. This way the students can get excited about the project.
   
2.  A Driving Question - The authors of the article compare this part of the project to a thesis statement in a paper. Without a thesis, it is difficult to determine the main point of the paper. So without a driving question, it is difficult to determine the main reason for the project. The driving question is the most important part of the project.
3. Student Voice and Choice - This part is also very important. The project will be more meaningful to the students if they are allowed to choose what they will create, what resources they will use, and how they will use their time to work on the project.
4. 21st Century Skills - The project should provide opportunities for students to build 21st century skills. These are skills that will benefit the students later in life as they get jobs.
5. Inquiry and Innovation - We need to guide students in real inquiry which is where "students follow a trail that begins with their own questions, leads to a search for resources and the discovery of answers, and often ultimately leads to generating new questions, testing ideas, and drawing their own conclusions." With the technology available, students can do so much, and it is important that we do not limit them.
6. Feedback and Revision - This is important because it teaches students that most of the time, first attempts don't result in high quality work. We need to make sure that students understand the importance of quality work, and that it sometimes takes multiple revisions before something is considered high quality.
7. A Publicly Presented Product  - Student's work is more meaningful when it is presented to others, not just the teacher. Also, when students present their work to others, the students care more about the quality of their work. 

Project-Based Learning for Teachers is a short video that explains what PBL is. For it to be such a short video, it had a lot of information. The video explains what a driving question is and how students will work on that driving question. The video also has information about Common Core State Standards, Project Based Learning, and the skills that students will develop from PBL. The video describes PBL as inquiry-based, open-ended, problem-solving, and personalized. The video also instructs us to think of PBL as questioning, investigating, sharing, and reflecting. By using PBL, students will gain various skills such as collaboration skills, communication skills, critical thinking skills, and career and life skills. I think this is a great video for anyone to watch who is not sure what exactly PBL is.

Two Students Solve the Case of Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap is an article that includes a video about two students who used PBL to design a new cap for ketchup bottles. I think that this was a unique problem to address. Like these two students, I do not like having watery ketchup. However, as the students' teacher pointed out, one can simply shake the bottle to get rid of the watery part. The two students were convinced that they could find some other way to prevent watery ketchup. The students researched several ideas and even created a new cap using a 3D printer. After watching the video that accompanies the article, you can tell that these two students seemed to be very engaged and had a lot of fun working on their project.

The video PBL: What Motivates Students Today asks a few students two questions. One of those
questions asked students what motivated them to do good in school. One student said that he is most motivated when the teacher compliments him in front of the class. Another student said that he was motivated because if he didn't do good in school, then his parents would punish him. The other students surveyed in the video had the same response for being motivated to do good in school: so that they will be successful in their future endeavors. The second question that the students were asked was about rewards that work. One student said that in his classroom they have a color chart. Depending on what color the students are on they either receive money or have to pay the teacher money. The students can use their money at the end of the week to buy miscellaneous items. Another student said that their teacher rewards them with candy. A third student said that his teacher rewards them with "brownie points." Another student said that he would like to be rewarded with food, but when he was younger he enjoyed receiving rewards such as pencils, colorful notebooks, and stickers. The last student mentioned that her teacher rewarded them differently every day. I think that it is a great idea to interview students so teachers can discover what works and what doesn't work.

Many people do not think of utilizing PBL in a PE class. However, the article Project Based Learning in PE discusses a way that high school PE teachers can use PBL in their class. The teacher had his high school PE students create a physical fitness program for middle school PE classes. This required the high school students to know the standards of middle school students so that they could plan the fitness program accordingly. The students then collaborated to come up with different exercises for the middle school students. I think this is a great way to have students involved in PE, instead of just having them only do exercises. This idea would also be great for middle school students to make a fitness program for elementary students.

Blog Assignment #8

What can we learn about teaching and learning from Randy Pausch?

I was not too enthused about this assignment after I saw that the video Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams was over an hour in length. After all, I am a busy college student who is currently taking 5 other classes. However, there was no way to avoid watching this video. After I sat down and watched the video, I discovered that it wasn't that painful to watch. I actually enjoyed watching this video, despite it being over an hour long. I highly recommend everyone to watch this video. 

Randy Pausch seemed like an amazing individual. He did not let the discovery of cancer in his body stop him from living his life and being happy. I learned so much from watching this video. I learned the importance of teaching children to have childhood dreams. Even if some of your dreams may be impossible, you will still learn something from the process.

The video begins by Pausch telling everyone that he has been diagnosed with cancer, and that he is dying. However, had he not informed the audience of this, I'm sure no one would have ever known because he was a very energetic, funny, and healthy-looking individual. Pausch said "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." When I become a teacher, I hope that I am able to teach my students not to feel sorry for things that they do not have. Instead, my students need to be happy and find a way to change the situation.

I think that my favorite quote from Pausch's lecture was "When you screw up and no one is saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up." I have never thought about it that way before. Our parents and teachers are constantly correcting us when we do something wrong. They do this because they care so much about us that they want to see us succeed rather than fail. I hope that when I become a teacher that I will have the patience and willingness to constantly push my students to succeed.

Another thing that I learned from Pausch's lecture is that Project Based Learning (PBL) is not a new thing. Pausch and his colleagues were utilizing PBL in the 90's when they created the class Building Virtual Worlds. PBL is not only fun, but it works. Pausch's students were extremely engaged and surpassed his expectations with each project they did. Pausch said "Millions of kids having fun while learning something hard. That's cool." I agree that is is very cool. We need to make learning fun so children will continually have the desire to learn more.

C4T #2

In her blog post It's Been Awhile...Lessons Learned as a New Administrator, Jennifer Brokofsky discusses how she has not blogged in a long time. She isn't exactly sure why she hasn't blogged in so long, but is glad to be back at it. She also mentions that she has obtained her Master's degree and is now a vice principal. Brokofsky continues by stating all of the lessons she has learned as she has transitioned from being a consultant to becoming a vice principal. The first lesson that she has learned is that all students are different, and it is important to address student's individualized learning needs. Secondly, she has learned that it is okay if a lesson takes longer than anticipated because everyone learns differently. Another lesson that Brokofsky has learned is to appreciate her students and all of their unique skills. Brokofsky has also learned that she can't do everything at once. She came to the realization that she does not have all of the answers, and she is okay with that. Lastly, Brokofsky learned that while it is a tough job, being an educator is extremely rewarding.

In my comment to Brokofsky, I congratulated her on getting her Master's degree and told her how I someday hope to obtain a Master's degree myself. I then continued by telling her how much I enjoyed reading her post. My favorite part was how she mentioned that we need to be able to adjust our lessons to our student's needs. I believe that it is important for us educators to be able to cater to our student's learning needs. I also enjoyed her statement about how she doesn't know everything. Many people are under the assumption that educators know everything when the truth is we are still constantly learning new things ourselves.

In her second most recent post, Three Acts Math Movie - Candy Colours, Brokofsky has three videos. These three videos are part 1 of the problem, part 2 of the problem, and the solution to the problem. During these videos, a young boy and girl are trying to figure out how to equally split packages of Skittles between them. They both only want to eat certain colors, so this poses a problem. Since there are not an equal number of colors in each bag of Skittles, the children have to open more bags until they finally get the colors they want and both have an equal amount of Skittles.


I left a comment on Brokofsky's post and mentioned how I thought what she did was a great idea. I told her that it is always a good idea to use fun and engaging ways to teach children. I also told her that I believe that children learn more through hands-on learning than from the traditional lecture method. Lastly, I mentioned how I like that the videos not only demonstrated math, but also demonstrated how to get along with others.

Project #7 Part B

Blog Assignment #7

Instruction is completely different now than it was when I was in elementary and even high school. Many teachers are now utilizing project based learning (PBL) because they can see the benefits it has in student's learning. Before EDM 310, I had never done anything concerning PBL, and I knew very little about it. Every time that I had a project, it always came after the lesson, not during. Another thing that was not utilized while I was in elementary school was technology. The only technology that was ever used at my elementary school was an overhead projector, but it wasn't the nice fancy ones we have today. The overhead projectors we had at my school were the ones that sat on a rolling desk and had to be brought out for every use and put away after every use. Technology is constantly evolving into bigger and better things. As a future educator, I believe that I need to be technologically literate. With all this great technology that is available today, I need to be able to adapt and always be learning how to use current and new technology. In order to prepare myself for my career as an educator, I believe that I will need to become familiar with all the different types of technology from iPads and Macbooks to PCs and other tablets. I will also need to be up to date on the latest educational apps that could further enhance my classroom.



In the video Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library, Dr. Strange has a conversation with Elizabeth Davis from Daphne Elementary and Michele Bennett from Gulf Shores Elementary. Both Elizabeth and Michele are librarians/media specialists at their schools. Michele talks about how kindergartners are using technology in the classroom. She explains that these children know how to use iMovie. I think that is incredible. I had absolutely no idea how to use iMovie before this class. It is very obvious how excited Michele is that these kindergartners are actively learning using this technology. After Michele completes her story about iMovie, Elizabeth continues the conversation about technology in the classroom by talking about the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL). Elizabeth basically describes AVL as being "a great way to teach your students basic research." The AVL is completely free to use for students, teachers, and anyone else in the state of Alabama. You can obtain an AVL card by visiting your local public library or your local public school library if you are a student. At Gulf Shores Elementary, the kindergarten students utilize this program by looking up a list of different animals that they are assigned. Elizabeth also discusses how excited and eager the students are to do this type of research.

We All Become Learners is another video where Dr. Strange, Elizabeth Davis, and Michele Bennett are having a conversation about the use of technology in the classroom. Michele states that using technological devices in the classroom not only allow for teachers to teach students, but it also allows for students to teach students and for students to even teach teachers. With this, everyone becomes not only a learner, but also a teacher. Michele gives an example of a kindergarten student she encountered who taught her how to use the camera feature on an iPad.

The video Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education provides 10 excellent reasons why technology should be utilized in the classroom. The first reason the video provides as to why technology should be used in the classroom is because students love it. The video mentions that many students go home after school and use technology to play video games and watch tv, so why not engage these students through the use of technology in the classroom? The second reason is it engages the four key components to learning. The four key components to learning are active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Third, technology in the classroom allows students to learn different skill sets which help with their professional development. These skills that the students are learning could eventually help them get jobs in the future. Fourth is that technology makes life easier for teachers. Teachers have many jobs outside the classroom such as planning lessons and meeting with parents. With the use of technology, teachers can put tests online that will immediately give students their grades afterward so that teachers do not have to spend their valuable time grading tests. The fifth reason is it improves test scores. When incorporating technology into the classroom, students can learn at their individual pace, and not be held back by students who are progressing at a slower rate. Technology also helps students learn since everyone has a different learning style. Sixth, technology can help students with low attention spans. With the help of technology, teachers can provide engaging activities for students with ADD or ADHD that will keep those students' interest. Seventh, technology can connect you to experts from all around the world. Who wouldn't want that as a resource? Eighth, technology encourages students to do homework. Many educators are finding that a flipped classroom approach is the best model because it allows teachers to help students with homework. A flipped classroom also eliminates lecture time so teachers can focus more on helping students individually. The ninth reason is that technology saves money. While technology is initially expensive, having something such as a tablet computer can increase the number of teachers in the classroom, which allows the real teacher time to answer questions and help students. Lastly, technology removes obstacles. For example, if a teacher has students who have trouble hearing, the teacher can use a classroom amplifier system to amplify their voice so that every student can hear the teacher's voice.

iPads in the Classroom is a video that concentrates on the use of iPads in the Chicago public schools district. Many teachers in these schools are seeing the changes that the iPads are making to education in their classrooms. These teachers also are seeing great benefits to the use of this technology in the classroom. The video also gives an example of how one elementary school uses iPads to help special education students who have trouble speaking. These students were able to take a field trip to a local grocery store and use the iConverse app to help them find the items that they were looking for. At the end of the trip, the students used iConverse to verbally thank the cashier. Every teacher that speaks in the video about the use of iPads says that they can tell a difference in their classrooms. The teachers can tell that the students are engaged, which is helping them to learn.

C4K Summary for February

For my first C4K (comments for kids) I was assigned to Adan P. from Mrs.Weil's Fourth Grade Froggies. However, Adan did not have a post so I chose to comment on Francisco V.'s blog post Winter Weather.

In his blog post, Francisco talked about how much he enjoyed winter weather. He stated that he loved winter weather because his family goes outside and does all sorts of fun things like having snowball fights and building snowmen.

In my comment to Francisco, I explained who I was, and why I was leaving a comment on his blog. I also told him that I wish there were fun things to do during the winter here in Alabama. I told him it rarely snows so we do not get to do fun things like build snowmen very often. I also told him how I wished it would snow more often here because I love playing in the snow. I ended my comment to Francisco by asking him if there are any other fun activities that he likes to do in the wintertime.

In my second C4K, I commented on Tryston H.'s blog post My (Soon to be) Braces from Mr. Boylen's 8th Grade LA Class Blog. Tryston's post was about how she was going to be getting braces soon. She described how excited she was to be getting braces because she has a gap between her teeth. She believes that the braces won't be much fun at first, but she is looking forward to seeing the end result. Tryston mentioned that the only thing that she will dislike about having braces is not being able to eat corn on the cob.

When commenting on Tryston's blog post, I mentioned why I am commenting on her post. I also told her that I enjoyed reading her post. I told Tryston that I could really relate to what she was saying since I got braces when I was around 10 years old. I was also excited when I got my braces because I had a gap between my teeth like she does. I told her that my favorite part about having braces was being able to choose the colors every time I went to the orthodontist for an appointment. When I got my braces, I was also sad about not being able to eat corn on the cob because it was my favorite food at the time. I ended by telling her that braces aren't really bad at all, but after three years I was excited to get them off.

After posting my summary of all my C4K's, I was checking to make sure all of my links worked and went to the correct places. As a result, I discovered that Tryston replied to my comment! She began her comment by telling me what color she will probably get on her braces first. Next, she told me that she will have to wear a mouth guard for when she plays sports so that her braces do not go through her lip. She then continued by telling me that her cousin got hit in the mouth and had to go to the hospital to get stitches because their braces went through their lip. Tryston also asked me if it hurt to get my braces adjusted.

I replied by asking what sport Tryston played and told her a short story about how my lip got stuck in my braces after getting hit in the mouth at softball practice. Luckily, I did not have to make a hospital visit or get stitches. I then answered her question by telling her that yes, getting braces adjusted is painful, but it isn't too bad.

For my third C4K, I was assigned to comment on Emma's blog from Mrs. Hartman's Fourth Grade Class. However, Emma did not have any posts so I decided to comment on Zachary's post The Throne of Fire.

Zachary's post is about a book, entitled Throne of Fire, that he is currently reading. He gives a brief synopsis about what he has read so far. He also tells us who his least favorite character of the book is and why that character is his least favorite. Zachary recommends this book, as well as the other books in the series, to anyone who is interested in Egyptian mythology. He also mentions how it is important to read the books in order to fully understand what is going on.

I began my comment to Zachary by telling him why I was commenting on his post. I continued by telling him that I enjoyed reading his post. I told Zachary that I have never read nor heard of Throne of Fire before. Based on the description he gave, I mentioned to Zachary that this book sounds interesting. Finally, I told Zachary that I will have to look into getting that book, as well as the others in the series, for my future classroom.

For my last C4K for February, I was assigned to comment on Per 3 Melissa's Blog from Mrs. Maslowski's class.

Melissa's post is about the controversial topic of abortion. Melissa states that there are two sides to the abortion debate: "pro-choice" and "pro-life." She briefly describes what both sides believe concerning abortion. Melissa personally believes that it should be a woman's choice what she does with her body. Melissa also lists reasons for why she believes that abortions would be appropriate. Overall, Melissa believes that abortions should be legal, safe, and available to all women.

As I have began all of my comments to the blogs I was assigned to this month, I informed Melissa why I was commenting on her blog post. I then continued by telling her that she chose a very controversial topic to write her blog post on. I told her that she has some very valid points in her argument about abortion. I told her that I am personally against abortion. However, I also told her that I believe both sides of the debate to have valid points. I agreed with her that while abortion is legal, it should be safe and offered to all women. I ended by stating that I hope abortion never becomes illegal because although I believe it to be wrong, I also believe that those who want abortions should have clean, sterile facilities in which the procedure is done.

Blog Assignment #6

 What do you learn from these conversations with Anthony Capps?

In the videos Project Based Learning Part 1 and Part 2, Dr. Strange has a conversation with Anthony Capps who is a third grade teacher and former student of EDM 310.

In the first part of the two videos Anthony states that project based learning is always evolving. I completely agree with him. The needs of children are constantly changing, so the way we teach children also needs to change. Anthony continued by saying that most teachers use projects at the end of a lesson to make sure that the students understand what was taught. Instead of giving projects after a lesson, teachers need to incorporate projects into the lesson and use them as a method of teaching. Anthony also discussed some of the projects that he incorporated into his classroom.

In the second part of the videos, Dr. Strange asked Anthony what was the difference between what Anthony's students are doing and what EDM 310 students are doing. Anthony replied that the only difference is that his students are nine years old, while EDM 310 students are adults. The main point of both videos is to show that project based learning is a great tool to use in the classroom. Children actually learn because they are engaged.

Before watching the iCurio video, I had never heard of iCurio. iCurio is basically a search engine that filters content for children. However, everything filtered through iCurio is only educational material.  It is great tool that can be used by students and teachers. It also provides online folders for easy organization for all its users.

In the Discovery Ed video, Anthony describes what Discovery Ed is. Discovery Ed is a tool that can be used to incorporate pictures and videos into lessons to keep students involved. Anthony states that Discovery Ed is mainly for Social Studies and Science. This is a great tool because students can use it to learn as much as they want about a particular topic that they are interested in.

In The Anthony - Strange Tips for Teachers, Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps discuss different things that would be important for future educators to know before entering the field of education. The first thing stated is that as a teacher, you are always learning. If you do not want to continue to learn new things, then teaching probably isn't the profession for you. Secondly, you need to know that teaching is difficult. While it may be difficult, teaching can be fun. A teacher's work is never done, but it can be very rewarding. The third thing is to be able to be creative and flexible. Teachers need to be able to adjust their lessons in case something unplanned happens. It is always important to have a back-up plan. Lastly, teachers need to be able to reflect on the outcomes of projects. What worked? What didn't work? Did the students enjoy the project? Teachers need to be willing to critique their own lesson plans and be open to feedback from others.

Use Tech Don't Teach It is a video in which Anthony Capps discusses why it is important to use technology rather than teach it. Students are surrounded with technology all the time. Instead of teaching children how to use technology, teachers should allow students to learn on their own while the teacher guides them along the way.

In Additional Thoughts About Lessons, Anthony Capps states his thoughts about lesson plans. Anthony believes that there are four layers to lesson plans. He labels the four layers as yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily. Within the four layers, Anthony believes that daily plans are the most important because they are the ones where teachers have to include ways to entertain and engage their students.

Project #7 Part A

Blog Assignment #5 Part 1

Personal Learning Networks

A Personal Learning Network (PLN) is an informal learning network that connect people from all around the world. PLN's can be very helpful, especially in education. In the video Welcome to My PLE! a 7th grade science student describes her PLN. The student refers to her PLN as her "personal learning environment." After learning how to search for information, the student is able to learn. The student enjoys learning this way because it allows for more freedom. She likes being able to choose how and when to learn. She believes that having freedom motivates her to learn more. This student uses her PLN to bookmark websites that she needs for research projects.

Michael Fawcett describes the benefits of having a PLN in his his blog At the Teacher's Desk. At one point in time, one of his students wanted to know the exact time that Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Fawcett reached out over Twitter asking his followers the question. Within 30 minutes, Fawcett had a definitive answer. This is a great example of why teachers should have PLN's and how PLN's can be used in education

EDM310 students have already began to build their own PLN by connecting with teachers and students across the globe. We have also formed relationships with some of our classmates. I am very excited to begin working more on my PLN.

C4T #1

This week for my C4T (comment for teachers) I was assigned to Jeff Utecht. Jeff's blog is called The Thinking Stick.

     Jeff's first post that I commented on was Community Trumps Content. In this post Jeff talks about the internet. There is a video in his blog post where he explains his point of view on using the internet in the classroom. He points out that the internet is a place where communities are formed. We are able to connect with other people, whether down the road or around the world, with the help of the internet. Jeff questions why we are blocking the use of the internet in the classroom when it can be such a great resource to use. He even suggested ways that we could incorporate the internet into our classrooms and lesson plans.

     In my comment on this post, I told Jeff that I enjoyed watching the video on his blog. I also stated how I loved some of his ideas that he had for incorporating technology into the classroom. One of my favorite ideas he had was e-mailing authors or visiting an author's website after reading one of their books. I would have loved to do that when I was in elementary or even high school. I agreed with him that we need to work on incorporating technology into the classroom instead of restricting its use. Technology is a great way to engage children in their learning.

     Jeff's second post that I commented on was '15 The Year of Wearable. Jeff gives great ideas for why it is important to incorporate wearable technology into the classroom.  He explains that 2015 is the year for wearable technology such as fitbits to be incorporated into education. He also discusses how these fitbits can be used in health education curricula. Jeff points out that by using the sleep tracking activity feature of the fitibit that students can see just how important it is to get enough rest every night. He also explained an experiment that he is working on. In his experiment, he gave his friend's daughter a cell phone. Jeff helped her download a couple of fitness apps and showed her how to use them. He hopes that the young girl will be able to see that technology can benefit anyone in trying to maintain healthy lifestyles.

     I left a comment on Jeff's post telling him how much I loved the idea of fitbits being used in schools to enhance health curricula. I think it is a great idea to have this kind of technology available in the schools to teach children the importance of staying active and fit. I also mentioned how I had never heard of the app Google Fit and how I would like to download it on my smartphone to see what it is all about.

Project #15 - Search Engines

Duck Duck Go
This is a search engine that is similar to Google. Duck Duck Go does not track its users or give out any of its user's personal information. I think this is a great search engine that is very user friendly and not very cluttered.

Bing
Bing is one of the most popular search engines. It is almost exactly like Google. Bing is a great search engine for everyday use. This search engine is very useful and has reliable sources.

YouTube
This search engine is used to search videos. Because anyone can post videos, there is a huge variety as to what videos you can find. Music videos, educational videos, humorous videos, and basically any other type of video you can imagine can be found here.

Amazon
Amazon is a search engine used for shopping. You can find things from electronics, craft supplies, and even groceries on Amazon. Amazon also offers memberships that include many perks such as free 2-day shipping. I personally have used Amazon to buy textbooks and to buy various crafting supplies since I enjoy crafting. I find this search engine extremely easy to use.

White Pages
This search engine is used to look people up by using their name, address, business, or phone number. I personally love the reverse phone number look-up feature.  It is very helpful when someone calls me, and I don't recognize the phone number. I can easily use this search engine to look up who called me.

KidRex
KidRex is a search engine that is powered by Google. KidRex is different from Google in that KidRex is meant specifically for kids to use. It filters inapporiate materials that kids should not be looking at. The homepage has a cute background that looks as if it were drawn using crayons. This search engine is very easy to use and kid friendly.

Kayak
Kayak is a travel search engine where you can compare "hundreds of travel sites at once." I think this search engine is fairly easy to use. I don't really like Kayak because after searching something, there is so much information on the screen that it is slightly confusing. Also, after searching a destination, it made several windows pop up on my computer, and I did not like that at all.

WolframAlpha
I have never heard of this search engine before so I was kind of eager to use it and see what all it does. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it is a search engine used to "compute answers and provide knowledge." I thought it was amazing that this search engine will help you with math problems. I wish I would have known about this amazing resource when I was in high school and even when I was taking my math courses in college. I will definitely be sure to use this search engine in the future and make sure that I tell others about this great resource.