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.

Blog Assignment #4

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

      In order for teachers to ask effective questions, they must first understand the difference between close-ended and open-ended questions. Close-ended questions are questions that require a minimal response. These questions do not generate a level of higher thinking. An example of a close-ended question is "What color is the sky?" However, open-ended questions provoke higher thinking from students. An example of an open-ended question is "What do you think about this?" It is obvious that educators will want to ask open-ended questions more often than close-ended questions.

     The article The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom focuses on the wrong ways teachers ask questions. Many teachers ask if everyone understands the material and moves on before all of the students have completely grasped the concept. The article provides a great technique for asking questions in the classroom. The technique is pausing after asking a question to the class as a whole. Doing this will enable every student to think before the teacher calls on a specific student to answer the question.

     The article Asking Questions to Improve Learning gives strategies for asking questions. It discusses how to ask questions and how to respond. The article states that it is important to have follow up questions after "yes" or "no" questions. It also emphasizes being clear and specific with the questions. It is important to never ask more than one question at once in a discussion because students will be confused and won't know which question to answer. The article states that teachers should use both close-ended and open-ended questions because both are helpful in teaching. The article provides examples on how to effectively respond after asking students questions. One way is to not interrupt students when they are trying to answer. I feel like this point is something that most educators need to work on a little more. I find it very irritating when a teacher interrupts me because they think I do not know the answer simply because I'm struggling to find the right words to use.

I found these two articles to be extremely helpful, and I hope to implement some of the strategies listed above in my future classroom.