Project 7 part B

The Cat in the Hat book trailer

Final Reflection

Final EDM310 Reflection

Final C4T

For my final C4T I chose to comment on Mrs. Frazier's Blog post regarding, Shelfari. She spoke of how it has taken off in her class and is slowly spreading to other first grade classes, via twitter. Intrigued, I looked into this site, and am glad I did. I LOVE reading! I read anything and everything, but am a sucker for Nicholas Sparks and Lurlene McDaniel. Typical I know, but I love them! Shelfari gives you the opportunity to save books to your "shelves", and share them with others to read. I believe reading is very important. For me, it is an opportunity to get in touch with my imagination, and creative side. Her students also are really enjoying this site, and sharing their shelves. This gives them the opportunity to showcase their interests, and connect with others that have similar interests. Basically another form of a PLN. I will certainly take advantage of this site in my future classroom and encourage my students to read any opportunity they get.

Blog Assignment 14

Teaching should be professionalized just as law and medicine are.
To help do so, some changes need to occur:

• Better training for prospective teachers
• Better training programs 
• Stricter recruiting approaches (Choosing from the top third of the class)
• Require a "National teacher examination" 
• 1-3 years of supervised internship
• Better rewarding system for teachers 
• Revisions to the tenure laws
• Reward based on merit rather than experience

  I agree that teaching should be professionalized. Many people do not give teachers the respect they truly deserve. Teachers help build our future, by shaping the minds of their students as to what they learn and how. That makes it a very important job that should be looked at, and taken, very seriously. However, I also agree that in order for that to happen ,changes most certainly must be made.
Mr. Klein gives us his ideas of how to professionalize teaching, along with some recommendations from Mr. Albert Shanker, in the article from USA today,  Teaching our children can be a profession: Column. 

  He suggests that the first thing to change must be the training, and I agree.  If we want our education to thrive and become better, we must change the way teachers are trained. This means offering more leadership training programs, and inviting new technology into the classrooms. To ensure that the teachers are well equipped and capable of bettering our education, there should be stricter recruiting. Just as law and medicine require, teachers need to be held at a higher standard. This means stricter GPA requirements for programs, and/or hiring from the top third of the graduating class. Mr. Shanker suggests creating a "National teacher examination" similar to the entry exams required for law and medicine. As well as having students complete 1-3 years of a supervised internship. I believe that all of these suggestions would enhance the quality of our teachers; therefore changing the quality of education, and hopefully how the profession is perceived. 

 The next change mentioned was the rewarding system. An article provided on EdSource, tells about revising the laws for tenure being offered after 3 years instead of 2 in certain circumstances in the San Jose district. However, there is also an issue that new teachers doing just as well, if not better, as some tenured are not being rewarded the same. It is suggested that changes be made to reward teachers based on merit rather than experience.  I agree this could be a good way to enhance our educators. Tenure is rewarded based upon teachers' performances after 16-18 months. This article suggests, during deliberation of granting tenure or not,  allowing teachers another year to showcase their abilities. However, this would only be certain cases not all teachers would be granted the extension. I agree that rewards should be based upon merit, but I only agree with the extension if it is tried and proven useful first. For example, one man recommends trying the revisions in the San Jose district only, and seeing the outcome before making permanent changes. I believe this would be beneficial because if it does thrive then it can be brought to other districts, but if it fails no changes have to be made. 

These articles and links were very informative and interesting. I hope that these changes can happen, and teaching can become professionalized. I believe it would be a great step towards bettering our education. 

C4K November

Racquelr's Blog
Racquelr is an 8th grade girl with a very different opinion of Taylor Swift than most girls her age, or at least so I thought. Her post I commented on was about her, and some fellow classmates, declaring independence from Taylor Swift. She gives many reasons for her position. Some that stuck out most to me include her views on Taylor Swift's song quality and the messages they send to girls. I have always been a Taylor Swift fan, as are many females I know, but as I read this other female student's interpretations, I became curious as to how I would comment effectively to make a connection with such a strong opposing opinion. I began to think of how I will handle this type of situation in my classroom, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I firmly believe in voicing that opinion. I thought it could be a perfect opportunity for a class debate! Together, the class can brainstorm a topic to debate and then each student will choose his or her position. Once the positions are chosen they would begin research to prepare for the big debate. This could be group work or done individually. Racquelr's post was very descriptive, and she had the makings to begin an interesting debate. I hope to help my students have as much confidence in their opinions and knowledge as she exemplified in her post.

Brennan's Blog
Brennan is in Mrs. Mena's class in California. His post was about his similarities and differences between him and his mother. He wrote that they both love being active and reading, but have differences in cleanliness and organization. I used to struggle with keeping things tidy and organized as well, even though my mother cleans 3 times a day. I told him something that helps me keep tidy now is picking up as I go. This can be used for my classroom as well. To ensure my students have a great learning environment, I must make sure to keep it clean and have everything organized throughout the year. One way I can make sure that happens is by doing an "inspection" at the end of every day. I can help my students learn to become more organized and tidy while ensuring I do the same. We can make a game out of it, having the cleanest stations receive a reward at the end of every day. Hopefully my tip helps Brennan and any other person that might have the same struggles.

Sebastian G's Blog
Sebastian is a 5th grader at a school in California. His blog post I commented on was about his teacher, Mrs. Mena. The title, Best Teacher Ever: Mrs. Mena definitely caught my attention because it tells me he is excited about her class, and that is how I want my students to feel. He says she is the best teacher because she makes learning fun, always cracks jokes, celebrates hump day, plays games, and allows them to listen to music on Fridays. He also wrote aboutGo Noodle, a site for teachers, students,and parents. It's an educational site with numerous fun and interactive videos that can be used for "brain breaks" throughout the day. It is a wonderful resource to get the students up and moving, and excited about learning! The site includes links to Zumba videos, kids bop music videos, and much more. I hope to use all my new resources and things I've learned so far to become my future students', best teacher ever.

Blog Assignment 13

We've discussed the use of PBL and technology in typical education classroom settings, but what about special education classrooms? Some disabilities effect motor skills, making class discussions and/or group projects difficult. For this reason, technology is a major asset in special education classrooms.
Special Education teacher, Lace Cook, says her vision for her classroom is, "To teach them more about new technology that's coming out so that they can transfer those skills into their work experiences in the future, and continue using it." Imagine you are a teacher for children with special needs beginning to use technology for your class. What is your vision for your classroom,and how will you use technology, or PBL, to accommodate your students' needs and goals?
Here are the sources for you to use when answering these questions:
Technology in Special Education:Lace Cook
Integrating Technology in a Special Needs Classroom
Project Based Learning for Special Education and Inclusion
______________________________________________________________

Over the semester I have studied and learned many things about PBL and technology in the classroom. Although some students lack motor skills, they are still capable of actively participating in their education, thanks in major part to technology. The video,Technology in Special Education:Lace Cook, shows students communicating through their technology, and enhancing their education. For example, one student couldn't write easily so he fell behind. By using his computer and typing his work instead, he doubled his speed. My vision for my classroom is to give my students a voice not only in the classroom, but around the world.
Assistive technology will provide this voice while motivating the students to learn, according to Integrating Technology in a Special Needs Classroom. I agree! Allowing the students to use technology gives them opportunity to explore, and exceed our expectations. Just as the students in the video did. Their voices can be heard around the world through a class website that would be set up showcasing their work and accomplishments thus far.

C4T #4

SpeEd Change
I had the pleasure of commenting Mr. Ira David Socol's blog post on Dyslexia, and offering variety in the classroom. It was one of the most wonderful posts I've read all semester. He talks of his research regarding effects on dyslexia, and how to help it overall. However, after research, he decides there is no general fix to this disability. Every person is different. Some people with dyslexia can see letters fine, but have problems with graphs. This person's needs probably won't match a person that sees words backwards' needs. Thus, the need for variety. This could mean one person prefers technology to read while another uses paper, or blue font instead of black. Giving options will not only address more students, but also gives them the power. Power to take control of their learning, and exceed expectations. The slideshare below is a presentation of his Toolbelt Theory. "Toolbelt Theory" suggests that we must teach our students how to analyze tasks, the task completion environment, their own skills and capabilities, an appropriate range of available tools...and let them begin to make their own decisions." (slide 2) The presentation goes on to explain how to prepare schools, students, and teachers. Technology is a major component of preparation, as it's importance in the classroom is continuing to rise. The last 15 slides are resources including a variety of technologies uses in the classroom.

Toolbelt Theory from Albemarle County Public Schools

Project 12 Part B

Project: The 4 Seasons
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Standards: SC(K)9 Identify Seasons of the year. Describe seasonal changes in the weather.

C4T3

Andrea Kerr's blog, For the Love of Teaching Math is a great resource for math teachers or even any teacher looking into making lessons more fun. She has a link on her blog to the site, Teachers Pay Teachers. This could be a wonderful PLN. It is a site that teachers all over buy and sell resources they have or need. It has various grades and subjects. I would definitely suggest looking into it! Her post I commented on was about her math lessons about integers, and how she made them fun. She turned a lesson into a game, this gave the students desire to learn the lessons so they could play the game. She provided videos for the games. I enjoyed her blog and will have to keep it for resources.

For my second post on Mrs. Kerr's blog, I commented on her favorite things. By favorite things she did not mean color or food, but instead resources for her classroom. The resource I found to be my favorite is her game, Fortune Teller. It is used to help with solving equations. This game reminds me of one I played as a child, and loved. One student acts as the "teller" holding the apparatus and manipulating it, while the other will choose the number and equation to workout. She created this game herself. It has been successful in not only her class, but, thanks to Teachers Pay Teachers, also other classrooms across the country!

Blog Assignment 12

Project 14

We created a lesson plan for second grade English and Language Arts, for project 14. The project will include a partner and together they will create a Prezi presentation. In order to complete the project, the students must understand, and identify, specific components of a story including story type, characters, and main points. After completing the story Officer Buckle and Gloria, the groups will begin creating their Prezi. It must include a summary, pictures, and details about the characters.

Calendar
Lesson Plan
PBL Checklist
Rubric

Blog Assignment #11

The video Back to the Future, gives us a brief look into how technology, PLNs, and PBL enhanced his students' learning. Poverty is a major issue in some cities of our country, this takes a hindering on the education in those areas. The quality of education in these cities is much lower causing students to fall behind in various subjects and/or areas, and only getting worse from lack of addressing the issue. Getting students involved in their education, and motivated! In this video I have learned that there are going to be children from all walks of life in my classrooms, I must find a way to address the issue so they can have the quality education they deserve. In the video he develops a project for the class, with the students' help of course. In the end of the video he returns to the topic of a project the his students completed/presented. This project involved a can being crushed from an air pressure change.

Through their PLNs, built from their personal blogs, classes from other countries were able to watch, and gain interest in, the can crushing project. One class was so interested they wanted to conduct the experiment as well, but their teacher wasn't sure what to do. Mr. Crosby gave his students the opportunity to take the reigns and showcase what they learned by teaching the other class through a video lesson. This applied to many things the students needed such as review of the material, writing of speeches and practicing for articulation, showcasing complete understanding and application of pressure and its effects on certain objects. These students that were falling behind in below grade level knowledge, are now showcasing the application of what they are learning, and surpassing expectations. They communicate well with one another and the audience, and provide a new way to learn. The audience includes students and teachers from classrooms all over the world; they are reaching out to the world through education.

In the next video, Everything is a Remix, he opens with a very interesting picture that immediately drew me in, and that made me question how he was capturing his students' attention. I was not let down. He begins his year with an oil disk and a mirror and simply spins the disk. It does not sound like an attention grabber, until you realize it is almost 2 minutes later, and it is still spinning. This immediately raises questions, which is where he begins his learning process.
QUIVERS:
QUestions
Invesitgation/Inquiry
Video
Elaboration
Summary quiz
He uses this as a sort of pathway for his lessons. He goes into detail of what exactly each step entails and how the students research apply what they learn. By engaging students immediately he gives the students the control of what will go on the classroom and what/how they will learn. Starting the year with this is a great ice breaker for teacher and student. Establishing a comfortable and thrilling environment for the students early is important. This also can give the teacher a general idea of where the students are academically and what their interests might be, for future reference.

This video was one of my favorites so far! It showcased how important and useful PBL can be. The students in this video created a comic of their own super hero saving the day, using technology. This project immediately peaked the students' interests because they got to have fun and actually create a personalized super hero. They also wrote a narrative about being a good digital citizen and using the internet safely, which practiced their writing skills. This is a real world issue that students need to be aware of, especially since classrooms are using technology and the internet more and more in the classroom. Creating these super heroes and narratives seems like just a fun activity, but the students end up covering very important tips and rules for using the internet. Some tips students discussed were to keep personal information private, and stopping online gossip. The wonderful thing about PBL is the ability to apply academic lessons to real world experiences.

Blog assignment #10

What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy?
Little Kids...Big Potential
-Interview with Mrs. Cassidy part 1
-Interview with Mrs. Cassidy part 2
-Interview with Mrs. Cassidy part 3

It is a pleasure seeing such wonderful educators, and being able to learn from them! Mrs. Cassidy is an inspiration for anyone wanting to take advantage of technology in the classroom, as she basically taught herself. I hope to be as motivated to learn as she and her students are, knowing it is an ongoing process. There are always going to be some struggles with change. One problem I might encounter will be access to resources. Not all people come from the same background and opportunities. This means that not all students will be capable of having technology accessible at home and school. One way this could be addressed is having the county fund some of these learning tools for those students and they are responsible for damages or losses. The district could have ability to authorize only certain apps and sites keeping the product as secure as possible. One thing I look forward to using that Mrs. Cassidy takes advantage of is blogging. The students are so excited about their blogs and sharing their work with the world, and not just for recognition, but because they hope to learn more! I notice myself getting more excited about what I am learning so, and I hope to pass that along to my students. One goal of mine is to help get my students as excited about learning as her students are. The recognition and comments they receive, from all over the world, help instill confidence and pride in their work; while also enabling them to continue learning.

C4k October Summary

Cylie's Blog
Cylie is in Mrs. Ripp's 7th grade class. Her blog post concerned her, and her peers', abilities to make decisions about school. She explains her opinions on the start time for school, and offers a later time they could start. When I was her age I remember it being very difficult to wake up, but as I got older it got easier. I explained to her that over time it will get easier to wake up. She also made a comment regarding making their own schedules. I told her, as something to look forward to, college students choose their own schedules. I enjoy seeing the many ideas and solutions students come up with, at any age. She did a great job considering both sides, but in the end made her decision.

Ruby's Blog
Ruby is in Mrs. Essenburg's class. I commented on her All About Me post. She told readers about her family, friends, hobbies, and much more. For my response I told her what we had in common; siblings, likes, and pets. We both have a brother, like swimming, and have a dog. However she also can play guitar, which I think is very cool. I think all children should have something they are very passionate about and enjoy. She was very descriptive in her post, and left nothing out.

Sateki's Blog
Sateki is a year 6 student at PT England school in NZ. His most recent post was about the argo. Sateki states, "The Argo is called an amphibian because it half boat & half car so it can go on land and water." His post was very descriptive, and he included his own story. The story is about some kids that go mud riding on an argo. His blog was very good with descriptions and organization; it's interesting to see what goes on in other countries especially in a different point of view.

Blog Assignment #9

What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?
All throughout my years of schooling I have been given projects. From presenting powerpoints to creating a mousetrap racecar, I was sure there was not much I had not done. Then, I enrolled in EDM310. So far in this class I have made a blog, movies, and much more. Not only have some of the projects been different, but the ways they were given to me and the lessons they have taught me differ as well.
There are two types of projects, meaningful ones and borderline busywork. To be considered a meaningful project, it must meet two criteria: it must be personally meaningful for the students and it must fulfill an educational purpose. According to, ASCD, seven essentials help makeup a good meaningful project.
1) A need to know- Introduce a project with a video, guest speaker, or lively discussion about its topic. Give the students a reason to want to do this project rather than just having to for a grade.
2) A driving question- This question gives the project purpose challenge the students. Have them help in coming up with the question by brainstorming on the topic as a class.
3) Student voice and choice- Giving the students the opportunity to decide how they want to complete the project or what they want to use gives them a voice. Teachers can give some limited options as to help the students not get overwhelmed, but in the end the students will decide how to carryout the project.
4) 21st century skills- Projects should always help enhance 21st century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and the use of technology.
5) Inquiry and innovation- Have the students trail their own questions with more questions. Causing them to go deeper into the topic than had originally planned.
6) Feedback and revision- Have the students revise one another's work in the team throughout the project. Allow them to use their team rubrics to decide, giving them control with your guidance or assistance.
7) A publicly presented product- Giving the project more meaning than just a grade, has the students care more about the quality. A real audience will drive them to surpass expectations.
These are the things we want for our students to learn. Real world skills and quality work to enhance their futures.

In the video, Project Based Learning for Teachers, we are given a presentation on the importance of technology and its resourcefulness in the classroom. Using technology for PBL opens many more doors for children's research. When they know how to use technology correctly and resourcefully they can ask questions and find the answers and much more.
What motivates students today?, is a video of many students telling us what motivates them. Most of the motivations include their dreams. For instance, one student said their dream to be an accountant motivates them to do well in school. Another student said compliments motivate them. In EDM310 we are assigned classmates' blogs to comment on. The first step we are supposed to complete is complimenting the student on the blog. We should keep this in mind while teaching, because it is always good to have at least one positive note or comment about a student's work. This is very useful information for a teacher because it tell us exactly what we need to do to help our students be excited for school and learning.
Ten Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration in Project Based Learning
This site is full of resources for teachers and students using PBL. Some resources listed include Google Docs, Skype, and Quick Screen Share. These are all useful resources provide by technology that allows students and teachers to work collaboratively and resourcefully.
New Ketchup Cap This site showcases two high school students that used project based learning to solve their issue with watery ketchup caps. The teacher explains how he gets his students to create a topic. I especially enjoyed that he gave the students the opportunity to choose their own topics, starting with "It really bugs me when..." gets the minds flowing on how to fix it. Teaching the students how to resolve relevant issues using project based learning helps give them the tools for their futures.

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning.

My iPhone could be considered my best friend at times, as bad as that may be. I definitely help make up some of this data and percentages. I got my first phone at 13, and it had a camera. i remember it being such a big deal because camera phones were brand new. This was 8 years ago though, so now things are different.
Almost every phone has a camera now and there are many ways to upload or send pictures or videos directly from it. This can definitely be used in classrooms now. Students can video things from their phones and upload them directly to youtube, blogger, etc. Same goes for pictures. This generation uses their phones for various social media posts generally consisting of videos or pictures and a caption or description. That is one less things teachers have to teach about technology in the classes, because most already know.
Some activities that can use smart phones for learning puporses include:
Taking pictures/videos to upload and talk about on blogger.
ChaCha allows students to ask a question using their messaging and the answer is sent back as a response.
For physical education students could use their apps to track calorie intake/loss and download other apps for more specific goals.
Scanning QR codes for audio, and videos.

Project 9

C4T2 Summary

Erin Klein's Blog

Mrs. Erin Klein's blog is one every educator should look into! She not only discusses importance of technology in the classroom, but also the importance of the classroom environment itself. As I read through her posts, I found myself enjoying taking notes more and more.
For my first post, I commented on her post regarding redesigning her classroom, Educational Design. The pictures of her classroom are amazing, it looks like such welcoming environment that students would love. She has such a positive energy and outlook for the class and her students. After seeing her post I will definitely look into making my classroom similar, or at least using some of her ideas. One I really enjoyed was that there were no desks, only tables. I also really like that she got the students' opinions and perspectives. The students should have an input, and if it gets them excited about coming to school and learning, then I am all for it!

For my second post, I commented on her post regarding the Brainfeed app, Feed Your Brain. This post was all about a newly released, top rated, educational app for ages 7+. Brainfeed was created by Mark Hoffman, originally for his kids when they used his iPad. He wanted to ensure they were getting the most out of the device instead of just "watching mindless programming". The device gives you the opportunity to have a secure, ad free educational and entertaining video program. It is said to work like Pandora, in that when you type a subject related topics also come up. I think this will be a very useful app as a teacher. I will be able to ensure the students aren't getting into any trouble with content, and it is educational.

Blog Assignment #8

Teaching and Learning From Randy Pausch
Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. The video is titled, "The Last Lecture" and it discusses achieving childhood dreams. This lecture was given, only a month after doctors told him that he had three-to-six months to live following a recurrence of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Pausch decided to take the news and give it purpose, he took it as time to reflect and help others while he still could. The video was inspiring and very helpful.

In the beginning, Dr. Randy Pausch says "Always have something to bring to the table." I believe, as educators, it is our job to bring resources, knowledge, and activities into the classroom that inspire the children to learn. It is important to remember fundamentals when beginning to teach or learn. His story of Coach Graham shows the importance of fundamentals first or the fancy stuff won't work. In education, we must start small. Letters, numbers, sounds building up to words, math, and syllables so on and so forth. In order to make words for conversation or communication, we must first now the sounds and letters that make it up. Always begin with fundamentals in the classroom. "Brick walls are meant to show dedication" this quote means to never give up! There may be trials along the way, but they are meant to help show determination and practice dedication. Brick walls show up all throughout the lessons, we must keep going. He then gives the tip of the "head-fake" this means to make lessons that have the children think they are doing one thing, ex: playing football, but really they are learning team work and sportmanship, etc. He then discusses the importance of delivery of your message. He tells a story about two men with the same answer, yet they were very different messages. When a question is asked, be sure to listen directly to the person and be positive with the answer, even if you've been asked many questions already. Also ask questions in return, and make sure they are well spoken and direct questions. Teachers can learn from students at any time, that helps to show the students are learning and being able to apply their knowledge in some ways you can't yet. Continuing on about lessons and assignments, he says to give them freedom to come up with many answers instead of limiting it to one. He mentions project based learning and the use of it in the classroom being very beneficial and rewarding. By giving students the freedom to create or help make something they truly care about, we give them more opportunity to surprise us and surpass expectations. His final point is lessons learned. Going over lessons learned in the classroom gives us the opportunity to reflect on ourselves and what we have learned. Reflection allows for corrections. There are many things we might overlook or think we did right, but once we go back we see it wasn't. That allows us to change it and make it better. Reflection in the classroom helps ensure we continue to strive for the bettering and continuance of education. Some of the lessons he hoped to cover in this were to practice humility, never stop learning, give thanks, practice loyalty, and HELP OTHERS. I hope to use these lessons in my future classroom.

Blog Assignment #7

How Do We All Become Learners?

Being my first time using project based learning, I feel as though I still have a lot to learn. However, I look forward to it! In order to get ready for my future, I have many things left to learn and do. I think to ensure I am the best I can be for my students, my skills with technology do need to advance. Technology can be very useful in the classroom so it should be taken advantage of. Just in this class I have seen people using PLN's for philanthropy work, making movies for books, and helping younger students around the world get more involved in blogging. I believe it is a great way to expand our knowledge and capabilities in or out of the classroom. I want for my students to get as much as possible from my class. to make this happen, I have to keep practicing using search engines, blogger, iMovie, etc.
Audio QR Codes This video amazed me! I really like that teachers can record their voices reading a book or saying something and parents have access to it at all times. I believe this would be very useful especially for children that maybe need help with reading or even a foreign language class. I have seen the QR codes during my observation hours, but never seen how they were made. I hope to take advantage of this in my future class room.
iPad Centers
This idea for a center is great for helping children with reading. The students are able to see and hear themselves read certain passages or stories, allowing them to critique themselves. By recording a video they are able to watch it as many times as they would like and or re record in order to fix any mistakes. This will help students learn to self evaluate as well.
Board Builders 1 Board Builders 2 Board Builders 3 Board Builders can be used at a very young age. These videos were students as young as first grade presenting their board builder. It was nice to see such young people so proud of their hard work and really interested in what they were talking about. The young girl in the first video was very helpful in showing us how to search for things and what certain links were. Her project on the moon included a narrative essay about her trip to the moon. The other two videos were two presentations of 2nd grade groups. The two groups built boards on animals, with one being a used to help raise money for a charity. The students were very well spoken in the videos, and very excited about their projects. Great job!
Kindergarten uses iMovie and AVL
Dr. Strange, Elizabeth Davis, and Michele Bennett from Gulf Shores Elementary and Daphne discuss the use of iMovie and Alabama Virtual Library by kindergarten students. Five year old children are taking strides in technology, that I struggle with on a daily basis. It was eye opening and educating to watch. The teachers discussed the children's excitement to learn, and do things on their own. The Alabama Virtual Library allows them to search for anything and have pictures, stories, or resources about that topic, on a kindergarten level. It is easy enough for them to learn, but resourceful enough to keep them going. It is awesome to see such young minds growing in such a positive way. The teachers said that when the kids see a mistake they immediately want to fix it, that's inspiring. I hope to keep these videos in mind when I am struggling with my projects coming up.
We All Become Learners
Dr. Strange, Elizabeth, and Michele discuss us all being learners. Michele speaks about how using technology with students helps change the dynamics in the classroom. She says that because students and teachers are using some of the same resources, now the students can help teachers when they get stuck on something. She said it is amazing to see how helpful these children can be when you give them the opportunity. I am excited, and hope to see all of these improvements in my future classroom.

Blog Assignment #6

Conversations with Anthony Capps

In the first videos, Project Based Learning Part 1 and Project Based Learning Part 2, we watched a discussion about PBL between Dr. Strange and Mr. Anthony Capps. Anthony is a former student of EDM310, and now teaches 3rd grad in Baldwin County at Gulf Shores. He is a big advocate for project based learning. This is my first class with PBL, and I am just learning how to do everything so these videos definitely helped. In video one he says the major needs of PBL includes authentic audience for motivation, student interests, involves the community, and is content standards driven. Students will be much more likely to enjoy learning if it is something that interests them and motivates them. What I enjoy about PBL is that it is useful in so many more ways than just the classroom. He talks about his students' letters to congress and how it helped them to talk about something they were passionate about. It gave them the opportunity to take control and give their opinions. In the second video, he talks about an instance where the principal came in during a lesson. When the administrator wanted to ask questions about PBL he gave the children the opportunity to answer, and they thrived. His description of their excitement to answer questions and show off their work is exactly the reaction children should have about learning. I want for my future students to be as proud of their work as I will be.
iCurio
Another video discussion between Dr. Strange and Mr. Anthony Capps about iCurio in the classroom. I have never heard of, nor used, iCurio until this class. In this video I learned that it is an online tool that works like a search engine, but can search many things such as audio and video. Another useful thing about it is that it allows you to store things you found resourceful, and keep it organized. There are features for different subjects such as historical figures and timelines. You also have the ability to narrow results with specific criteria. I believe this could be a very useful in the classroom for students or teachers. I hope to soon start taking advantage of it.
Discovery Education
Anthony tells us Discovery Education is very useful for students and teachers. He says the science and history resources are extremely useful for projects and research. Using visuals along with texts will help the students retain the knowledge easier, and they can use some of them as resources.
Strange Teacher Tips
Key things for new teachers to think about. 1) You have to really be interested in learning yourself. In order to teach about learning you must want to learn yourself. 2) Hard work, but it is very rewarding, and can be fun if you let it be. 3) Be flexible in your creativity and your class plans. 4) Get kids engaged! 5) Be able to reflect on your own works and self evaluate.
Additional Thought
Anthony gives us some additional tips for the classroom.
4 layers of a lesson
1) A year: How it fits with your year and content standards. Broken into units
2) A unit: Projects and lessons that connect and scaffold properly. Broken into weeks
3) A week: Every day has everything getting done. Broken into days.
4) A day: How you deliver it to your students to keep them engaged daily.

Project 13

Our group created a lesson plan on teaching 3rd graders about the Temperate Forest. We chose to teach them about the location, weather, plants, animals, and ways to help environment. We used Project Based Learning in order to keep their interest in the subject alive. Our goal is for them to use technology to research 2 of the 5 topics covered throughout the week and create a learning web to hang around the classroom. Provided below is our checklist, calendar, rubric, and lesson plan used for this project.

Checklist
Calendar
Rubric
Lesson Plan

C4K September Summary

"Shayne's Blog"
Shayne goes to school in England. He is in his 7th year of school there. His post was about a game they play at school called Ki o Rahi. It is a combination of netball and rugby. He gives a great description of the game and some pointers. I really enjoyed his post because it was so informational. I explained to him that we don't have such a game in America, but we do have rugby. I told him of my rugby knowledge and background, and wished him luck in his future games.

"Lacy's Blog"
Lacy from mrs Schraml's class wrote a post about D.A.R.E. and gave facts about smoking. She tells the legal age requirements as well as the number of harmful ingredients. I made sure to tell her that Alabama was one of the states with a different age. As I read through the comments it reminded me of how passionate I once was about D.A.R.E and its purpose. I am glad to see such great program still being used in schools today.


"Madelyn's Blog"
Madelyn's blog post I commented this week was regarding seating arrangements for lunch, and how she disagrees with it. She does a great job explaining why she disagrees, and is very respectful. I remember not liking seating arrangements in school, but I am still not sure I will completely veto it out in my classes. I can see the benefit for learning names and taking attendance.


"Kaili's Blog"
Kaili's blog post was about the book Marley and Me. She wrote a question about the book's setting and gave her answer. Previous posts seemed to be similar, asking questions and giving answers. In my comment, I told her how I had never read the story, but loved the movie. I have heard great things of the book so I am sure she will enjoy it.

Project 7

My Sentence Is....


My Passion Is....

Project #3

Blog Assignment #5

Personal Learning Networks
This class is the first to introduce PLNs to me; PLN stands for "Personal Learning Network". Personal learning networks help teachers and students gather multiple sources of information on a certain topic, from one common place. The components of a PLN include the people and tools you receive assistance from. Some forms of PLNs include twitter, facebook, and/or blogs. For my PLN I chose to use Twitter. To build my PLN I started following specific current educators that also use twitter. Along with older teachers and peers in my past, my PLN will continue to grow and become more useful as time passes. I can use my PLN to ask questions I don't know answers to, and to get new ideas from resources added by others.

Using Multiple Search Engines

I always say, "Google is my best friend!". Any time I get on the internet, whether it be by phone, desktop, or Ipad, Google is the first site pop up. Sometimes even if I know the site I need to go to I type "Google.com" first, out of habit. As an assignment we were required to look up and test 8 other search engines. The first being "Wolframalpha.com". After only 5 minutes, I was hooked. It is so convenient! The organization is immaculate, and the information is extremely thorough and specific. However, I do feel as though it is more of a biographical research type of site instead of a general search engine site, such as Google.
My other sites I found by looking up "Search engines for beginners" because although I use technology quite often, I do not feel as though I have it even close to figured out yet.
Site #2: From a list for beginners I found, "Dogpile.com". This search engine is very similar to Google. It has all of the same options such as images, videos, shopping, etc. It gave results in a timely manner and they were well organized.
Site #3: "AskJeeves.com", I used nearly every day as a child. I was introduced to this search engine in 2nd grade and used it especially for my TAG class. This site is also very similar to Google in that you can specify your search with image, news, videos, etc. However the layout seems to be easier to read, a reason my teacher chose for us to use it.
Site #4: "Bing", is a very well known search engine. This search engine is quick and gives many specific links for the topic searched. It would seem to be very useful for Microsoft users.
Site #5:, "Yippy.com", is especially good for academic searches or government related topics. Search time was efficient, and the pop ups were limited.
Site #6: "Webopedia.com", is a great search engine for technology related topics. It is a resource site for encyclopedic information on technology and computers. Great for non-technological people!
Site #7: "Archive.org" is good for going back to past web posts and websites. This search engine allows us to go back to specific events or times without having to sift through all of the results from Bing or Google. Very well organized, and easy to use after some time.
Site #8: "Mahalo.com" is a site powered by people. This means actual people go through various site of information and research to find the best and most specific results. There are many less results, but they are very specific and well researched. I enjoy this site because it has suggestions in categories for searches. It seems to be very easily understood and used.

C4T Summary

"Wisdom Begins with Wonder"
The teacher I was assigned to was Mr. Rice, teacher at an Indian Reservation in Washington. His blog is about improving education in the classroom in every way possible. He has posts regarding standardized tests, technology in the classroom, and different teaching methods. For my posts I commented on the most recent posts. The first from June 4, 2014 and the second from February 21, 2014. In my posts I made sure I introduced myself and my reasons from commenting. I enjoyed his posts because he seems to be very passionate about ensuring his students are learning in his classroom. He seems to really care about being his best to help them become their best.
June 4, 2014
"My name is Tiffany Wake, and I am an elementary education major at the University of South Alabama. One of my classes requires me to comment on assigned blogs each week, and for this week I was assigned yours. I think your methods for teaching are exactly what education needs! Hands on, fun activities that keep the students engaged is exactly what we are being told to do in our classrooms for the future. In high school we had to take the same test you are speaking of, and as test time got closer we got stuck using the book reviews and worksheets much more than desired. I felt as though it took from my learning experience and I was doing more memorizing rather than learning. I wish you the best of luck in your with these exams, and your classes. Keep pushing for the, “Real-world learning” you aren’t alone in your efforts!
Tiffany Wake"
February 21, 2014
"Mr. Rice, To better ensure I got the entire message of the song, I looked up the lyrics. Just as fellow students have posted I believe the lyrics are not appropriate for younger ages, but the message is fit for all. I am also, an eternal optimist, always hoping for and going for the best. I believe attitudes can be contagious, and you never know if you are the one person to send a positive message someone’s way. Teachers sometimes must be a confidant, listening ear, mentor, and educator all at once. They hope to instill good morals and positivism in their students so they can have/make a better future. Tests and grades shouldn’t be the only way a students education is measured. Children should be learning for the sake of bettering the future, not for the sake of a 4.0 and scholarship.
Tiffany Wake"
One post that stuck out most to me from his blog was this video. It has a very strong message to send about education. As he states in his post, this video does contain some profanity and is not for all readers.
Blue Scholars "Commencement Day"

Blog Assignment #4

What Do We Need to Know About Asking Questions to be an Effective Teacher?
Principal Ben Johnson tells the truth no teacher wants to admit, students do not always listen or pay attention. He says throughout his observations he noticed some children never answered even one question they just waited for others to do it for them. Therefore, we must get creative with our questioning process. Ben Johnson's blog says an effective method he researched was on of Mary Budd Rowe. She recommends asking a question and waiting three seconds to call a student's name to answer. She says this gives students time to think about the answer, and nothing else. I believe this would be an effective way of questioning because then the students would be trying to figure out the answer instead of looking around the room for other hands, or hoping not to be called on. Also, the random names will help keep students focused and ready to answer, if called upon.
Right Way to Ask Questions

Asking Questions to Improve Learning
One point that stuck out to me in this article was that teachers should avoid asking questions that could have the answer within them. As a student, I am guilty of favoring these questions on tests. I know they hinder my learning though because I don't retain that information. I am too concerned with knowing I got at least that one right. If students don't have to actually learn the material to pass, they won't. These days students get so consumed with passing they forget the whole purpose of school is learning and building skills for their future. As a teacher, I hope to stay away from these questions so I can ensure my students will remember what school is for.
Asking Questions to Improve Learning

Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom
Maryellen Weimer's first point says to, "Prepare questions". I believe this will be the most helpful in my teaching. Preparing questions before class will help me ensure I am asking and or teaching the right things. By preparing questions early, I can look them over and make changes, or omit some if I feel they don't help the lesson. Having questions prepared, I can spend more time focusing on my students and ensuring they are paying attention and truly understanding the lesson. If we already know the questions, then there should be no confusion on what we are teaching and what we hope the students will learn. Her second point "Play with questions," gives the idea of keeping a question unanswered for a little while to keep the thinking process going. This could be helpful for discussions. Giving the students time to think more into their answers could bring up better and longer discussions. The final point given was, "Preserve good questions," meaning save some questions that were asked, to help. She says it also shows that the teacher remembered and took into account what the students say and do.
Three Ways to Ask Better Questions

Asking Better Questions
This video discusses the difference in close ended questions and open ended questions, and how they effect the learning. She says open ended questions are more challenging and require more thinking, but give so much more on the information. Close ended questions stop the students at yes or no and requires no more thinking than that. Open ended questions require students to think and tell more about their answers and beliefs. The example she gives is a questions about Rosa Parks and her effects on society after refusing to give up her seat. Keeping this question open ended allows for many more answers and discussions to come about. Learning is not just about what the teachers have to say and offer, but also about the surroundings and students' offerings.
Asking Better Questions

Blog Assignment #3

How Can You Provide Meaningful Feedback to Your Peers?


Peer editing takes place in classrooms of various ages and sizes. It can be a difficult task; we must always check that we are commenting on and correcting posts appropriately. For this blog post, the links provided gave information and tips on how to provide meaningful feedback to peers. Each link provided different materials, examples, and scenarios to effectively help students with peer editing.

The first link gave a description of what peer editing is. The video discusses the three steps for peer editing. The first step it talks about is complimenting. Always be sure to compliment the writer on what was done well in the post before beginning to critique. The next link was a slide show that also discussed these steps. Besides the first step, this link also mentioned the second rule suggestions. It provides us with examples of how to edit writings by complimenting and giving a suggestion on how to fix or enhance the writing. For example, "Your post on peer editing and corrections was very well written, but to help be more effective try adding some links to support your statements." Sometimes we do not realize there could be a better way to write something so it is nice to get feedback and suggestions from others. The final video link of the students was my favorite for it added humor to the lesson, and allowed the kids to have some fun. This video covered all of the steps as well, but the one I focused on was the final step, corrections. I enjoyed seeing the children act out different examples for giving corrections. Picky Patty was my favorite because it showed that by pointing out every mistake with no compliments or nice suggestions the other student is likely to get upset. Some people are easily embarrassed so it is nice to give corrections with positive attitudes so the student doesn't become offended and defensive. These videos were very informative, and gave me many ideas for my peer reviews yet to come.

Blog Assignment #2

What Will Teaching in the 21st Century be Like?
1) I believe the central message of this video was to show how not to use technology in the classroom. The professor utilized the technology, but failed to incorporate the class itself. Throughout the video all he did was use power points, and he stayed behind the desk where no one could see. Therefore, the students failed to learn. His lack of class participation showed in the final minute of the video, as students couldn't even recognize which song was playing let alone what dance to do. I agree with the conclusion that although power point can be useful and easier, I feel class participation would have been more useful and successful for this class. It is very easy to get bored reading slide after slide, teachers need to be sure to incorporate other techniques. Another option the professor could have used was having the slides up with the footsteps shown, but partnering the students to try it themselves as well.

2) Roberts believes teaching in the 21st Century means utilizing all of our technological resources, but use must first be taught. Throughout the presentation, he brings up the questions how, where, and why not? How do you engage instead of simply entertain? Where is the center of knowledge now held? Why not use cell phones, Ipods, and social medias as aids in the classroom? I agree with his arguments. I believe technology in its entirety should be used in the classroom, but correct use should be taught. I feel that knowledge is straying away from teacher being the sole providers, just as Roberts stated in the beginning of the video. As a student, Google is the first site I go to when looking up anything. However, I do not know how to limit my search results or word my questions for the most accurate answers because I was never taught how. If technology was more utilized than scrutinized in the classroom students would be better equipped. Technology can be seen as simple entertainment at times because we aren't aware of its real Google, Wikipedia, and Blogger give us the opportunity to see multiple perspectives and or facts all at once. By learning to use technology for engagement, instead of entertainment, I will be able to help my students do the same. Teaching how to use search engines, and create blogs or video lessons will enable them to learn much more than just what I can teach in one class.

3) The video discusses the student's process and journey through one of his classes, where the professor give the few lectures and there is no textbook. The question is asked, "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" and throughout the video I caught myself wondering the same thing. It is said the professor gives very few lectures, and uses technology as the main source. After watching the video a second time, paying close attention to the end and beginning, it becomes clear why the teacher is needed. The teacher may not give many lectures, but that is because she provided the sources necessary without them. She provided the building blocks, such as other students, links to databases, and required these students utilize the technology given. Without this teacher during these things this student probably wouldn't have learned how to use the RSS or that he could hear podcasts of the professor all over the country on his Ipod, for free. This teacher enabled her students to embrace and engage in technology so they could further use these resources in other classes in future experiences.

4) Vickie Davis' thesis is that the teacher shouldn't expect to be the only educator in his or her classrooms, students, and other teachers from all over should be as well. I believe Vickie Davis' method of teaching is very interesting and rewarding for students. Her ability to have students engage and interact with other students not only is her classroom but in classrooms all over is very successful. If a student is capable of teaching another person how to do something than there is no question that he or she has master that objective. The students interacting with students in other countries is interesting because they can see what is going on at other schools and places not even close to them. If a teacher allows others to be the informant at times then the opportunities and objectives to learn are limitless.

5)I have never heard of this method of teaching. As I watched and learned about the method, I was torn between whether it would help or hurt the students in their learning. In the end, I felt this method would be less useful to me as a teacher. As an intern at a school already, I have seen the downside to relying on school things begin done at home. The first con I see to this method is that not all students have access to computers at home. The video said it would be acceptable for those students to come in and do the assignments in the morning, but that could lead to students being a different places in the lessons. That also points out who may or may not have access to computers at home which could lead to other issues with students. Also, in my experience, not all parents are willing to, or capable of, ensuring the students actually do the work or follow through with the assignments. Some feel it is the teacher's job to ensure students learn it in class. If those students don't do the work at home, they will come in behind on the lessons, setting different paces.

Blog Assignment #1

What About EDM310?

I have heard many things about EDM310. Some of what I have heard about EDM310 are that it is difficult, but useful. It is difficult because it is a large amount of work, but very useful to help teach organization and better use of technology in your classes.

My fear,as an avid procrastinator, is that I will fall behind. There is a lot of work that comes with this course. I am worried that if I put anything off I will not complete everything on time. Staying focused will be a very beneficial for this course.

I expect EDM310 to be the same as other college courses with strict deadlines and workload. I think it may be a little more difficult than other classes because my technological skills are limited. This class will call for plenty of practice.

Like I said, I believe my biggest difficulty will be staying on top of my assignments. Setting aside times for me to complete the work I believe will help me to stay ahead or on time. Keeping a strict schedule always helps me to feel more prepared and confident. As long as I pay attention to deadlines I feel confident I can succeed in this course.

I don't have any questions for this course just yet, but I am sure plenty are soon to come.

Practice Blog Post

Who am I? Why do I want to be an educator? What does an educator do in his or
her practice? What are my passions?
Name: Tiffany Wake
Why teach?: Loved teaching as a child. A child with down syndrome came into my life at 14 which sparked my love for special needs.
Educators role: Shape the future. Groundwork for how and what people learn.
My passions: my family, friends, and traveling.

Hello, my name is Tiffany Wake. Growing up I always loved to play school,as time passed, my love for teaching children grew. At 14 I met a child with down syndrome to say she changed my life would be an understatement. Because of her, I decided to teach children with special needs when I got older. An educator helps lay the groundwork for how and what people will learn. No matte the level of an educator, they are still helping to enhance the future passing along knowledge. My family is the most important thing I have in my life. I have one older brother married with one little girl. My mother and father live in the house we were raised in, on the line of Louisiana. Our small town life made us very close and I go home at least once every month for family dinner. My friends are my support group and people I make all of my favorite memories with. Traveling is a huge passion for all of us. I love new places and exploring. I feel like every new experience is just another chance to learn.

As stated earlier, I am a small town gal. I was born and raised in Pearlington, MS. Growing up we had one post office, one school, and one community center. Needless to say,everyone knew everything. While I loved my family and friends back home, I wanted to venture out and have new experiences. A friend of mine came to South the year before me, and told me to come visit campus. I came and loved everything about the campus and students. The distance was just enough for me to still watch my niece grow up and have my new adventures.

I really like to run outside and go places. Througout this semester I hope to get better at not procrastinating. Upon graduation I hope to move to Hawaii to teach for a few years before settling down.

Test

Test post for EDM 310