Sunday, April 26, 2015

Blog Post #5-Part B

Since the beginning of this semester my PLN has grown tremendously. It first started out adding some Professors from the class to my Twitter, but throughout the course it kept growing and growing. Now added to my PLN are professors and kids from other schools. This was an interesting task to do since they were a different age level than me. I really liked reading the kids blogs. Blogging was introduced to me during this course in college, and to see young children already making post was wonderful to witness

The PLN that affected me the most was my group Team Panther. Having to communicate and worked together with new people about every week this semester has truly been the biggest advantage of this class this semester. The point of PLN is to connect with others and have others around you with ideas to help you when needed. Without this forced PLN group I probably wouldn't have been as successful as I have in this class.

From the beginning of the semester, I didn't even know what a PLN was. But I see now who you connect with on a daily basis, or just maybe once helps grow your PLN everyday.

Blog Post #16 Part A

Technology and Teaching

Technology is always changing, transforming and improving. We believe that
technology in the classroom is key for success in getting students ready for college and a career. The earlier we start teaching them technology  and working with it consistently, the better. When the students reach college and career level they will need to know technology skills to
keep up. The main issue right now is that most schools are unable to provide students with the necessary technology tools. If schools were equipped to aid in technology and teaching, it would revolutionize the way students learn and communicate.


tech n teach.jpg

As a team we discussed how using technology in the classroom has come a long way.  No longer is there just a chalkboard and  notebooks and pencils.  Technology has moved into the classroom. Technology has entered the classroom in two outstanding forms such as smart boards and computers device with all the capabilities that go along with them. With the smartboard, an oral presentation now can have visual material to go along with the lecture. The smart board still has the capabilities of a chalkboard but it gives the student and teacher options of pictures and shapes and even sound to go along with their written material. The computer device in a classroom also changes the dynamics of how learning can be achieved. With the computers devices the students can go to the internet and explore material that their teacher has assigned to them. The internet not only has written material, but the students may also be able to see pictures or even videos on the assigned material for their class.images

A smart board and computer devices in the classroom has definitely changed the way we perform teaching, but using project based approach to learning is one of the main reasons this technology works so effectively in the classroom. Project based learning approach can be the format to which teachers guide their class through the assignments that she would have given them. The project base learning approach has many benefits.  It can be used by individual students, small groups or even by the entire class. There is no limitation on the degree to which a student can engage in the topic because the internet has a vast amount of information on the subject and related topics given to any assignment. Project base learning has moved the class from pencil and paper to the internet. The class is no longer limited to just the knowledge of the teacher but to the unlimited vast material on the internet concerning the assigned topic. The teacher, as well as the students then both become learners of the given assignment. Technology and project base learning have started an ever changing transformation in the classroom. The only sure thing about technology and project base learning is it will continually be changing the way our students will find new ways to learn.

Blog Post #14

This week instead of watching a video, we read an article called,Teaching Can Be a Profession,
by Joel Klein. This article is on what Joel Klein had seen over the past 8 years of running New York City's Public School System, and what things he would change.

Pick From The Best is what the first issue is called.  Some solutions he comes up with are better training for prospective teachers, find a better way to recruit teachers, and not just let anybody with a degree have one. Lastly, he writes that we should change how we reward teachers. Stop rewarding teachers for their seniority, since he believes much of their teaching styles rarely change.

Seniority Distraction was the next one talked about. A solution would be to professionalize teachers. By doing this excellence would be the guiding hallmark. And using this core principle through course work, education-school admissions, to compensation.

Radical Change was the last situation written. Albert Shanker proposed that teachers establish their own boards to police the profession. Also, teachers would be subjected to merit-based career ladders and promoted on specialty exams.

One of the situations he mentions in the article that I completely agree with is Seniority Distraction. Most teachers just have that push to get their tenure years of teaching where their job is solid and there isn't a chance for them to get fired. The problem of this is that their is no push to keep their job since their is no consequence of having it in jeopardy. I do not agree with Picking From the Best as a situation that needs to be handled. I believe there would be a decrease in teachers for one and also, some of the best teachers are the ones that can relate to the students, not just talk over them. Radical change is an interesting one, but I still haven't decided if I agree with it or not.


Overall, I liked this article and found it a very interesting read. I can tell that Klein loves teaching and wants to see some changes in their system of it in the near future. Also, the points he brought up in this article were definitely ones worth talking about and mentioning.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Blog Post #13

Blog Post #13 Instructions

 Blog Post #13 Instructions

With Mathematics being such a interesting subject matter for students, watch Stop Teaching Calculating, Start Learning Maths! and comment about the teaching method Conrad Wolfram talks about.

Stop Teaching Calculating, Start Learning Maths! 

This was a wonderful video to watch that hit many points that I believe in. The speaker in the video is Conrad Wolfram, who invented the mathematical computation website WolframAlpha. Conrad answers the question " Why do students lose interest in math?'. His response is that students lose interest in the subject because it is tedious and doesn't relate students to the real world. He believes that students should of course learn the basics, but once students hit the difficult computation subjects they should be taught through computer programming. I agree with his philosophy of teaching because teachers focus too much on how to get the answer instead of teaching students why we get the answer and where it comes from. If students were able to get the answer through the computer, teachers can focus on telling students what the answer means and also take the extra time and compare it to a real world example. I hope teachers start leaning towards this way of teaching, especially to help students not give up on Mathematics

 

 

Thursday, April 16, 2015

C4T #4

Post #1
http://wmchamberlain.blogspot.com/

The teacher I had this week was William Chamberlain. The title of his post was "Break the Code of Silence (and Give a Public Pat on the Back)". In his post he talks about the fact that he believes teachers should share publicly what they go through in the classroom, or what wonderful things their kids do. He also states that even though most educators do not like awards, he likes to nominate his peers so that they can get the recognition they deserve

Comment I Left-

Hey Mr. Chamberlain, I like that you believe teachers shouldn't be ashamed to getting recognized for their work. I also feel like teachers should share what they go through in the classroom, because it could help a fellow teacher if they were going through the same situation. Also, highlighting students publicly is a wonderful things you're doing, might even give them the push to want to do better in your class! Overall good post and interesting read.


C4K April Summary

Post #8
 http://kidblog.org/MrsLsAwesome7thgradeclass2014-2014/author/4d5b96e1-84f1-4203-aa00-01adb862c00a/

The kid I had this week was Madison Y. Her post was about the show Pretty Little Liars. All she talked about was the different women and men character and mentioned that the seasoned finale was on this week. She also mentioned who the director of the show was.

Comment I Left-
Hey Madison, I used to watch Pretty Little Liars myself, but recently stopped because of school and other shows. Its amazing that the show is on the 6th season now, and will soon have a 7th. Good post on informing us who the characters are and who their boyfriends are also.

Post #9
http://kidblog.org/MrGardnersClass-3/8535352d-e138-4ede-9cca-2685487079b6/senses-poem-4/#comment-208

The kid I had this week was named Mackenzie. She posted a simple poem about flowers, with a focus on the senses; smell, see, and hear. It was one of those short and sweet poems.


Comment I Left-
Hey Mackenzie, nice simple poem you wrote on the senses you get from flowers. I had to write poetry alot in high school, so it is good you are starting this young with it.

Post #10
 http://kidblog.org/JHFIClassof2015/339fe1d5-096e-41b3-bf0a-394f22c25d6b/1941/#comment-1214
The kid I had this week was Marcellus. He wrote a simple one sentence post about when he dropped his books and a fellow student helped him pick them back up.

Comment I Left-
Hey Marcellus, I see you had an encounter of a fellow student helping you out with your books when you dropped them. That was pretty nice of them, don't you think! Don't forget when you're writing to capitalize your I, but thanks for sharing such a nice moment with the world.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

C4T #3

http://billgx.com/

Post #1
This week Bill Genereux talks about a video called Connected But Not Alone, by Sherry Turkle. His class talked about Turkle's views on technology. One of Turkle's views is that technology is taking us places we don't want to go to. They pended the questions of are we conscious of how technology is changing us. He concludes the long discussion with,"We just need to be a little more aware of what is happening, and then put our foot down when we don’t like how things are".

The comment I left was:

 Hey Bill,

I don't believe people truly understand how much technology has changed us,  which is why I love this post you wrote. It is so hard even for students to sit through an entire class period without checking their phones at least once. But like you said in your conclusion sentence, " Those who start to figure this out and make conscious choices in how they conduct their lives with regards to technology will be living as the best version of themselves".


Post #2
 The post I commented on this week was called, Pearson's view of the future. It was basically about a professor who showed through video what she thinks the future will be like in education. One of the biggest things that stood out was that each student had a customized lesson plan, which I believe could be extremely beneficial, but hard to accomplish. Overall the post was interesting since it came with a video, and it also mentioned a book that might associated with the video.

The comment I left was:

My name is Chalandra Gooden and I am a student in EDM 310. The video was very interesting on insight on what the future my hold for education. I believe customizing each lesson for each student's learning style would be difficult,, but extremely beneficial if you were able to accomplish that. This video was very new and different to me, but it got me interested in the book you mentioned it was about.

Blog Post #12

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Project #14

 How Much Is A Penny Worth?

Just what is a penny worth?  The project I came up with for my students, would be to search through multiple websites or history books and search the history and density changes in pre- and post 1982 of pennies. They will also research the current price of copper and zinc and compare the ratios or pre- and post 1982 pennies. Students then complete a hands-on lab experiment to determine the mass, volume, and density of pre- and post 1982 pennies, and show the experiment through a presentation or slideshow. Students determine if the pennies are worth saving?


Documents Used:
Project checklist
Group Rubric
Individual Rubric
Project Calendar
Project Overview



Blog Post #11

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

 Brian Crosby's video was very different and unique on the subject of PBL. It was interesting by the way that he used the projects into his routine to get the kids interested in school and how he used the air balloon project in many different ways. Crosby showed how students related to the subject over time after you incorporate them in it more. Crosby really shows you that teaching can become unlimited once the students' creativity comes to play.


GoogleBlended Learning Cycle by Bozeman Science. Bozeman Science has blended learning consisting of 3 components, Mobile, Online and the Classroom. The Learning Cycle of Blended Learning consist of the five "E's"
-Engage
-Explore
- Expand
-Engage
-Evaluate
He uses the acronym QUIVERS, to explain his style of the Blended Learning Cycle, when combining everything together. QUestion, Investigation, Video, Elaboration, Review, Summary Quiz. His method of teaching is a great way to get students to fully understand the material, which is what you want in the classroom. I can see this method working best in the setting that it is presented, a science class, since science takes alot of investigating a subject to understand it completely.


In Making Thinking Visible by Mark Church has his class work in groups.The groups use collaboration learning.  Most people believe teachers just lecture, but there are other ways to get a lesson across. By the teacher setting the students in a group, they learn more than with a lecture. Thinking leads to learning. Future teachers can learn to teach outside of lectures in the classroom from this video.
 
Project Based Learning by Dean Shareski talks about combining classes. He combined three subjects into one project. PBL is already one of the most out the box teaching methods. The video showed how you can go past that limit even more. Students getting bored in class is inevitable,it will happened, but it will rarely happened if teachers can continue to think outside of the box. We can learn that there is no limit to how you can teach material in today's school systems. Technology is limitless and so is teaching and learning.

 Roosevelt Elementary's PBL program by Trish Taylor. The video goes over the benefits of it as well, like the fact that PBL teaches a completely new way of  learning. Students also begin to work on their public speaking skills at a very young age.The children are starting to learn how to take responsibilities seriously.With the students being able to choose what they do, it helps empower their education as a whole. This makes it to where all students can benefit from education. This video shows how students truly learn through PBL. The kids are excited about learning because it is fun and engaging.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Project #12 Part A

C4K March Summary

http://per4justin.edublogs.org/

Post #5
The kid I had this week was Justin from the class and his subject was on job shadowing. He did it at Silver Cross Hospital. He explained about his experience working in the physical therapy room and working with a man named John. He really enjoyed the experience specially since the hospital was new and they got goody bags back.

Comment I left-
Hey Justin!

Its pretty cool you got to see a new hospital up and running. I really liked your blog and how you explained your experience. I'm glad you enjoyed your tine there too because you can learn a lot of cool things at hospitals.

http://per8darius.edublogs.org/

Post #6
The kid I had this week was Darius. His post was on the day Friday the 13th. He mentions that the fear of the date is called Paraskevidekatriaphobia. He also mentions the many superstitions of the date that can bring bad luck to you, such as passing black cats, and going under ladders. Lastly, he talks about some coincidences that have happened on the date, for instance Tupac dying at 1:13.

Comment I left-
Hey Darius,
Interesting post on Friday the 13th! I always found it interesting that people find the date as a date of superstitions. Usually there is always a scary movie coming out at the time also! Your post definitely taught me some new things, like the name of the phobia and also some events in time that have happened on that date.

 http://mrsmaslowski.edublogs.org/

Post #7
The kid I had this week was Connor, but he didn't have any post, so I couldn't comment on anything.

Blog Post #10

What Can We Learn From Mrs.Cassidy?

Mrs.Cassidy uses technology effectively throughout her classroom. She started a webpage that helps students stay focused on what the good sites are, and what will help them learn. She makes the parents sign a permission slip to make sure that it is okay for them to use computers in the classroom. She also takes extra precautions by not only not allowing the kids to use their last name, but she doesn't use the correct picture for the correct kid.The parent's are able to keep up with how their child is doing in the classroom all year round, instead of just parent teacher conferences. Mrs. Cassidy understands that you should want to change because technology is here to stay, and "you are handicapping the kids if they do not use technology". I agree with her because times are moving fast, and to keep up you have to stay on what society is doing. Another reason she stated was that when you write papers in class you typically only have one audience, when you blog the whole world is your audience. It makes an impact on the students when they know that others around the world are viewing their work.


 Teachers have to learn how to use technology. Teachers usually only use them for making documents or spreadsheets.  In the part three video Mrs. Cassidy was asked many questions by Dr. Strange's students via Skype. One student asked how many times a day or week do her students blog? She replied, they usually blog about once a week, sometimes twice. It also depends on the class size, and what they are covering. This is one thing that I would incorporate into my class, since it will keep parents up to date about what is happening in the class. I know parents would love this because it will be an outlet that shows their child's true creativity, but also keeping them informed and protected, since their full name isn't given out. Watching all the videos showed me a good and smart way of incorporating technology into the classroom that I can definitely use in the future.

 Links to the conversations between Dr. Strange and Mrs. Cassidy.


Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

First Graders in Ms.Cassidy's Class 

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Blog Post #9

What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?

The first video I watched was Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning by  John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller list the main points for project base learning. In the video Larmer and Mergendoller say, "A project is meaningful if it fulfills two criteria. First, students must perceive the work as personally meaningful, as a task that matters and that they want to do well. Second, a meaningful project fulfills an educational purpose. Well-designed and well-implemented project-based learning is meaningful in both ways."The website helped me understand the difference from doing projects and understanding projects. This not only teaches us how to present project-based learning as teachers, but it also presents how to make learning meaningful to the students.

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1. A Need To Know
 -This step taught me that you need to give a purpose for students to learn from a project, and not just to do it for a good grade
 2.  A Driving Question
-A good driving question needs to clearly capture the core of the project that gives the students a challenge and sense of purpose.  Without the driving question, the students may not understand why they are doing this project and what they are supposed to learn from it.
3. Student Voice and Choice
- Teachers need to design a project that allows the student to choose a style that fits them and and their learning style. Then students should also be able to choose a topic to study within the the general driving question and choose how to design, create, and present products.
4. 21st Century Skills
-This step was a not a surprise to me. We have to be up to date on our technology skills, since that is what our students will be working with.
5. Inquiry and Innovation
-This drives students to form new questions on their own. Since questions are the basis of all learning, these students are truly using their skills to become better learners. With new inquiries come new answers. Instead of finding someone else's answer in a book or online, students can come up with their own answers when they begin asking new questions.
6. Feedback and Revision
- Students need to learn that revision is something your gonna have to deal with all your life in the real world because it is often that people's first attempt isn't gonna be their best. Revision is a part of life, and feedback must be taken and used to improve what we are doing.
7. A Publicly Presented Project
-When students realize that their work is going to be seen outside of the classroom, the work they does tends to be of much higher quality.


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The next video this week to watch was Project Based Learning for Teachers by Tony Vincent. This video put an importance on  Project Based Learning's ability to incorporate  technology and make students the center of their own learning, which is what PBL is all about. It addresses the key parts of PBL;a driving question, an audience, and extended amounts of time for students to work.

Next was PBL: What motivates students today, by Suzanne Bell. In this video, students explain different techniques that motivate them. A few of my favorites are the classroom money, the candy, and the verbal rewarding. This video was really good, because it showed what motivates students to keep going. It had some great tips to use for when I become a teacher.

Two students solve the case of the watery ketchup by designing a new cap, was another video we watched by Lindsey Float. This video was really cool to watch. Richards and Thompson were two seniors who designed a new cap to stop the ketchup problem. It amazed me that two students invented something to fix a problem. It shows what PBL can really do for students. Using project based learning, the teacher was pleased.

Project Based Learning in PE was the last video by Pflug. This article showed hat not only can teachers that teach core subjects such as: Math, Science, History, and English use project based learning but also PE teachers. It explains that you can challenge students in PE to become healthier by allowing different projects. It also had the students take the lead and coach their own peers.

Project #9 Video Book Commentary

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Blog Post 8

What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From Randy Pausch?

In his Last Lecture Randy Pausch makes  great points about learning and teaching. He had cancer which is why the video is called his Last Lecture. One of the first things that he exclaims is that anything is possible! . In this video, which is to be expected response from a dying man, is that I learned a lot about not only teaching and learning but also to  live every moment like its your last and have fun.

Teachers need to express to their students how important it is to want to learn and have goals/dreams. Randy talks about afterwords about the time he played football, and how he used to want to play in the NFL. You learn from Randy, that even though your dreams may be far reached, always try your best to achieve them. Because like he said before, "Anything is possible"!

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From Pausch I learned to be ready for anything in my teaching career and not to be so strict and worried with life and with teaching. Even though he was giving the perspective from someone that is dying, his philosophy intertwines with what I believe in. Living life to the fullest, go for your dreams, don't worry too much and work hard.

C4T#2

http://billgx.com/
The Art of the Selfie

This week Bill Genereux talked about the Art of the Selfie. He talks about how him adn his tudents went to an Art Center called the Salina Art Center. The selfies were taking from social media and he asked each student these questions.
  1. Who created this message?
  2. What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?
  3. How might different people understand this message differently than me?
  4. What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in; or omitted from, this message?
  5. Why is this message being sent?
Comment I left-
 Hey Bill,

I like how you had your students student a subject that is so current in this day and age. Interesting something as simple as a selfie can have to much meaning or can even be broke down to mean something else. Also, I found it interesting that you all viewed it differently viewed it differently when the pictures were enlarged.

Unknown

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Project #7 Part:B

For my Parents....

For my Students....

Blog Post #7

How do we all become Learners?

The videos this week were to show how teachers can still be learners. The video showed me that I have many tools at my disposal for teaching and allowing students to be their own teachers. However, since I was taught based on lectures, I will have to continuously remind myself that there are other and better ways for students to learn than just me lecturing to them. I do not totally disagree with the use of technology in the classroom because I do think it is beneficial, but I also think teachers need to maintain boundaries and a balance of technology. A strength I believe, is that I will relate to them more since I will be fresh out of school and still understand the struggle of studying and balancing things out. Some of the weaknesses I believe I will have would be wanting students to do their work my way, and with project based learning I would  have to let them explore their options.

The next two videos were very interesting,  iPad Reading and Poplet Center. In these videos, students had projects alone that allowed them do their own research and use tools that they will no doubt need in the future. The way students learn is changing constantly. Instead of the teacher being the only source for information, the students are going out and discovering for themselves. The video We All Become Learners I saw that I cannot just learn my subject and then present it to the students, its more to it than that. I learned that I have to keep learning new ways to do things to really help my students learn. I also have to be willing to let the students take on a teaching role, which I know will be very difficult for me to do.
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 In the video, Audio QR Code Michelle Bennett explains how to record an audio QR code. Students can use it when reading a book that was pre-recorded. Imovie and Alabama Virtual Library, Dr. Strange asks Michelle Bennett and Elizabeth Davis to share about Imovie and AVL and how children in kindergarden are using these many programs. The students use Imovie to make book trailers just like we did in class as a project. While the students learn, the teachers are also learning. Dr. Strange loves to say, "Teachers will never know everything there is to know about everything!" Teachers will teach the students and the students will sometimes have the opportunity to teach the teacher, and I believe this will always be accurate. Our education doesn't just stop at college, its an ongoing thing.