Blog Post 10

What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy?



Mrs. Cassidy has some great ways that she is incorporating technology in her classroom. In the video Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 1, she states all the different things that she has her students doing in her class. Mrs. Cassidy is using blogging in her classroom. It is fun for the students and it's a great way for the parents to be able to see how their child is progressing in her class. Another way, that I found pretty interesting, was the use of the Nintendo Ds. It helps the students learn how to share and it can be an educational device as well. She also takes advantage of using Skype with her class to let them interview people from all over the world. Mrs. Cassidy is using all these different forms of technology in her classroom to make the learning experience better for her students.

Once I become a teacher, I would first start with setting up a class blog because that interest me the most. In the Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 2, she says, "Start using technology in the classroom with what interest you the most." That's what I would be doing with the blogging. I’m also a really big fan of Skype. I would use that in my class as well. I never seen anyone use the Nintendo Ds in the classroom but I thought it was something different and unique to use. I would most likely use that system or I would find something similar to use. I would try to use as much as I could to help my students want to learn. There could be some challenges to face as far as keeping the students safe while using the technology, but I would make sure that I let my students know about the dangers of going to places that are not encouraged. I would also let them know as Mrs. Cassidy states, "Only use your first name when blogging."

There are many benefits to using technology in the classroom. The first benefit is one that we are taking advantage of right now in EDM310 which is Skyping. All these videos are provided by Dr. Strange skyping with other people from around the world. These teachers are teaching us things from miles away so that’s why I'm sure that my students will learn a whole lot by using this tool. Another benefit that comes from using these tools are that the students are getting the chance to learn and get familiar with the technology that they will need when they enter the work force. It’s teaching them lifelong skills. Also, the parents get to be involved with their child learning process from home. The students are getting the chance to work together and help each other grow by the comments that they leave on each other’s blog. There are so many great benefits to using technology in the classroom and that's what makes it worthwhile for the students and the teachers.

C4K Summary #3

The first student that I got to comment on was Addison in Mrs. Tharp's class. In Addison's blog called School Changes, he talks about how there needs to be some changes in the classroom. He thought that videos should be added to the classroom to help them visualize what the teacher is teaching on and that way they would be able to understand better. Addison also talked about if there were videos in his science class, he would be able to see the different shapes and color of the cells that they are talking about. He likes the idea of learning through watching videos. He also brought up the fact that some teachers don't have screens to show a video and they should have a fundraiser to help all the teachers get the screens.

I told Addison that I thought that he made a good point in his blog about being able to visualize things better through videos. I agreed with him because watching a video to see what something is like is better than having to guess. I let him know that one of my teachers wanted me to read a book and then he let us watch the video of the book. I was able to get a better picture of what the book was about. I thought that his fundraiser idea was really good because it would help every class get a screen to watch videos. I concluded with asking him what class did he want to see use more videos?

The second student that I commented on was Nayellib in Miss Jacklin's class. In Nayellib's blog called My Favorite Abuelita, she talks about her favorite grandmother. Her grandmother always know what to do to make her happy. Her grandmother is her mom's mother. Her grandmother is from Peru and she like to make clothing for Nayellib when she has the time. She goes on to say how she started to call her grandmother abuela. She also let us know that her abuela doesn't like American food.

I told her that she made a wonderful post about her grandmother and that I could tell that she liked spending time with her. I told her that my grandmother that was my favorite was my mom's mother as well. I let her know that I called my grandmother Madear and that she was the best grandmother I could have ever hoped to have. The thing that I liked doing the most as a child was going to my grandmother's house and I still like to go to her house now. I let Nayellib know that my favorite thing to do when I went to her house was to help with her garden. I would pick the vegetables and she would cook a good dinner. I concluded by asking her what was her favorite thing to do with her grandmother?

The last child that I got to comment on was Matiu in Miss Garden class. In Matiu's blog called Creative Spring Writing, he talks about how he had to come up with a sentence to add to the sentence that the class picked as the favorite. It was a part of a creative writing exercise that the class was doing. The sentence was about an oak tree in the chilly spring air. Matiu came up with a sentence where he talked about the feelings that he got by being under the oak tree in the spring air. He also brought up that he could see the children playing in the sand.

I told Matiu that he did a great job with the creative sentence that he had to come up with for the writing that they were doing. His sentence made me feel like I was there in the spring air. I also told him that spring was a good time of year. I let him know that when I was his age I loved creative writing and I still do to this day. I asked him what his favorite season of the year was? I concluded with telling him to keep up the good work.

Project #12 Part A

SMARTboard Presentation

Blog Post 9

What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us about Project Based learning?

Seven Essential for Project Based Learning are things that need to be done in order to truly keep the students involved when starting a project. It's based around presenting project material to a students in a way that invites the student in and makes them want to learn. Teachers can show us the correct steps to take to make a project a meaningful and successful one for the teachers and the students. The students produce high quality work when they have a chance to work collaboratively and are able to give each other feedback. Students have the opportunity to create anything if the teachers come up with great projects. The steps that were provided show us a great example of how to produce great work.

In Tony Vincent's video Project Based Learning for Teachers, we are able to see the all the positive effects that can come from project based learning. We see how the teachers are not having to teach the old fashion way. The teachers are also able to benefit by providing students with a driving question and being able to see that the students are thinking on a deeper level. The students are learning by state standards. Also, the students feel like they have the control to create. The results are better work and students wanting to learn. This video is a wonderful way to get people to see how teachers and students thrive from project based learning.

In the video PBL-High School Math, project based learning is the way that all the teachers in Sammamish High School are going to be teaching. It has proven to be difficult to incorporate in some subjects, but it has its benefits for the students and the teachers. The students really liked the collaborative way of learning and it motivated them to want to learn. Also, the students are seeing that the skills that they are receiving are lifelong skills. The teachers are actually getting to work together collaboratively to create new lesson plans for this way of learning. They are experiencing what it is like firsthand because they are working with other colleagues to help them create. Although the school has seen some increase, it has not been proven to be because of project based learning as of yet.

In the video What Motivates Students, we get a good picture of what the students feel that is the reason behind them working hard to get good grades in school. The teachers are the reason that the students like to do well in school because of the rewards that they get motives them. Also, almost all of the students answered it was because they were trying to have a secured future in whatever they would like to be. In this video we can see that teachers play a big part in their students’ lives. We, as aspiring teachers, can see that we are the step to helping children succeed with the skills that we teach them in the classroom.

In the video Two Students Solve the problem of Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap, these two students amaze us with the cap that they came up with. They were in a class that allowed them to explore and create for the whole year. Just by being in that class, these students were able to really put their skills together and solve a problem. That is the whole point of project based learning. The student are able to show us that what we as teachers allow them to experiment with, the results can truly be astonishing.

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

Upon reading what Dr. Strange posted, I was shocked to see that 87% of people that their smartphones never leave their sides in the EDM310 classes. I also saw the 80% says that the phone never leaves their side. I know that I am included in those numbers because my phone never leaves my side. At one point, there was very little technology in the classrooms. By looking at the chart that was provided, it can be seen form 2010 until now how the numbers have climbed over the past several years. These numbers really raise the bar for education. Most of the students have their smartphones with them in class now. They have answers at the click of a button and technology is only getting more advanced. The education standards had to be raised to actually challenge the students.
The schools and teachers are being challenged as well because they have to find things that don't bore the students. The numbers on the chart are only getting higher as the days and years go on. It forces us to get with technology or get left behind. These young people from 18-24 are way more advanced than ever before. Most of them say that they can’t live without the phones and the numbers on the chart confirms that. This chart makes a person wonder what it will be like in the next ten years.

Assuming that most of my students will have smartphone or tablets with a camera, the ideas that I have are to have them create something using one of those devises. My English students would have to do a book trailer on a book of their chose that meets the 9th-12 grade reading standards. I would also have them work together collaboratively in small groups to come up with a presentation that requires them to film themselves. The Alabama College and Career Ready Standards would be the main focus because now teaching and learning is being shifted to project based learning.

C4T#2 Summary

Cathy Jo Nelson is the teacher that I was assigned to comment on. Her first blog that I commented on was about the Somewhat Virtual Book Club (SWVBC). In the blog, Cathy wrote about the virtual book club that had been started within the last few years and she explained all the things that they had planned for the club. Cathy was inviting anyone who wanted to be in the club to join. The SWVBC is an online book club where students and teachers can chat together about books that they have read. The students could chat with people from all over the country about what they got out of the book that they read. Also, during the online meetings, they had a sessions where they got to meet the author of the book that was read and ask them all the questions that they would like. Each month a different school would host the meetings that they would have. Right now, the club has just started out within the last few years and they are trying to get more students to join the fun.

I told Cathy that I thought that the book club was a wonderful idea for the students. The students are not just reading but they are also getting the chance to chat with other from all over about the book they read. I told her that this type of program actually encourages the students to want to read. Also, people read books all the time but it's not often that they get to meet the person that wrote the book. I let Cathy know that she was doing a great job with the program and to keep up the great work.

The second post that Cathy made was about Celebrating Teen Reading Week. Teen reading week is one week where the students can have fun by taking part in games and contest that are set up in the library of the school. The whole object of the program is to get students to really be interested in reading. One of the games that are played is to guess the number of book that are in the whole library and the closest guess wins a prize. They also have a game called "strip" tease where the student draws from a jar that has a quote from a book on it. If they are able to guess the title of the book, then they win a prize. There are many other games that the students could play to keep them learning as well.

I responded to Cathy's post by letting her know that I thought that the program was a great way to get student interested in reading. The games that they played for the students make it seem like the students are just having fun, but they are actually learning at the same time. I told her that the game that I thought was the most interesting is called "strip" tease because the student had to have read the book to know the title. I also told her that more kids should be interested in reading and this program is a wonderful way for them to get involved. I asked Cathy if this program had been going on for years or if it was new. I explained that I did not have fun programs like this one when I was in grade school and I told her to keep up the great work with teen reading week.

Blog Post 8

What Can We Learn about Teaching and Learning from Randy Pausch?



In the video Randy Pausch's last lecture, we are able to learn so much from Randy. He is definitely a brilliant guy with a lot of useful information to provide. Randy talks about his childhood dreams and provides us with a list of everything that he wanted to accomplish as a child. Most of those childhood dreams were accomplished or perused in some kind of way. Randy taught us a really good lesson at the beginning of his lecture when he said, "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." This lesson shows us that we should always press on even when things don't go our ways because there is still something that's being taken away from all the attempts and that is experience. Randy also talks about head fake learning. Head fake learning is considered to be learning one thing when really you are learning something else that is way more valuable. He goes on to say that parents should look out for this type of learning and push their children to take part in it.

The part of the video that I found to very educational was when he talked about enabling childhood dreams. A really good way to be able to do that is to become a teacher. As aspiring teachers, we should want to make a difference in a child's life. Randy wanted to change and touch the lives of his students during his time at Carnegie Mellon so much that he started a class where the students were free to create almost anything that they wanted. He put the students into groups and used project based learning to get the students working together collaboratively. He did not put a limit to what the students could do with the projects. When the students came to class with their finished projects, he was truly amazed. It surpassed anything that he thought they could do. Their work was so good until he had to ask what should he do and he was given the instructions to basically tell them that the work was good but also challenge then to do better. With very little instructions, the students were able to explore, learn, and have fun. Those are the main goals of project based learning.

Randy wanted to take the program a step further, so he and Don created the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). It was a two years program for a master's degree. Randy's approach to this program was learning without using books. That meant that it was all project based learning. Although the ETC was great, Randy wanted more people to be able to be reached so he started working on Alice. Alice is a program where students are able to have fun while learning how to create. It teaches us that students can learn difficult things through fun and entertaining programs. Millions have downloaded this program and it's continuing to spread.

Randy brought us some really useful information as to how students should be taught and he also instructed us never to give up on them. Everyone needs somebody to help them. There is a lot that we can learn from students as well. Randy says, "Brick walls let us show our dedication." We have to keep trying to reach our goals even when it looks like it's a dead end.

Project 7 Part B

My Parent's Video...



My Student's video...

Blog Post 7

How Do We All Become Learners?

I would say that according to the way that technology is in schools today, my strengths are being able to communicate well with others and I'm very thorough when I'm teaching someone something new. Also, I have been told that I'm very patient while working with people as well. On the other hand, I could stand to learn more about the technology that is being used in the classroom such as computers. I have basic knowledge but I do feel like I need to learn more on that subject. Also, I need to figure out ways to be more creative. I tend to stick by the books and that's not going to be a good thing for me the way that learning is changing. I need to think outside the box for this new way of teaching students through project based learning.

How to make an Audio QR Code by Michele Bennett is a wonderful video telling us all about what QR codes are. An audio QR code is a way of recording information with a computer. It's like the old style tape recorders but with new age technology. The QR codes are recorded on the computer through a website called recordmp3.org. Books can be recorded and turned into a QR code that can be scanned by a barcode scanner on a phone and it will play back what was recorded. The teachers typically record books so that the student can scan and listen to the teacher reading. It's a great way for students to be able to access what the teacher read to them as many times as they would like.

The iPad Reading Center is a great new way to let the student hear what they have read and check for mistakes that they may have made. The student usually picks a book and read it into the iPad reading center and it will record what they read. Then they are able to play it back to see how they did with their reading.

Poplet as a Center is another great video that shows how the student uses the free app poplet. Poplet allows the student to create a web about a certain subject or topic. The students are able to put in a book title and tell all about that book by adding a web of circles around the topic that was put in the middle. When it's done, they have created a web to let them know what the book was about. All of the information that is found to create the web can be stored so that the student can look at it later.

Alabama Virtual Library and Kindergarten Students is a video that is very educational. The students, through the AVL, are able to research plenty of information and see picture and play audio as well. The teacher will then get the student to draw a picture of what they have researched. After they draw the picture, then they go back in and write a sentence on what they have learned. The student has gained the knowledge of how to research and complete an activity. It's a great way to get them to be comfortable with researching things.

In Mrs. Shirley's 1st grade Class: How to use a Board in DE for a Project Based Lesson, the students are able to use discovery Ed to build a board. It allows them to customize their board. They are able to pick a subject and list the facts about that subject. All of the images and videos can be found on DE as well.

Students Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in kindergarten was educational as well. In the video, Michele Bennett tells us that the students are putting together iMovies and they are excited as they create them. The students are only in kindergarten that's what makes it so fascinating. The students get so skilled that eventually they are able to tell the teacher how to work the program. Elizabeth informs us that the AVL is a great way for the students to be taught basic knowledge. With this program, the students are really excited to learn.
We all become learners is another video to sum the fact that we are all still learners. The teachers are teaching the students and the students are teaching the teachers as well. This shows us that the students are taking in what the technology that is being taught and that's why we should continue to implement technology in the classrooms.