Blog Post #10

What Can We Learn From Mrs. Cassidy?

For this week's blog post we watched a Skype interview between Dr. Strange and Mrs. Kathy Cassidy. Mrs. Cassidy is a 1st grade teacher in Moose Jaw, Canada. Mrs. Cassidy was given 5 computers to use in her classroom about 10 years ago. She wanted to make them useful so she began to explore the internet which led to blogging, and from there she added new things over the years. One thing she said that stood out to me was that she is always looking for new things to try. I think it is very important for teachers to always be on the look out for new ideas or methods that they can use in the classrooms. This can bring new ways of learning to the students and a means to perhaps improve lessons previously taught before. Mrs. Cassidy also talked about the use of the blog in her classroom. I learned that it can be a great way for the parents to keep up with their children's progress through the year. It can also help with the students writing skills. I loved how she mentioned that one thing a blog gives you that pen and paper doesn't is an audience. The students know that other people from all over can see who reads their blog. In this video the students talk about how they like to get visitors and comments on their blog. Mrs. Cassidy also stated that technology is here to stay and that teachers can no longer teach they way they did 10-20 years ago, but there are many resources available to being learning how to use technology. And it can handicap yourself or your students if you don't take advantage of those resources. What I learned from Mrs. Cassidy was that there is no better time than now to starting thinking and preparing for my future classroom and how I want to incorporate technology into my lessons. 

Project #12 A Using Smartboard Tools

C4K Summary for October

Amara

Amara is in an 8th grade class that uses their class blog for homework purposes or writing whenever they feel motivated. The post I commented on was actually written by Amara and her friend.  They talked about their friendship. I commented that I really enjoyed reading her post. It reminded me of a friend I had growing up. The unique thing about our friendship was that we were always able to make each other laugh. A genuine friendship is one to cherish!

Kiyan

Kiyan is in Mrs. Gadzala's 5th Grade Class in Downers Grove, Illinois. The topic of his post was "Should kids lose recess for bad behavior?" He felt that kids who are bad should lose their recess, and that it was unfair for them to get to go to recess when they have misbehaved.
I commented that I really enjoyed reading his post about kids losing recess for bad behavior and to keep up the great work!

Diya

Diya's post was about her online responsibilities. She talked about needing to keep her passwords safe and gave a few tips to help do just that. I commented that I enjoyed reading about her online responsibilities. She had some very good tips on how to keep her passwords safe!

Marilyn

Marilyn is a student at Pt. England School in New Zealand. Her most recent post was a Google Slides presentation on Kete. Kete are baskets make in New Zealand that are used by Maori people. Kete is woven from the leaves of New Zealand flax. I told Marilyn I had never heard of Kete before so I was able to learn something new! I told her she did a great job on her Google presentation.

Blog Post #9

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

At this point in EDM310 project based learning is no longer an unfamiliar concept. I still don't know all there is to know about PBL but I feel I now have a good base to build upon going forward. The article Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning gives several key factors needed for project based learning. They are as follows:

1. A Need to Know - it is a good idea for teachers to introduce a project through a means that will "activate" the students. She could show a video, the class could take a virtual or real life field trip, or they could engage in a class discussion. Doing this will help to get the students attention from the beginning.
2. A Driving Question - a good, open-ended driving question helps to guide the students through the project. It is the foundation. The video Project Based Learning for Teachers by Tony Vincent gives some examples of what a driving questions looks like.
3. Student Voice and Choice - the more choices students have within a project the more meaningful it can become to them. They can make the decisions on what resources they will use and what they can create from it.
4. 21st Century Skills - these are skills such as collaboration, use of technology and critical thinking. Students can acquire these skills through PBL and can continue to use them in the future.
5. Inquiry and Innovation - real inquiry is where students follow a path that starts with their own questions that allows them to research for the answers. This can lead to new questions which can inspire students to test ideas and ultimately draw their own conclusion. This process is the exact opposite from the teacher to reproduce information already given to them through textbooks or the teacher herself.
6. Feedback and Revision - feedback on a project helps to make learning more meaningful. This can be done directly or through rubrics.
7. A Publicly Presented Project - if a student knows their work will be presented to an audience they are more likely to care about the quality of their project.

 

I have seen several videos that shows the positive effects of project based learning with students. However, until I watched how teachers meet the challenges of PBL implementation I realized all of the great opportunities it bring for teachers. The high school teachers in this video talked about how exciting it was for them to be able to have a voice in how their class is designed through PBL. They also mentioned the opportunities it gave them to come together and collaborate with one another. 

I really enjoyed watching students talk about what motivates them. One boy said that positive feedback from his teacher really motivates him. Another talks about how he will not be able to participate in baseball if he does not do well at school. I think this is such an important question to ask students. I think teachers definitely should want to find out what motivates their students so that they can use that information to help them in class.

When students are motivated I believe it helps to give them the little extra push  to take their thinking and work to a higher level. For instance, look at the two students who solved the case of watery ketchup. The first thing I wanted to know after watching this was is this gadget sold in stores? It was really neat to see two students put their minds together to create something like this!

Blog Post # 8

What Can We Learn About Teaching and 

Learning From Randy Pausch?

    Randy Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon Univeristy. He was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer and after being given a terminal diagnosis he decided to give "The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". This lecture became extremely popular and has reached many people. It was a very touching and humorous lecture in which Randy discussed his childhood dreams, how he achieved them, and how he helped others achieve theirs. This is an inspiring video about living life. It was interesting to see how he was able to achieve all of his childhood dreams and the obstacles he overcame along the way. He believed in having fun in what you are doing. 

- Randy Pausch

    One of the things he talked about that stood out to me was what he call the "head fake." He said "the best way to teach somebody something is to have them think they are learning something else." I thought this was a neat concept of getting someone to learn something that might not necessarily interest them. He also said "remember brick walls let us show our dedication. They are there to separate us from the people who don't really want to achieve their childhood dreams." What a great way to view the obstacles that come in life. I had never thought to think of them in that way!  And likely my most favorite quote from Randy Pausch is "don't complain, just work harder." I have never been a fan of complaining. I try hard not to complain about anything and be thankful for everything. Complaining only focuses on the negative and it can become a really bad habit that can drain the happiness from yourself and those around you. If you're looking for a little inspiration and entertainment I would recommend that you watch Randy Pausch's last lecture video. It is sad to think that he is no longer on this earth to continue innovating and helping others to reach their dreams. However, I think he will continue to impact people through the legacy he leaves behind. 

Project # 9 Video Book Commentary

C4T #2

Post #1

Daniel Edwards Blog

Daniel Edwards is the director of Digital Strategy at the Stephen Perse Foundation schools in the United Kingdom.  In his first post I read, he talked about how exciting a time it was for teachers with the access to all of the new technologies that are available. Pedagogy was a term he used often in this post. I had actually never heard of the word before so I researched and found that merriam-webster defines it as "the art, science, or profession of teaching." Edwards discusses the different ways pedagogy can adapt to take advantage of the use of technology in education. I commented that through taking EDM 310 I have been able to observe the use of technology in classrooms and the positive impacts it is having on teachers and students. I also stated that it has been fascinating to see how combining technology with class content has really gotten students engaged in the learning process. I told him that I definitely agree it is an exciting time for teachers and I am looking forward to the journey.

Post # 2 

The second post of Daniel Edwards that I read was called "Why Innovate?" He says the most important thing is learning however, with the changes in curriculum and implementation of new technology, he is curious to how much time is wasted with distractions. With all these things adding distractions to learning he could make a case for or against innovation and it just being another distraction. He feels however that this is the wrong way to look at the situation. He states that if teachers aren't using the tools available to them then they aren't helping to develop the learning process so its time to start taking advantages of the opportunities available. So "Why Innovate?" he says, because you can.  I commented that the ways in which we can teach and learn are constantly changing.  I agree that those involved in education are not helping to develop the learning process if they aren't innovating and using the the great resources available to them.

Special Assignment

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for 

Camera Use in Teaching and Learning?

Part A

    According to marketer there are 1.75 billion smartphone users worldwide. I have seen many young children with their own smartphones. Children as young as 8-10 years old.  Deseret News says that schools are beginning to capitalize on technology like smart phones because students love to use them so much. When it comes to technology like computers, tablets, etc., a smartphone is something more families could afford. 

    Smartphones have apps that can help students study as well as search the internet in researching information class projects, reports, etc. I think that some teachers may be worried that smartphones could be distracting to students but the positive effects could likely outweigh the negative. A smartphone that is connected to the internet has huge amounts of data available for student learning. 

Part B

    There are many ways a teacher can make use of students having smartphones with cameras for learning purposes. For instance, 1st graders should be able to identify the different developmental stages of plants and animals. I would have the students go out and take pictures of local plant life and its different developmental stages. They should also be able to name differences in the day and night sky with the unaided eye. I could have them take pictures of the different types of cloud formations as we are learning them in class. Cameras on smartphones would be a great tool at having students document things that go along with what they are learning in class. 

Project #7

Four Movies Part B

(Two Movies As a Teacher)


An Introduction for Parents:


An Introduction for Students:

Blog Post #7

How Do We All Become Learners?

For this week's blog I watched several videos created by teachers at Gulf Shores Elementary that shows how instruction is happening in their school with technologies used in project based learning. When I first started EDM 310 I learned that my level of skill in conducting the instruction of PBL was minimal. I had never even heard of project based learning before EDM 310. However, that is beginning to change  due to the videos I have been able to watch as well as projects and other assignments I have been involved in so far. 

The first video I watched this week was how to make a QR Code. I thought this was a very neat tool that can be used in the classroom. The first step in creating a QR Code is to make your recording. It is like making a tape recording but you are doing it on a computer rather than a hand held device. After you have completed the recording you can save it to create a URL. Then you can take the URL and create a QR code using the QR Code Generator. This creates a code that can be scanned with a smartphone or tablet. As the video states this can be a great communication tool between parents and teachers. Teachers can record a message and create a code that can be printed on paper and sent home to parents. Parents can easily download a free QR code scanner to listen to the messages.

A Picture of a QR Code

The other videos I watched showed several great ways that students can use their iPads in the classroom. The first use of the iPad was in a reading center. Students can use their iPad to record themselves reading a book. They can then go back and play the recording to read along with themselves and check to see if they made any mistakes. Another neat way to use the iPad in the classroom is through using Discovery Education's Board Builder. Students can use board builder to create an interactive poster that has pictures and facts about a subject of their choosing.  In researching board builder a little further I found a great Discovery Education pdf that gives 50 ways to use board builder!

Discovery Education Example of Board Builder

Popplet is another educational app that can be used on the iPad. Students can use Popplet as a tool to help organize their ideas visually. They do this by uploading a picture relating to a particular subject and then place facts around the picture. These pictures and facts create a map or diagram the students can use for learning and presentation. Students can also use their iPads to access the Alabama Virtual Library through the AVL app. This will allow access to tons of educational related articles and books.

As Michelle Bennett of Gulf Shores Elementary states in this video by Dr. John H. Strange, technology devices can "change the dynamic of learning." Through introducing new technology into the classroom teachers continuously become learners. This conversation showed me that many times the students often teach the teachers when it comes to learning a new app or technology. To get ready to use project based approaches to learning in my classroom I will need to spend the next one to two years building and researching my PLN. Through the PLN I can continue to learn about project based learning and the different types of technology that can be incorporated with it. Along the way I can practice using these apps and websites myself and make notes of how I would like to use them in the future. 

Project #13

Project Based Learning Plans

Our group project this week was to create a project based learning plan. You may visit our google site, Project #13 PBL Lesson Plans by Emily Parmer, Porscha Sellers and Hollie Faulkner, that contains the details of our PBL plan. We chose to create a week long PBL plan on animal classification for a 1st grade class. The students will be able to identify and give details of their assigned animal classification. They will begin with watching an animal classification video that will help them learn about each different class. They will then begin to do research in their groups through  icurio and San Diego Zoo for Kids . After they have had a few days to complete their research they will put their data (pictures, facts, etc.) in the class blog as well as the Popplet app on their iPad. Then  each group will give a presentation to the class. Once the presentations are complete the students will draw their favorite animal from one of the classifications presented. As a class they will do a quick survey to see which animal/class was their favorite and graph the results.