This is my final reflection video for EDM310.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Blog Post#5 Part 2
Personal Learning Network: Part Two
Through this semester of EDM310 my PLN has expanded. I found that through Twitter I could connect with many teachers and get real responses from them. I enjoy seeing the information shared and the hashtag conversations about education topics. I also use the C4T assignments to find teachers blogs to follow and read. Not all of the teachers comment back but there are some teachers who will take the time to respond to you on their blog. I think it is great to have a large and growing PLN. I hope to continue to add to my PLN even after EDM310. I am glad that I have such easy access to speak to educators who can help me through my journey of becoming an educator and will continue to help me as I start and continue my career as an educator.
Through this semester of EDM310 my PLN has expanded. I found that through Twitter I could connect with many teachers and get real responses from them. I enjoy seeing the information shared and the hashtag conversations about education topics. I also use the C4T assignments to find teachers blogs to follow and read. Not all of the teachers comment back but there are some teachers who will take the time to respond to you on their blog. I think it is great to have a large and growing PLN. I hope to continue to add to my PLN even after EDM310. I am glad that I have such easy access to speak to educators who can help me through my journey of becoming an educator and will continue to help me as I start and continue my career as an educator.
C4T #4
For C4T this month we were to choose our own C4T teacher. I chose Sharon Davison and her blog "Kindergarten Life". Davison's most recent blog is 'A Celebration of Learning: Engaging Families Inside and Out!'. In this blog Davison discusses how she involves parents in her classroom. Davison has 'celebration of learning' days were the parents come into the classroom and are involved with the students and their work. One family could not make it to the class so they used Facetime to involve the parents so the could experience this day as if they were there. Davison shared that she believes that technology is a great way to involve parents in the class. By the examples she gave, I agree with Davison. I commented to Davison and introduced myself explaining to her that I had chosen her for this assignment. I shared with Davison that I have began looking into parental involvement in the classroom even though I am not yet an educator and suggested an app for her to use. I thanked Davison for her great idea of 'celebration of learning' day and shared with her a link to my blog.
For my last C4K I commented on the blog of Sharon Davison. The blog post I chose to comment on was titled SKYPE: A Way To Connect, Enrich and Engage. In this blog post Davison discusses how she uses Skype in her classroom with her students. One way Davison used Skype was by having a guest speaker talk to the class through Skype. By doing this the students could have a technology lesson through using Skype and learn information from the guest speaker. I commented to Davison and told her that I loved her idea of using Skype to have a guest speaker for the class. I shared with Davison that I use Skype weekly to speak to my niece and nephew in Hawaii so I love the idea of using Skype to communicate. I enjoyed reading Davison's blog post and will be using this idea in my future classroom.
For my last C4K I commented on the blog of Sharon Davison. The blog post I chose to comment on was titled SKYPE: A Way To Connect, Enrich and Engage. In this blog post Davison discusses how she uses Skype in her classroom with her students. One way Davison used Skype was by having a guest speaker talk to the class through Skype. By doing this the students could have a technology lesson through using Skype and learn information from the guest speaker. I commented to Davison and told her that I loved her idea of using Skype to have a guest speaker for the class. I shared with Davison that I use Skype weekly to speak to my niece and nephew in Hawaii so I love the idea of using Skype to communicate. I enjoyed reading Davison's blog post and will be using this idea in my future classroom.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Blog Post#14
For this post I was assigned to read Teaching Can Be a Profession by Joel Klein. In this article I found three problems and three solutions:
Pick From The Best
Problem: Most people will get hired as an educator by just having a degree.
Solution: Recruit from the top rankings of graduates.
When it comes to creating a competitive job field for educators I agree. The more passionate future teachers are about getting a job, the more they will appreciate the opportunity. In my opinion, this will lead to more teachers who want to teach and should teach. Often you find teachers that seem to not care about being in the classroom, but just want an encome. Hopefully by making teaching into a harder job field to be in, we will be left with more teachers who care about education.
Seniority Distraction
Problem: Teachers with years of experience will always be chosen over beginner teachers, no matter the circumstances.
Solution: Professionalize teaching and treat all teachers as equals who earn their levels of achievement.
Seniority distraction is a very popular situation in the education system. I completely agree with treating teachers as equals and requiring teachers to earn their place. This is also a situation that will drive teachers to push harder to achieve success for themselves and in the classroom. I believe that teachers should not be judged by the amount of time they have spent teaching, but by the quality of their teaching.
Radical Change
Problem: Teachers are not treating their jobs as a profession.
Solution: "National Teacher Examination", one-three year(s) of internship for prospective teachers, teachers will provide and create their own standards, and promotions based on specialty exams.
The solution to radical change is not something I can completely agree with. I do believe that a "National Teacher Examination" and one-three year(s) internship would be very beneficial for future and current educators but I am not for certain in agreement with teachers creating their own standards. In this part of the article, Joel Klein had several interesting ideas for the school system. Radical was most certainly a good choice of wording. I do agree with the idea as a whole. Teachers should have to prove themselves and be able to live up to the standards they should accomplish as educators.
In conclusion, I believe that Joel Klein's idea of professionalizing education is something that must be done. Teachers should have standards that need to be met and checked for approval yearly or when deemed necessary. Teaching should be a profession that is based on hard work and qualification, not just a school degree. This article made me think about situations that I have not thought about before. This made me realize that if I agree with these solutions that I should live up to them. I should work harder for this degree I am seeking and achieve this degree because I earned it.
Pick From The Best
Problem: Most people will get hired as an educator by just having a degree.
Solution: Recruit from the top rankings of graduates.
When it comes to creating a competitive job field for educators I agree. The more passionate future teachers are about getting a job, the more they will appreciate the opportunity. In my opinion, this will lead to more teachers who want to teach and should teach. Often you find teachers that seem to not care about being in the classroom, but just want an encome. Hopefully by making teaching into a harder job field to be in, we will be left with more teachers who care about education.
Seniority Distraction
Problem: Teachers with years of experience will always be chosen over beginner teachers, no matter the circumstances.
Solution: Professionalize teaching and treat all teachers as equals who earn their levels of achievement.
Seniority distraction is a very popular situation in the education system. I completely agree with treating teachers as equals and requiring teachers to earn their place. This is also a situation that will drive teachers to push harder to achieve success for themselves and in the classroom. I believe that teachers should not be judged by the amount of time they have spent teaching, but by the quality of their teaching.
Radical Change
Problem: Teachers are not treating their jobs as a profession.
Solution: "National Teacher Examination", one-three year(s) of internship for prospective teachers, teachers will provide and create their own standards, and promotions based on specialty exams.
The solution to radical change is not something I can completely agree with. I do believe that a "National Teacher Examination" and one-three year(s) internship would be very beneficial for future and current educators but I am not for certain in agreement with teachers creating their own standards. In this part of the article, Joel Klein had several interesting ideas for the school system. Radical was most certainly a good choice of wording. I do agree with the idea as a whole. Teachers should have to prove themselves and be able to live up to the standards they should accomplish as educators.
In conclusion, I believe that Joel Klein's idea of professionalizing education is something that must be done. Teachers should have standards that need to be met and checked for approval yearly or when deemed necessary. Teaching should be a profession that is based on hard work and qualification, not just a school degree. This article made me think about situations that I have not thought about before. This made me realize that if I agree with these solutions that I should live up to them. I should work harder for this degree I am seeking and achieve this degree because I earned it.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
C4K for November
For this months first C4K I was assigned to Sean. In Sean's blog "Simile and Metaphors" Sean wrote two metaphors and three similes. I believe Sean's work was very good for a fifth grader. Sean also included pictures in his blog to go along with each smile and metaphor. This made his blog more appealing to the reader. I commented on Sean's blog and applauded him for the great work. I also suggested to him that he could try and use his own artwork to go along with his writings.
This week I was assigned to the art blog of Ally. In her blog "Product Design" Ally wrote about her experiment of making book marks that fit the corner of your book. Ally included pictures in her blog of steps for the project and her final outcome. Ally did a wonderful job describing what she had to do and how she felt about doing it. I believe she had a very well written and interesting blog. I commented to Ally and told her I loved her blog. I explained to Ally that I am also taking an art class and I have done some of the projects she posted about. I complimented Ally on her great blog writting skills and cool idea. I hope to keep visiting Ally's blog to see her artwork and learn a few things.
For my last C4K I was assigned to Ben's blog. Ben's post was titled "Razzle Dazzle" and in his post he used descriptive language to share about his first quarter of this school year. Ben didn't seem to like this quarter very much, but he seemed hopeful for the next semester. I commented to Ben and complemented him on his great use of descriptive words. I told Ben that his writing was wonderful and next time he should try to write a longer blog so the reader will be able to experience more of his writing.
This week I was assigned to the art blog of Ally. In her blog "Product Design" Ally wrote about her experiment of making book marks that fit the corner of your book. Ally included pictures in her blog of steps for the project and her final outcome. Ally did a wonderful job describing what she had to do and how she felt about doing it. I believe she had a very well written and interesting blog. I commented to Ally and told her I loved her blog. I explained to Ally that I am also taking an art class and I have done some of the projects she posted about. I complimented Ally on her great blog writting skills and cool idea. I hope to keep visiting Ally's blog to see her artwork and learn a few things.
For my last C4K I was assigned to Ben's blog. Ben's post was titled "Razzle Dazzle" and in his post he used descriptive language to share about his first quarter of this school year. Ben didn't seem to like this quarter very much, but he seemed hopeful for the next semester. I commented to Ben and complemented him on his great use of descriptive words. I told Ben that his writing was wonderful and next time he should try to write a longer blog so the reader will be able to experience more of his writing.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Blog Post #13
What did I leave out?
Create an assignment for a Blog Post I should have created in your area of specialty.
How will you use technology in your classroom to keep parents involved and informed? What will you do for parents/guardians without internet access?
Read the following:
-A Guide to Involving Parents in Your Class Blog
-Keep parents in the loop with a class website
-Using a classroom webpage to communicate with parents
-After reading the following, find one type of technology to use in your classroom for parents/guardians to be added to this list. Explain how you will use this in your classroom and what you will do for parents that do not have internet access.
Answer the question in a post that adheres to the standards found in the ACCRS and in Writing A Quality Blog Post.
For the assignment I chose the app "Homeroom". This app allows parents to be involved in the classroom and have access to their child's class at all times. To view this app and your child's classroom you must have a password so only family and the teacher has access. Parents can get updates on their phone when new information is added and even comment and 'like' pictures that have been posted.This app is available on any device so parents have a range of options to view this app. When I begin to use the app in my future classroom I would like to have a meeting with the parents of my class to share with them how the app works and why I want to use it in my classroom. During this time I will have computers and iPads set up so parents who may not have a smartphone will see how the app works. I will provide the option for parents to visit the classroom on certain days or at the end of the day to come and use the technology in my room to view that app to see what their student is doing. Parents who do have smart phones will have access to this app at all times and will be able to check what their student has been doing throughout the day or week and be able to ask them questions about what they are specifically doing in class. I plan to use this in my classroom on a daily basis. I will allow students to post their own pictures from class on the website of projects being done in the classroom. When going on field trips I can create a specific album with the pictures taken from that day and parents can add pictures from the trip to that album so that everyone will be able to view what the children did on the field trip. Projects, activities, and school events will have albums so that pictures can be added so parents will feel more involved even though they were not there. I found this app to be very useful and it is a free app that is easily accessible.
Create an assignment for a Blog Post I should have created in your area of specialty.
How will you use technology in your classroom to keep parents involved and informed? What will you do for parents/guardians without internet access?
Read the following:
-A Guide to Involving Parents in Your Class Blog
-Keep parents in the loop with a class website
-Using a classroom webpage to communicate with parents
-After reading the following, find one type of technology to use in your classroom for parents/guardians to be added to this list. Explain how you will use this in your classroom and what you will do for parents that do not have internet access.
Answer the question in a post that adheres to the standards found in the ACCRS and in Writing A Quality Blog Post.
For the assignment I chose the app "Homeroom". This app allows parents to be involved in the classroom and have access to their child's class at all times. To view this app and your child's classroom you must have a password so only family and the teacher has access. Parents can get updates on their phone when new information is added and even comment and 'like' pictures that have been posted.This app is available on any device so parents have a range of options to view this app. When I begin to use the app in my future classroom I would like to have a meeting with the parents of my class to share with them how the app works and why I want to use it in my classroom. During this time I will have computers and iPads set up so parents who may not have a smartphone will see how the app works. I will provide the option for parents to visit the classroom on certain days or at the end of the day to come and use the technology in my room to view that app to see what their student is doing. Parents who do have smart phones will have access to this app at all times and will be able to check what their student has been doing throughout the day or week and be able to ask them questions about what they are specifically doing in class. I plan to use this in my classroom on a daily basis. I will allow students to post their own pictures from class on the website of projects being done in the classroom. When going on field trips I can create a specific album with the pictures taken from that day and parents can add pictures from the trip to that album so that everyone will be able to view what the children did on the field trip. Projects, activities, and school events will have albums so that pictures can be added so parents will feel more involved even though they were not there. I found this app to be very useful and it is a free app that is easily accessible.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
C4T #3
I was assigned to the blog of Marc Prensky. In Prensky's blog video "How do we help children be brave to be wrong and ask questions?" Prensky and Stephen Heppell discuss ways to motivate children to talk in front of a group. One suggestion Prensky gave was to get students to record each other giving an interview and answering questions. This activity will help students become more comfortable in front of a camera and speaking in front of people. It was said by Prensky that it is important to give people an opportunity to answer. This is something that needs to be addressed by many teachers. We must give our students room not answer and not just give the leading questions to say what we want them to say. As educators, we need to make everyone answer and give students a chance to share their opinion behind their answers. I commented to Mr. Prensky and told him I loved his video and would use his suggestions in my future classroom. I also discussed the importance of allowing children to share the opinion behind their answers. This video blog really makes me think about the importance of student involvement in classroom questions.
In Prensky's blog "What's going to happen next in education?" Prensky and Heppell discuss where education is now and what they think education will start becoming. One thing that was said is that school is not about teaching but motivation for learning. Students have so many resources to learn everything they need to know and teachers should motivate students to want to learn. For example, Prensky does 'open-phone' test. Students can find so many answers from one click on their phone but they need to know to use that phone as a resource and to want to search for that information. 'Open-phone' test were something I had never heard of before this video. I commented to Prensky and questioned him about how he uses this technique to his advantage and how he creates the test. Even now, I am not allowed to have a phone out during a test but if it has already started happening elsewhere how long will it be till it is a common thing? Prensky and Heppell both agreed that changes in education were moving at a slow pace, but I do not agreed with that. Elementary school is completely different than it was when I was in school. Students have computers, iPhones, and iPads in the classroom everyday.Teachers all over use pbl to provide their students with life long skills and more teachers are straying away from multiple choice test. I believe with technology today and how well students adapt to using technology it will be amazing the changes that will occur year by year.
In Prensky's blog "What's going to happen next in education?" Prensky and Heppell discuss where education is now and what they think education will start becoming. One thing that was said is that school is not about teaching but motivation for learning. Students have so many resources to learn everything they need to know and teachers should motivate students to want to learn. For example, Prensky does 'open-phone' test. Students can find so many answers from one click on their phone but they need to know to use that phone as a resource and to want to search for that information. 'Open-phone' test were something I had never heard of before this video. I commented to Prensky and questioned him about how he uses this technique to his advantage and how he creates the test. Even now, I am not allowed to have a phone out during a test but if it has already started happening elsewhere how long will it be till it is a common thing? Prensky and Heppell both agreed that changes in education were moving at a slow pace, but I do not agreed with that. Elementary school is completely different than it was when I was in school. Students have computers, iPhones, and iPads in the classroom everyday.Teachers all over use pbl to provide their students with life long skills and more teachers are straying away from multiple choice test. I believe with technology today and how well students adapt to using technology it will be amazing the changes that will occur year by year.
Project #10
In this video, Mrs. Bosarge spoke about using blabberize in her classroom with her students. This would be a great tool for current and future teachers to use. If you have time, I would suggest taking a few minutes and playing around with the website to see how it works.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Project #14 PBLP #2
In this lesson plan Makia, Jessica, and I created a lesson plan around the 1st grade life science standard ALCOS #4: Identifying developmental stages of plants and animals.
Check out our lesson plan!
Check out our lesson plan!
Blog Post #11
What can we learn about teaching and learning from these teachers?
An important note to take away from these videos is the importance of teaching your students to want to learn. In every video the teachers explain how to grab the attention of their students and how to begin each lesson. This is very important when it comes to making your students want to take part in the lesson. During the video "Back to the future" Brian Crosby would use small fun activities to create the bigger lesson to be learned. By doing this Crosby kept his students attention and gave them a reason to want to learn. Mr. Paul Anderson in the video "Blended Learning Cycle" used an acronym to get his students attention and keep the students focused on learning. Anderson used QUIVERS: QU-Questions, I-Investigation, V-Video, E-Elaboration, R-Review, S-Summary quiz. Mark Church in his video "Making Thinking Visible" allowed students to discuss topics in small group to get their ideas out and get them wanting to know more about the topic. "Super Digital Citizen" showed us how Sam Pane got the attention of his students and made them feel in control of the class to make them want to learn. Pane explained to his students that they were in charge of protecting themselves on the internet. The children loved the idea that they were the boss of something and by doing that the students were eager to learn more and complete the lesson. In Dean Shareski's video "Project-Based Learning" several teachers discuss how they will engage their students with PBL. In the video three different classes are combined to give the students more time and opportunity to learn. By having three teachers review your work and having peer reviews done it motivates the students to give their best in class. At Roosevelt elementary PBL is highly encouraged. In the video "Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program" teachers discuss the importance and the great results of PBL. These teachers discuss what they do to encourage the students in their learning and how to keep them curious to learn more. What can we learn from these videos? As a teacher, your goal should be to make every student want to learn and want to discover more. If we as teachers can not make the students motivated, who will?
An important note to take away from these videos is the importance of teaching your students to want to learn. In every video the teachers explain how to grab the attention of their students and how to begin each lesson. This is very important when it comes to making your students want to take part in the lesson. During the video "Back to the future" Brian Crosby would use small fun activities to create the bigger lesson to be learned. By doing this Crosby kept his students attention and gave them a reason to want to learn. Mr. Paul Anderson in the video "Blended Learning Cycle" used an acronym to get his students attention and keep the students focused on learning. Anderson used QUIVERS: QU-Questions, I-Investigation, V-Video, E-Elaboration, R-Review, S-Summary quiz. Mark Church in his video "Making Thinking Visible" allowed students to discuss topics in small group to get their ideas out and get them wanting to know more about the topic. "Super Digital Citizen" showed us how Sam Pane got the attention of his students and made them feel in control of the class to make them want to learn. Pane explained to his students that they were in charge of protecting themselves on the internet. The children loved the idea that they were the boss of something and by doing that the students were eager to learn more and complete the lesson. In Dean Shareski's video "Project-Based Learning" several teachers discuss how they will engage their students with PBL. In the video three different classes are combined to give the students more time and opportunity to learn. By having three teachers review your work and having peer reviews done it motivates the students to give their best in class. At Roosevelt elementary PBL is highly encouraged. In the video "Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program" teachers discuss the importance and the great results of PBL. These teachers discuss what they do to encourage the students in their learning and how to keep them curious to learn more. What can we learn from these videos? As a teacher, your goal should be to make every student want to learn and want to discover more. If we as teachers can not make the students motivated, who will?
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Blog Post #10
What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy?
I believe that one thing that we can learn from Mrs. Cassidy is the importance of changing teaching techniques for the benefit of the student. Mrs. Cassidy knew that technology would greatly influence her children and educated herself on how to properly teach her students. I believe one problem we have with teaching is teachers who want to stay with the same teaching techniques because it is easier for them. The students should always be top priority and Mrs. Cassidy is a great example of that. Mrs. Cassidy has been teaching for a long time and continues to educate herself for the benefit for her students. As a future educator, I will do my best to keep myself educated on current technology in the classroom like Mrs. Cassidy.
Mrs. Cassidy spoke of her rules for online work. Two of her main rules were do not use your last name and do not post pictures of yourself. I completely agree with these rules. I also like how Mrs. Cassidy said on her class blog that she has websites that are safe for the students to go to from the blog. This is easier for younger students to understand when navigating online. Mrs. Cassidy discusses with her students what to click on and what not to click on so the students have a better understanding of what to do. Sometimes some things like "make sure you do not click on the flashing ads at the top of the page" are forgotten to be told to students because you assume they already know. You should never assume your students know something. As an effective teacher, you should always explain to your students what you want them to do. Another idea Mrs. Cassidy had was a class Facebook. This would be an easy way for students to communicate and parents to have more involvement. The problem with this is having students on Facebook and not being able to control what they write, share, and post. This would involve having to have a specific discussion about the do's and don'ts on Facebook and mostly likely having it more than once. You might also end up having to have the same conversation with a few parents. One way to go around this is to make sure comments and post must be approved before being shown on Facebook.
Lastly, I would like to say that people who are questioning blogging in the classroom should watch Mrs. Cassidy's class video. The students are very proud of their work and are excited to blog. It is so great to know that students are proud of what they've done and want everyone to see that. All students should have a chance to feel that way and Mrs. Cassidy provides them with that opportunity.
I believe that one thing that we can learn from Mrs. Cassidy is the importance of changing teaching techniques for the benefit of the student. Mrs. Cassidy knew that technology would greatly influence her children and educated herself on how to properly teach her students. I believe one problem we have with teaching is teachers who want to stay with the same teaching techniques because it is easier for them. The students should always be top priority and Mrs. Cassidy is a great example of that. Mrs. Cassidy has been teaching for a long time and continues to educate herself for the benefit for her students. As a future educator, I will do my best to keep myself educated on current technology in the classroom like Mrs. Cassidy.
Mrs. Cassidy spoke of her rules for online work. Two of her main rules were do not use your last name and do not post pictures of yourself. I completely agree with these rules. I also like how Mrs. Cassidy said on her class blog that she has websites that are safe for the students to go to from the blog. This is easier for younger students to understand when navigating online. Mrs. Cassidy discusses with her students what to click on and what not to click on so the students have a better understanding of what to do. Sometimes some things like "make sure you do not click on the flashing ads at the top of the page" are forgotten to be told to students because you assume they already know. You should never assume your students know something. As an effective teacher, you should always explain to your students what you want them to do. Another idea Mrs. Cassidy had was a class Facebook. This would be an easy way for students to communicate and parents to have more involvement. The problem with this is having students on Facebook and not being able to control what they write, share, and post. This would involve having to have a specific discussion about the do's and don'ts on Facebook and mostly likely having it more than once. You might also end up having to have the same conversation with a few parents. One way to go around this is to make sure comments and post must be approved before being shown on Facebook.
Lastly, I would like to say that people who are questioning blogging in the classroom should watch Mrs. Cassidy's class video. The students are very proud of their work and are excited to blog. It is so great to know that students are proud of what they've done and want everyone to see that. All students should have a chance to feel that way and Mrs. Cassidy provides them with that opportunity.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
C4K Summary for October
I was assigned for the second time to read the blog of Mirroz123. The blog that Mirroz123 wrote this time was "NOBODY'S GONNA CARE." In her blog post she wrote about how boys at her school were inappropriately touching girls at school. I explained to Mirroz123 that she needs to contact a teacher or principal when this situation happens because it is not okay. I offered to Mirroz123 some suggestions on how to help this situation and gave her the idea of creating a girl support group. I explained to Mirroz123, that if the girls made a promise to help one another when this situation happened and contact a teacher it would help them.
This week I was assigned to read the blog of CarolinetheCorgi. Caroline wrote a blog called What Should Students Get to Decide in School? about her thoughts on student restrictions in an English class. Caroline thinks that students should get to choose their own books to read for class. I explained to Caroline that some students will not push themselves to their full potential if they are given the opportunity to choose their own books. I suggested the idea that a teacher could provide the students with options of level appropriate books to read so that students do not feel pressured to read a book they will not enjoy. I told Caroline to do some research, write her ideas down, and bring them to her teacher. If she feels that strongly about the subject it would be a good idea for her to do some research and explain to her teacher her thoughts and have information to back them up.
This week I was assigned to the blog of Tammy in Scotland. Tammy's blog was called "Tammy's 5SC." Tammy wrote a short story about a place where a wedding was held. Imagery and detail were used to help the reader visualize the location Tammy was creating. I commented on Tammy's blog and complemented her on her great use of imagery. I explained to her why imagery and description are important to the reader. Tammy wrote well for a second grader and I wished her luck with her future writing.
This week I was assigned to the blog of Rowana at Pt England School. Rowana wrote a blog called "How do we stay safe from the sun" about the harmful effects the sun can cause. Rowana used scenarios to describe what would happen if you did not use sunscreen or wear protective wear. This helped the readers to better understand why Rowana felt that people needed to be more cautious around the sun. Rowana also offered suggestions on how to cover yourself and protect yourself from the sun. This blog really showed how passionate Rowana was about this subject. I commented to Rowana and explained to her that if she felt that strongly about the subject that she should be an example to others for awareness of the sun. I explained to her that if she is always setting an example then people she knows will begin to take the situation more seriously and that she should explain to her family and friends why it means so much to her. All together, Rowana had a good blog with an up-to-date topic.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Blog Post #9
What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?
When looking for the best way to approach Project Based Learning there are three main things to look to; Other teachers, student's interest, and your own reflection. In the Youtube clip "High School Teachers Meet the Challenges of PBL Implementation" it is shown how working with other teachers will help you to better your lessons. When working with other teachers you can make sure you are meeting all the correct standards, share creative ideas, and talk about what worked and did not work. This will allow you to create a better lesson plan. In the video "Project-Based Learning for Teachers" Tony Vincent shares his idea that to have a good project it is important to understand project based learning, why we use it, and how to effectively use it. Some important steps that Tony Vincent shared are; having a purpose, crafting a driving question, creating a rubric, focus on the process, and meeting deadlines.In this video it is also shared that it is important to let your students have a voice and a choice in their learning to ensure students involvement. ASCD says that it is important how you introduce the topic to your students. In the article "Educational Leadership" it is said that you should allow your students a chance to brainstorm and provide your students with a topic that makes everyone want to be involved in discussion the topic. Based on the work from Pflug's blog titled "Project Based Learning in PE" to keep students interesting in their work you should provide activities that challenge them every day. During those activities it is important to apply teamwork skills, cover all standards, and play a direct role in students lives. In the video "What Motivates Students Today" by Suzanne Ball students were asked what motivated them. Students stayed around the same answer. That answer was that the children knew that to succeed in life they needed to maintain good grades in schools. Students want to do well, as a teacher you have to make them want to learn. The students also were asked what rewards worked for them. The children knew exactly what rewards they liked and what prompted them to do well. I think as an educator, we should never be afraid to just ask our children what they like because they know exactly what they want.
What can teachers and students teach us about project based learning?
Never be afraid to seek help from others and never be afraid to speak up about what you agree and do not agree with.
When looking for the best way to approach Project Based Learning there are three main things to look to; Other teachers, student's interest, and your own reflection. In the Youtube clip "High School Teachers Meet the Challenges of PBL Implementation" it is shown how working with other teachers will help you to better your lessons. When working with other teachers you can make sure you are meeting all the correct standards, share creative ideas, and talk about what worked and did not work. This will allow you to create a better lesson plan. In the video "Project-Based Learning for Teachers" Tony Vincent shares his idea that to have a good project it is important to understand project based learning, why we use it, and how to effectively use it. Some important steps that Tony Vincent shared are; having a purpose, crafting a driving question, creating a rubric, focus on the process, and meeting deadlines.In this video it is also shared that it is important to let your students have a voice and a choice in their learning to ensure students involvement. ASCD says that it is important how you introduce the topic to your students. In the article "Educational Leadership" it is said that you should allow your students a chance to brainstorm and provide your students with a topic that makes everyone want to be involved in discussion the topic. Based on the work from Pflug's blog titled "Project Based Learning in PE" to keep students interesting in their work you should provide activities that challenge them every day. During those activities it is important to apply teamwork skills, cover all standards, and play a direct role in students lives. In the video "What Motivates Students Today" by Suzanne Ball students were asked what motivated them. Students stayed around the same answer. That answer was that the children knew that to succeed in life they needed to maintain good grades in schools. Students want to do well, as a teacher you have to make them want to learn. The students also were asked what rewards worked for them. The children knew exactly what rewards they liked and what prompted them to do well. I think as an educator, we should never be afraid to just ask our children what they like because they know exactly what they want.
What can teachers and students teach us about project based learning?
Never be afraid to seek help from others and never be afraid to speak up about what you agree and do not agree with.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Monday, October 13, 2014
Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning
Part A
Every day technology is becoming more advance. From the statistics given by Zogby Analytics it is clear to see that. In schools, technology is being used way more than it ever has. From personal experience, I've seen several elementary teachers use their phones in the classroom. How much is too much? Students use technology to research topics, write papers, and create presentations. It is very important, but are we watching everything they do? Are our students playing games instead of learning? Cell phones and technology can help open a classroom to many opportunities, but it can also lead to distraction.
What would you think if you walked into a classroom and saw everyone, including the teacher, on the cell phone or a tablet? Do you think they are all working on what they are supposed to? Cell phones and tablets can be a big distraction in the classroom. Some students may not be able to concentrate on all their work and try to spend most of their time with technology. This is definitely something that needs to be observed and moderated.
Part B
•Students will use tablet/smart phone and take pictures of things in nature they see outside and describe them. •Students can use tablet/smart phone to take pictures of books they are reading and create a presentation. •Take pictures and students and compare/contrast •Create videos of students acting out book/play •Create a movie made by the students (creative writing)
Every day technology is becoming more advance. From the statistics given by Zogby Analytics it is clear to see that. In schools, technology is being used way more than it ever has. From personal experience, I've seen several elementary teachers use their phones in the classroom. How much is too much? Students use technology to research topics, write papers, and create presentations. It is very important, but are we watching everything they do? Are our students playing games instead of learning? Cell phones and technology can help open a classroom to many opportunities, but it can also lead to distraction.
What would you think if you walked into a classroom and saw everyone, including the teacher, on the cell phone or a tablet? Do you think they are all working on what they are supposed to? Cell phones and tablets can be a big distraction in the classroom. Some students may not be able to concentrate on all their work and try to spend most of their time with technology. This is definitely something that needs to be observed and moderated.
Part B
•Students will use tablet/smart phone and take pictures of things in nature they see outside and describe them. •Students can use tablet/smart phone to take pictures of books they are reading and create a presentation. •Take pictures and students and compare/contrast •Create videos of students acting out book/play •Create a movie made by the students (creative writing)
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Blog Post #8
What can we learn about teaching and learning from Randy Pausch?
In the video Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, Randy gave an amazing lecture. From this video alone I can tell that Randy is a very determined and inspiring person. What can we learn from Randy? NEVER GIVE UP. Every story Randy told he ran into a "brick wall." Randy used that brick wall to prove to himself and everyone else how badly he wanted to achieve his goal. As a teacher, you will always run into obstacles and it is important for yourself and your students that you overcome those obstacles. As a learner, you need to be open to accept that you will hit a "brick wall" but you must learn to find a way to get to your goal. Any experience, good or bad, is a learning experience. I hope that as an educator I have Randy's determination when I run into "brick walls."
In the video Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, Randy gave an amazing lecture. From this video alone I can tell that Randy is a very determined and inspiring person. What can we learn from Randy? NEVER GIVE UP. Every story Randy told he ran into a "brick wall." Randy used that brick wall to prove to himself and everyone else how badly he wanted to achieve his goal. As a teacher, you will always run into obstacles and it is important for yourself and your students that you overcome those obstacles. As a learner, you need to be open to accept that you will hit a "brick wall" but you must learn to find a way to get to your goal. Any experience, good or bad, is a learning experience. I hope that as an educator I have Randy's determination when I run into "brick walls."
C4T #2
In Jennifer Ferguson's blog "InfoWhelm and information fluency" Jenifer posted a video about how much digital output there is every year. It brings you the question of teaching your students. Do you teach them lifelong lessons? Do you teach them how to have fluent skills regarding technology? This video really makes you think about how you will use technology for your own students. I shared with Jenifer the questions that came to mind for me while watching this video and thanked her for sharing something so interesting and engaging.
Jennifer Ferguson wrote a blog titled "The Learning Journey of Connected Coaching." In this blog, Jennifer wrote about the struggles she faced while going through connected coaching. Jennifer was very determined to complete her goal. Sometimes, she fell short of how much effort she wanted to put in but she never let anything get in her way. At the end of her blog, Jennifer wrote questions with her answers to show that she was qualified for connected coaching. I wrote to Jennifer explaining to her that I was inspired by her determination for her goal. Many people find it hard to choose work over life,but when you are in the education field it is important to make work your life. I hope that in my journey to become an educator, I can have the same determination as Jennifer.
Jennifer Ferguson wrote a blog titled "The Learning Journey of Connected Coaching." In this blog, Jennifer wrote about the struggles she faced while going through connected coaching. Jennifer was very determined to complete her goal. Sometimes, she fell short of how much effort she wanted to put in but she never let anything get in her way. At the end of her blog, Jennifer wrote questions with her answers to show that she was qualified for connected coaching. I wrote to Jennifer explaining to her that I was inspired by her determination for her goal. Many people find it hard to choose work over life,but when you are in the education field it is important to make work your life. I hope that in my journey to become an educator, I can have the same determination as Jennifer.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Blog Post #7
How do we all become learners?
1:Project Based Learning is becoming more and more important in schools every year. I hope to frequently involve PBL in my future classroom. Currently I am still in school acquiring the knowledge necessary to use PBL in an effective way. I believe that I will be able to appropriately use PBL in my classroom because I am excited about the material, I am organized, I am willing to accept suggestions, and I will do the research necessary to find the best project for my students.Although I may have some skills for teaching project based learning I am not quite prepared. I will need to work on my procrastination, on making myself knowledgeable on popular technology used in classrooms, and learn to make a complete and correct lesson plan. In the next year and a half before I graduate I need to educate myself in several areas to better understand how to accurately use project based learning with my students. I would like to build up my PLN which I have based around PBL. The more research I do to build up my PLN, the more I will find out about project based learning. Getting familiarized with popular technology and websites will allow me to find better activities for my students and be able to create better activities. Ultimately, I need to educate myself better with project based learning and understand the process of creating an effective lesson plan.
2: Summarize what you've learned
How to make an audio QR code
In this video I learned about audio QR codes. It is an easy way to record yourself and provide a code for people to use and listen to your recording. You start by going to record mp3 and making a recording of your choosing. Next, you will copy the URL given to you from the website and go to a QR code generator.From the generation page you can choose multiple ways to create your QR code. In this video, URL was chosen. You will paste in your URL in the shown area and a QR code will be created for your use. This is a great resource for teachers. Teachers could record themselves reading a book and give the students the QR code. Students can use parents phone to scan the code and hear the book and follow along.
iPad in the reading center
In this video I learned of a fun activity that involves students using iPads in the reading center. Ginger Tuck shared her idea of using iPads as a learning tool for the students. The children can record themselves reading then play it back and follow along in the book. This will help students identify their mistakes and help them correct their flaws.
Poplet as a center
In this video Ginger Tuck explained how students can use poplet as an activity in class.Students can use poplet to create an idea web. Student adds in pictures, phrases, and sentences. This allows for students to practice their typing skills while learning more about the topic of their lesson. This activity is great for many lessons and subjects. Students could use poplet for learning about a specific animal or understanding a book.
Alabama Virtual Library as a Kindergarten Center
In the video I learned about the Alabama Virtual Library and that it is an easily accessible app. This app can be used a search tool in the classroom. In the app, you are provided with pictures, audio clips, and videos to help you with your search. This will be a safe and useful resource to use in the classroom.
How to use and build a board in DE for a project based lesson
In this video I learned how to create a board in Discovery Education. This is a simple project that can be used in most grades. A student will follow the steps necessary to create a new board. Next you type in your title. From this point you can add in photos, phrases, sentences, and facts about your topic. Students can also get the information they need for their board from the Discovery Education website.
Students sharing board builder 1 & 2
In this video I saw boards created by students at Gulf Shores Elementary.This video showed me that boards are something that are easy, fun, and informative to students. This will be a great tool to use in my future classroom for PBL.
Using iMovie in kindergarten
In this video I learned that you should never underestimate the minds of your students. Kindergarten students are capable of using iMovie to create book trailers in class. This is great for students to help them understand books and their main ideas while having fun.
We all become learners
In this video I learned that I will always be learning as a teacher. No matter what grade you are teaching you will be amazed at what your students know and what they can teach you. Being a teacher means always being a learner.
1:Project Based Learning is becoming more and more important in schools every year. I hope to frequently involve PBL in my future classroom. Currently I am still in school acquiring the knowledge necessary to use PBL in an effective way. I believe that I will be able to appropriately use PBL in my classroom because I am excited about the material, I am organized, I am willing to accept suggestions, and I will do the research necessary to find the best project for my students.Although I may have some skills for teaching project based learning I am not quite prepared. I will need to work on my procrastination, on making myself knowledgeable on popular technology used in classrooms, and learn to make a complete and correct lesson plan. In the next year and a half before I graduate I need to educate myself in several areas to better understand how to accurately use project based learning with my students. I would like to build up my PLN which I have based around PBL. The more research I do to build up my PLN, the more I will find out about project based learning. Getting familiarized with popular technology and websites will allow me to find better activities for my students and be able to create better activities. Ultimately, I need to educate myself better with project based learning and understand the process of creating an effective lesson plan.
2: Summarize what you've learned
How to make an audio QR code
In this video I learned about audio QR codes. It is an easy way to record yourself and provide a code for people to use and listen to your recording. You start by going to record mp3 and making a recording of your choosing. Next, you will copy the URL given to you from the website and go to a QR code generator.From the generation page you can choose multiple ways to create your QR code. In this video, URL was chosen. You will paste in your URL in the shown area and a QR code will be created for your use. This is a great resource for teachers. Teachers could record themselves reading a book and give the students the QR code. Students can use parents phone to scan the code and hear the book and follow along.
iPad in the reading center
In this video I learned of a fun activity that involves students using iPads in the reading center. Ginger Tuck shared her idea of using iPads as a learning tool for the students. The children can record themselves reading then play it back and follow along in the book. This will help students identify their mistakes and help them correct their flaws.
Poplet as a center
In this video Ginger Tuck explained how students can use poplet as an activity in class.Students can use poplet to create an idea web. Student adds in pictures, phrases, and sentences. This allows for students to practice their typing skills while learning more about the topic of their lesson. This activity is great for many lessons and subjects. Students could use poplet for learning about a specific animal or understanding a book.
Alabama Virtual Library as a Kindergarten Center
In the video I learned about the Alabama Virtual Library and that it is an easily accessible app. This app can be used a search tool in the classroom. In the app, you are provided with pictures, audio clips, and videos to help you with your search. This will be a safe and useful resource to use in the classroom.
How to use and build a board in DE for a project based lesson
In this video I learned how to create a board in Discovery Education. This is a simple project that can be used in most grades. A student will follow the steps necessary to create a new board. Next you type in your title. From this point you can add in photos, phrases, sentences, and facts about your topic. Students can also get the information they need for their board from the Discovery Education website.
Students sharing board builder 1 & 2
In this video I saw boards created by students at Gulf Shores Elementary.This video showed me that boards are something that are easy, fun, and informative to students. This will be a great tool to use in my future classroom for PBL.
Using iMovie in kindergarten
In this video I learned that you should never underestimate the minds of your students. Kindergarten students are capable of using iMovie to create book trailers in class. This is great for students to help them understand books and their main ideas while having fun.
We all become learners
In this video I learned that I will always be learning as a teacher. No matter what grade you are teaching you will be amazed at what your students know and what they can teach you. Being a teacher means always being a learner.
Project#13 Project Based Learning Plan #1
For this assignment Jessica, Makia, and I created a science lesson on the solar system. If you would like to check it out, the links are below!
Lesson Plan!
Rubric!
Calendar!
Lesson Plan!
Rubric!
Calendar!
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Blog Post #6
1: Project Based Learning Part 1
In this video I learned about important steps and information that need to be included in Project Based Learning. One very important thing I learned is keep your students interested. Make sure your topic is something that your students will want to learn about. Use topics that involve the community so the project is more personal with your students. I learned that to create a good project for your class you need to make sure your students are interested, make the project content driven, and involve your community.
2: Project Based Learning Part 2
In this video I learned that not all projects turn out the way you plan, but that is okay. To be a good educator you must work around obstacles every day.It could be parents, principals, and even your students that cause your plans to change. It is important to stay calm and find an alternate route to accomplish your goal. In this video I also learned that you should never limit or underestimate your students. Give your students options on projects and allow them to be creative. You will always be surprised by your students and how much they can create on their own.
3: iCurio
In this video I was informed about iCurio. iCurio is an online tool used for safely searching the internet. This is an educational tool that offers you information about your search in text, audio, and visual documents. This is a kid-friendly resources and is great for all grade levels. iCurio offers a storage option for searchers. This is great for students and teachers. It allows you to save items you may have searched or found and come back to them. This allows for people using the website to stay organized when doing research.
4:Discovery Education
In this video I was informed about Discovery Education. Discovery Education is a great resource to use in your classroom. This online tool is a search engine for informative videos. When describing it Anthony Capps said, "it brings text to life." This would be a wonderful tool to use in your classroom for all subjects.
5: The Anthony-Strange list of tips for teachers Part 1
This video gave me a list of helpful words of wisdom to follow as I become a teacher. The most important advice that I learned is to always be an active learner. As an educator you will learn something new every day. Never allow yourself to stop finding new information to better yourself and your students. Another piece of advice I learned about is to always be flexible. If something does not go your way, find a new way to give your students information. Always leave yourself room for mistakes and create plans that have back up lessons. Make a reflection of all of your lessons. Writing a reflection will help you to understand what you did right and wrong and how you can work to do it better the next time. Never stop having fun as a teacher. It is important to love your job and explore new ideas. Being a teacher is not an 8 hour job, it is an all day every day lifestyle.
6: Don't Teach Tech- Use it
In this video I learned that you should never teach your students how to use technology. Do not take time out of your lesson to teach your students how to use technology. Begin to incorporate a little technology into each lesson plan and allow your students to discover how to use technology for themselves. Students need to explore technology and learn to use in their own way. Expect mistakes and questions, but never underestimate what your students can do with technology.
7: Additional Thoughts About Lessons
In this video I learned about the process of creating a lesson from Anthony Capps. Year, Unit, Week, and Daily are the four components that make up a lesson. First, you must make sure that your lesson will accomplish standards that need to be met through out the year and make sure it fits into a written curriculum map to make sure all standards get covered. Second, you must create your unit. Your unit is your lesson or project that you will be using to meet your class standards. Make sure that your unit is meaningful, connected, and leads to starting your next lesson. Third, you create your plan to go with your week. You must make a break down of your unit and your goals that you need to be accomplished during the week. Lastly, your create your daily part of your lesson. This part is how you are going to deliver your lesson to the class. Once you complete all of these steps, you have created a lesson for your class.
In this video I learned about important steps and information that need to be included in Project Based Learning. One very important thing I learned is keep your students interested. Make sure your topic is something that your students will want to learn about. Use topics that involve the community so the project is more personal with your students. I learned that to create a good project for your class you need to make sure your students are interested, make the project content driven, and involve your community.
2: Project Based Learning Part 2
In this video I learned that not all projects turn out the way you plan, but that is okay. To be a good educator you must work around obstacles every day.It could be parents, principals, and even your students that cause your plans to change. It is important to stay calm and find an alternate route to accomplish your goal. In this video I also learned that you should never limit or underestimate your students. Give your students options on projects and allow them to be creative. You will always be surprised by your students and how much they can create on their own.
3: iCurio
In this video I was informed about iCurio. iCurio is an online tool used for safely searching the internet. This is an educational tool that offers you information about your search in text, audio, and visual documents. This is a kid-friendly resources and is great for all grade levels. iCurio offers a storage option for searchers. This is great for students and teachers. It allows you to save items you may have searched or found and come back to them. This allows for people using the website to stay organized when doing research.
4:Discovery Education
In this video I was informed about Discovery Education. Discovery Education is a great resource to use in your classroom. This online tool is a search engine for informative videos. When describing it Anthony Capps said, "it brings text to life." This would be a wonderful tool to use in your classroom for all subjects.
5: The Anthony-Strange list of tips for teachers Part 1
This video gave me a list of helpful words of wisdom to follow as I become a teacher. The most important advice that I learned is to always be an active learner. As an educator you will learn something new every day. Never allow yourself to stop finding new information to better yourself and your students. Another piece of advice I learned about is to always be flexible. If something does not go your way, find a new way to give your students information. Always leave yourself room for mistakes and create plans that have back up lessons. Make a reflection of all of your lessons. Writing a reflection will help you to understand what you did right and wrong and how you can work to do it better the next time. Never stop having fun as a teacher. It is important to love your job and explore new ideas. Being a teacher is not an 8 hour job, it is an all day every day lifestyle.
6: Don't Teach Tech- Use it
In this video I learned that you should never teach your students how to use technology. Do not take time out of your lesson to teach your students how to use technology. Begin to incorporate a little technology into each lesson plan and allow your students to discover how to use technology for themselves. Students need to explore technology and learn to use in their own way. Expect mistakes and questions, but never underestimate what your students can do with technology.
7: Additional Thoughts About Lessons
In this video I learned about the process of creating a lesson from Anthony Capps. Year, Unit, Week, and Daily are the four components that make up a lesson. First, you must make sure that your lesson will accomplish standards that need to be met through out the year and make sure it fits into a written curriculum map to make sure all standards get covered. Second, you must create your unit. Your unit is your lesson or project that you will be using to meet your class standards. Make sure that your unit is meaningful, connected, and leads to starting your next lesson. Third, you create your plan to go with your week. You must make a break down of your unit and your goals that you need to be accomplished during the week. Lastly, your create your daily part of your lesson. This part is how you are going to deliver your lesson to the class. Once you complete all of these steps, you have created a lesson for your class.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
C4K Summary for September
I was assigned to comment on the blog of a young girl named Helen. Helen's blog was titled Ban Plastic Bags! In Helen's blog she wrote a letter to the Prime Minister about her concerns of the use of plastic bags. Helen shared the problems of the use of plastic bags and the dangers that can be caused to animals. You could tell that Helen was very passionate about this subject. I commented on Helen's blog and shared with her what I liked and asked some questions about what she had done to help this situation. I offered Helen a suggestion of using links in her blog and shared with her the importance of adding links to a blog.
The second student blog I was assigned to was the blog of Mirrorz123. The blog that I read was titled "Make your mark." In the blog, Mirrorz123 stated that he did not know how he would make his mark, but that he knew he wanted to be a television producer/director. Mirrorz123 also said that he wants to make people happy. I explained to Miirorz123 that it was awesome that he knew what he wanted to do for a career because most people do not know till half way through college. I left Mirrorz123 with a question to answer. How could he make people happy when he becomes a producer/director? I hope that question will inspire Mirrorz123 to think about the future and the positive impact he could leave on the world.
My last student blog that I commented on was the blog of Jade who is a high school student in Iowa. Jade's blog post was Talent or Hard work. Jade wrote that she felt that hard work was more important than talent. She believes that people that put forth hard work will go further in succeeding their task than people with talent. I wrote to Jade and told her of the importance of hard work in schools. I asked her if she worked hard in her classes because it is very important to make sure you are doing your best in school. I hope that Jade will read my comment and see the importance of hard work in school and put her theory of hard work to use.
The second student blog I was assigned to was the blog of Mirrorz123. The blog that I read was titled "Make your mark." In the blog, Mirrorz123 stated that he did not know how he would make his mark, but that he knew he wanted to be a television producer/director. Mirrorz123 also said that he wants to make people happy. I explained to Miirorz123 that it was awesome that he knew what he wanted to do for a career because most people do not know till half way through college. I left Mirrorz123 with a question to answer. How could he make people happy when he becomes a producer/director? I hope that question will inspire Mirrorz123 to think about the future and the positive impact he could leave on the world.
My last student blog that I commented on was the blog of Jade who is a high school student in Iowa. Jade's blog post was Talent or Hard work. Jade wrote that she felt that hard work was more important than talent. She believes that people that put forth hard work will go further in succeeding their task than people with talent. I wrote to Jade and told her of the importance of hard work in schools. I asked her if she worked hard in her classes because it is very important to make sure you are doing your best in school. I hope that Jade will read my comment and see the importance of hard work in school and put her theory of hard work to use.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Blog Post #5
The process of setting up my Professional Learning Networks(PLN) was at first a bit troubling to me. I did not understand the process right away to create a PLN or who to follow. After a few clicks and searches I started to get the hang of things. I signed up for an account with Symbaloo using my gmail account to get things started. I decided to base my PLN around Project Based Learning. I loved learning about PBL and would love to know more. I began using google to find websites to use. Next I went to Twitter and Youtube. After a while I had realized I had found several sites I could use to create my PLN. I hope to continue to add to this website and will use the website in the future to better my classroom.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Blog Post #4
What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher?
Asking the right questions to your students can make a world of difference in the classroom. In the videos "Asking better questions in the Classroom" and "Open ended questions" I learned the importance of using open ended questions in the classroom. As a future educator, these videos made an impact on me for how to approach questioning my students in the classroom. It is important not to ask closed ended questions, only giving the students a yes or no option. Students should open there minds to many possibilities and answers. Providing that option to students will really help them in their learning and understanding of their work. In Ben Johnson's article "The right way to ask questions in the classroom" Johnson stated, "If we look at the dynamics of any classroom, it doesn't take more than a week for students to figure out who is smart, who isn't, and who doesn't care. What is worse, studies show that after fourth grade, students know how they are perceived and play their roles accordingly." To me, this statement is very upsetting. Every child deserves to feel like the "smart student" and as educators and future educators we should want to make our students feel this way. To be an effective teacher, you must make sure you are making your students care and show them that you care. In the video "Questioning Styles and Strategies" the technique of valuing feedback was shown. This is something that is very important when asking your students questions in the classroom. Students will be more confident in their answers in class if you encourage them with kind and supportive words. Another technique discussed in this video was "student calling." This strategy allowed students to choose whoever they would like to answer a question in class. If students are given the chance to participate and feel like they have a responsibility in class by calling on one of their peers they will be more likely to participate in classroom discussions. It is important for teachers to make sure they are asking questions that will allow everyone in the classroom to be involved and interested in learning. By asking the right questions in your classroom you are encouraging your students to become active listeners, learners, and thinkers.
Asking the right questions to your students can make a world of difference in the classroom. In the videos "Asking better questions in the Classroom" and "Open ended questions" I learned the importance of using open ended questions in the classroom. As a future educator, these videos made an impact on me for how to approach questioning my students in the classroom. It is important not to ask closed ended questions, only giving the students a yes or no option. Students should open there minds to many possibilities and answers. Providing that option to students will really help them in their learning and understanding of their work. In Ben Johnson's article "The right way to ask questions in the classroom" Johnson stated, "If we look at the dynamics of any classroom, it doesn't take more than a week for students to figure out who is smart, who isn't, and who doesn't care. What is worse, studies show that after fourth grade, students know how they are perceived and play their roles accordingly." To me, this statement is very upsetting. Every child deserves to feel like the "smart student" and as educators and future educators we should want to make our students feel this way. To be an effective teacher, you must make sure you are making your students care and show them that you care. In the video "Questioning Styles and Strategies" the technique of valuing feedback was shown. This is something that is very important when asking your students questions in the classroom. Students will be more confident in their answers in class if you encourage them with kind and supportive words. Another technique discussed in this video was "student calling." This strategy allowed students to choose whoever they would like to answer a question in class. If students are given the chance to participate and feel like they have a responsibility in class by calling on one of their peers they will be more likely to participate in classroom discussions. It is important for teachers to make sure they are asking questions that will allow everyone in the classroom to be involved and interested in learning. By asking the right questions in your classroom you are encouraging your students to become active listeners, learners, and thinkers.
Project #15
Wolframalpha
The search engine Wolframalpha is a great resource tool. The website is very easy to use and understand. On the website you can enter in any math problem and it will give you the solution, how to solve, and any additional information you need. You can also enter in things other than math problems. I typed in Billy Joel and it gave me information on who he was, his birthday, where he is from, his albums, how many hits a day he gets on his wiki page, information from the wiki page, and many more additional needed information. This website can be used for multiple resources, but I would have to say that it is best for solving math related questions.
Bing
The search engine Bing is an easy to use website. When on the home page Bing offers you links to the most popular searches and uses predictive text to help you with your searches. After you click search Bing will provide you images and websites with information on the searched item. Bing also gives you a little bit of information for each website to help you narrow down your options for websites to use. I do not think that this website is specifically most useful for one thing. This website is a great resource for many searches.
Ask
The search engine Ask is a very simple, easy to use website. On the homepage, Ask offers a question of the day with multiple choice answers. If you choose the wrong answer Ask will explain why it was wrong and give you the correct answer. Ask also gives you the option to browse through previous questions of the day. Ask uses predictive text to help you with your searches. After hitting search Ask will provide you with websites, Amazon related links, and popular Q&A on the search. This website can be used for many searches, but in my opinion I believe that it would be best used for research papers.
WOW
The search engine WOW is a straight forward and simple website. This website offers options for the type of search you would like to do. You can choose from "Human edited search," "Search Engines," and "References." Once you make your choice then you can chose from one more option to refine your search more and then hit search. This website gives you options to help you better find what you are looking for. I believe that this website is most useful for research papers.
Webcrawler
The search engine WebCrawler is very bland and simple. This website uses other search engines to help you find your search. The website had no attraction to the site or helpful tools. This search engine is most useful for simple searches.
DuckDuckGo
The search engine DuckDuckGo is a simple designed search engine. On the homepage the website offers a "How-to" option to help you understand how to use the site. One interesting thing that this search engine does is add an "about" section when you search. The about section will offer you a definition of your search, where to buy your search, or other helpful information pertaining to your search. This website is very easy to navigate through. This search engine would be most useful for many things, but I think it would be best for looking up definitions.
Dogpile
The search engine Dogpile is a cute and simple website. Dogpile offers a "Favorite fetches" option where you can see the top searches of the page and an option to buy the app from the site. The website gives you the option to choose from web, imagines, video, news, local, shopping, and white pages before you search to help you better get the results you are looking for. For this website you pick from one of the previous options, type your search, and then click "go fetch." This website follows the theme of the title with a picture of a dog on the homepage and phrases for options that follow dog theme. In my opinion this website would be most useful for children using the internet for homework searches.
Alhea
The search engine Alhea is a plain and simple website. This site uses Google and Yahoo when doing the searches. Althea does not have predictive text nor does it offer you imagine or amazon options. This search engine is easy to use and to the point. I believe this website is most useful for simple searches.
The search engine Wolframalpha is a great resource tool. The website is very easy to use and understand. On the website you can enter in any math problem and it will give you the solution, how to solve, and any additional information you need. You can also enter in things other than math problems. I typed in Billy Joel and it gave me information on who he was, his birthday, where he is from, his albums, how many hits a day he gets on his wiki page, information from the wiki page, and many more additional needed information. This website can be used for multiple resources, but I would have to say that it is best for solving math related questions.
Bing
The search engine Bing is an easy to use website. When on the home page Bing offers you links to the most popular searches and uses predictive text to help you with your searches. After you click search Bing will provide you images and websites with information on the searched item. Bing also gives you a little bit of information for each website to help you narrow down your options for websites to use. I do not think that this website is specifically most useful for one thing. This website is a great resource for many searches.
Ask
The search engine Ask is a very simple, easy to use website. On the homepage, Ask offers a question of the day with multiple choice answers. If you choose the wrong answer Ask will explain why it was wrong and give you the correct answer. Ask also gives you the option to browse through previous questions of the day. Ask uses predictive text to help you with your searches. After hitting search Ask will provide you with websites, Amazon related links, and popular Q&A on the search. This website can be used for many searches, but in my opinion I believe that it would be best used for research papers.
WOW
The search engine WOW is a straight forward and simple website. This website offers options for the type of search you would like to do. You can choose from "Human edited search," "Search Engines," and "References." Once you make your choice then you can chose from one more option to refine your search more and then hit search. This website gives you options to help you better find what you are looking for. I believe that this website is most useful for research papers.
Webcrawler
The search engine WebCrawler is very bland and simple. This website uses other search engines to help you find your search. The website had no attraction to the site or helpful tools. This search engine is most useful for simple searches.
DuckDuckGo
The search engine DuckDuckGo is a simple designed search engine. On the homepage the website offers a "How-to" option to help you understand how to use the site. One interesting thing that this search engine does is add an "about" section when you search. The about section will offer you a definition of your search, where to buy your search, or other helpful information pertaining to your search. This website is very easy to navigate through. This search engine would be most useful for many things, but I think it would be best for looking up definitions.
Dogpile
The search engine Dogpile is a cute and simple website. Dogpile offers a "Favorite fetches" option where you can see the top searches of the page and an option to buy the app from the site. The website gives you the option to choose from web, imagines, video, news, local, shopping, and white pages before you search to help you better get the results you are looking for. For this website you pick from one of the previous options, type your search, and then click "go fetch." This website follows the theme of the title with a picture of a dog on the homepage and phrases for options that follow dog theme. In my opinion this website would be most useful for children using the internet for homework searches.
Alhea
The search engine Alhea is a plain and simple website. This site uses Google and Yahoo when doing the searches. Althea does not have predictive text nor does it offer you imagine or amazon options. This search engine is easy to use and to the point. I believe this website is most useful for simple searches.
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