Blog Post 6

Conversations with Anthony Capps

From the first two videos, Project Based Learning Part 1 and Project Based Learning Part 2, I learned a lot about what project based learning is like in the classroom. I like how Anthony says, with project-based learning never limit your students on what they can and can't do on the project. This way they will have the freedom to go above and beyond and learn the most they can about that certain topic. Project-based learning is not just a way to evaluate what the student has learned, but a way that the students actually learn through these projects. The more time students will put in to projects, the more they will learn from them and overall benefit from them. The important thing about the projects is not how "fancy" they look, but rather the content and effort they put into learning about the topic of the projects. Also I learned from these conversations that good work does not go unnoticed. Anthony talks about a parent's night where some of his students projects were shown. I think that is so great for parents and faculty to admire all the hard work students put in to learning and how beneficial project based learning is. My favorite quote from Anthony is "When students are engaged, their learning." The children have more ownership when you let them take over their own project and that is something we as teachers need to remember so we are not limiting our students.

In the video, iCurio, Anthony explains that iCurio is an online tool that allows students to search for all kinds of text, video, audio, and more media. This site also allows you to store any resources that you want to keep and organize for later use.

From the video, Discovery Ed Anthony, I learned about what Discovery Ed was and what to use it for. For instance, it is great for Social Studies and Sciences to bring visuals to the classroom. Students will learn more when they can see and watch something rather from just reading a text or article. Learning visually is always more engaging for students.

From the video, Anthony-Strange Tips for Teachers, all of the tips were great. Some of the tips include: being a learner, a hard worker, being flexible, and reflecting. Also, I really agree with Anthony when he talks about "making teaching fun" because teaching is a constant and rewarding job that continues for us even outside of the classroom. Also, improvising and being flexible with everything we do in the classroom, will benefit everyone. Everything may not go as planned and that's okay!

Photo By: Technology in the Classroom

In the video, Use Tech Don't Teach It, I agree 100%. In the classroom, we should use the technology in a way where I (teacher) don't necessarily have to show the students step by step how to do something. But instead, start from the beginning with more basic projects so they will learn and grow on their own. This way, students are learning how to use the technology tools by engaging hands-on. As we know, in the 21st century, kids will most likely be teaching us something new on iMovie that we know nothing about. Also, using technology to "share" is a major benefit for everyone in the classroom. Students also have the chance to reflect on their work, for instance, with a video they can re-watch and improve.

Overall, throughout all of these video conversations with Anthonony, he really has great points on making learning fun, effective, creative, and overall engaging for the students. Watching these videos really gave me a perspective on how these issues are like in the classroom, given all of his examples from his 3rd grade classroom. I enjoyed learning from his perspective and taking in everything that was discussed between Anthony and Dr. Strange!