Blog Post 10

Photo by: Secure Edge Networks

What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy?

Mrs. Cassidy is a great example of how to evolve a classroom with the use of technology. She has taken the resources she was given, to create a great technology based learning atmosphere for her students. From the video, Little Kids...Big Potential I learned a lot about using technology in the classroom. I love that Mrs. Cassidy uses a classroom blog and other online resources such as iWiki and Skype to use to connect to people around the world.

In the Part 1 Interview with Mrs. Cassidy on Skype, I was able to hear how she first started using technology in her classroom. It is very encouraging to hear how she didn't start out with a lot of resources but used what she had to expand from there. Mrs. Cassidy started her classroom with only having five computers, and she has since grown so much. With the help of her technology coordinator she was able to expand the use of technology in her classroom even further. I love Mrs. Cassidy's attitude about technology because she is so positive and willing to use anything that will promote engagement with students. In my future classroom, I will most definitely have a blog like Mrs. Cassidy does because it will expand the audience for my students.

From the Part 2 Interview with Mrs. Cassidy, I really enjoyed hearing her advice on starting with technology with where you are most interested. As a future teacher, I really hope to grow my PLN so I can have access to so many sources and opportunities that expand over the years. In my classroom, I will most definitely be using blogging, twitter, Skype, and other great tools! I really believe in sharing with those networks, to help gain a bigger audience for my students. It is exciting to see how much students will get more involved when they are showing others and not only their classmates.

From the Part 3 Interview with Mrs. Cassidy, she goes over some questions that former EDM 310 students are asking. A question that really stuck out to me was about protecting the students while online or on blogs. Mrs. Cassidy explains that she tells her students to not post their last names and also to not use negative language. I think that is great advice, and as a teacher I would go over with my students tips to help them safely navigate the web. For instance, we will go over what websites that they will be allowed to use and navigate. I think that it is important for students to think educationally when they are searching the web. I think that games may be a temptation to students, so I would want to go over which educational games they may play and others that should only be played at home in their free time. The use of technology is endless and I really believe in using it in my future classroom to further the education of my students!
I really enjoyed hearing Mrs. Cassidy's many thoughts and ideas about using technology in her classroom. She was very inspiring and I obtained a lot of ideas to take to the classroom. I learned so much about how she does things in the classroom to better engage her students, and I hope to do the same!

C4K Summary for October

Photo by: Edudemic


C4K #4: 10/1/14
I was assigned to Jamaya's Blog. This student wrote "Ps. I’m still bored." In my comment, I introduced myself and commented "I am eager to read your next post." Since this students post was not long, Dr. Strange advised me to pick another students blog and leave a comment.

10/2/14:
Since I had to pick another student, I chose Gray's Blog to leave a comment on for this week. Gray's post was about leaving his "mark on the world." He says to make his mark on the world, he will pick up more trash and continue to work at the GSM program he volunteers at and donate food for the homeless and to help people in need.
In my comment I left to Gray, I said that I was very encouraged by this blog post. I told him that these are very good ideas in order to help the environment and also help people in need. I told Gray, that this post was very positive and I applauded him for his efforts to work with the GSM program that he is in. Lastly, I told him to keep up the good work!

C4K #5: 10/10/14
I was assigned to Addisyn Z's Blog. She is in 7th grade in Mrs. Ripp's class from Madison, Wisconsin. In this blog post she is introducing herself and telling a few things about her personal life. She talks about how she has a brother named Braeden and a sister named Briana. She also says that she has two cats and a fish. In her post she asks for whoever is reading, if you have any pets? Also, she discusses that she has been reading the book "Delirium" and asks what are your favorite books? Addisyn Z also says that she really enjoys school unlike most students her age. She says that she thinks of school as a good thing because "many kids in the world don’t have this amazing opportunity."

In my comment, I introduced myself and told Addisyn Z that I was assigned to her blog this week for my kid comment. I told her that I enjoyed reading her post and getting to know her a little more. I acknowledge the questions she asked in her post and answered them so we can better "relate" to one another. I told her that I have 2 Yorkie puppies and that my favorite books series is "The Hunger Games." I also go on to tell her that I really applaud her for knowing that school is a great privilege and I'm glad she has the opportunity to learn. I told her to that her positive attitude towards school and life is very encouraging. I encouraged her to keep up the good work in her 7th grade class and that I hope she enjoys it. Lastly, I told her that I was glad that I was introduced to her blog and that I look forward to reading more of her blog posts. I also left the links to my blog and our class blog so that she may visit either one if she gets the chance.


C4K #6: 10/18/14
I was assigned this week to Lola's Blog. She is in 5th grade in Mr. Dolan's class. In Lola's post she wrote about her "Responsibilities Online" that pertain to having passwords online. She lists several ways to make a strong password that no one would guess. Overall, she is giving the reader different ways to make going online safe for any accounts you may have.
In my comment, I introduced myself and told Lola that I was assigned to comment on her blog this week for my EDM 310 class. I complimented her on her post being very informative about her "Responsibilities Online." I told her that this post would be very helpful to someone who is creating a new password and needs tips on how to create a strong password. I applauded Lola for her work on this assignment and told her that she wrote will confidence and meaning to complete this post. Lastly, I told her I would look forward to reading more of her blog posts and seeing her next assignments.


C4K #7: 10/26/14
I was assigned to comment on Melenoa's blog. Her blog post is titled "How to be a good Pt Englander." In her post, she talks about three different ways to be a good Pt Englander. The three ways she describes are by being polite, wear it with pride, and being cyber smart. She describes each of there points and gives an example of how to show each characteristic.
In my comment, I introduced myself and told that I was assigned her blog this week for my EDM 310 class. In my comment, I complimented Melenoa on her post and told her I enjoyed getting to read it. I told her that it was great to see someone write about the important ways to show positivity and being the best Pt Englander they can be. I also told her that it was great that she gave an example for each characteristic so her classmates will know how to improve if they choose too. Overall, I told Melenoa that she put a lot of effort in her post and that I look forward to reading more of her writings in the future.

SMARTBoard Project #12 Part A

Blog Post 9

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

Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning
In this article, John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller discuss the seven essentials for Project Based Learning. This article contains a lot of great information about using Project Based Learning instead of boring "busy work" projects. This article does a great job of correlating each point to the example story of Ms. McIntyre's science class and their project. The first point is "A Need to Know." This is where the project is introduced in an engaging way that provides an "entry event" to get the students excited with questions. The second point is "A Driving Question." This question is the main focus of the project, and it allows for students to be engaged with an open-ended question and challenge them to explore and learn what you want them to learn from the project. The third point is "Student Voice and Choice." As discussed in the article, this element of student voice and choice is probably the most important. Students need to have the opportunity to make their own decisions about their project, and this gives them the ability for their thoughts and ideas to be limitless and have meaning to them. The fourth point is "21st Century Skills." This entails the students using skills such as, collaboration, communication, technology, and more that enhances their ability to learn and work with their peers. I think it is very important to use the sources we have in this technology based world to better the learning of the students. The fifth point is "Inquiry and Innovation." This point is a great aspect to Project Based Learning because students actually learn from themselves by discovering answers to their generated questions. Students will learn further by their own inquiry and innovation, rather than reading curriculum from a textbook. The sixth point from the article is "Feedback and Revision." This is key in generating feedback from peers and the teacher. When students critique each others work, it makes it the process more meaningful. The last point is "A Publicly Presented Project". This is a great way to expand the audience outside of the classroom. By getting the school or parents involved, it makes students proud of their work since they are working towards a larger audience.

This article is full of great points and it relates back to any Project Based Learning project. I think that the process of a PBL project is a learning process for both teachers and students. In this project atmosphere, ideas can bounce from teacher to student and keep us far away from "busy work" projects.

Photo by: 21st Century Educational Technology and Learning

Project Based Learning for Teachers
This video, by Tony Vincent, discusses why Project Based Learning is important for our students and their way of learning. This video explains that the Common Core State Standards are the WHAT and the Project Based Learning is the HOW. This video says that in PBL we are questioning, investigating, sharing, and reflecting. When the video flashes the names of the many resources of technology it goes to show how many available sources there are. Even though these are just SOME of the MANY out there. Technology is something that helps "students take charge of their learning" because they can use these tools on their own or collaboratively. Tony Vincent provides the key factors to PBL in this video. These factors are having a purpose, addressing an audience, crafting a driving question, identifying learning standards, creating a runic, grouping students, brainstorming branching questions, meeting deadlines, focusing on the process, and refining the end product. These main points are the KEY to Project Based Learning.

Project Based Learning in PE
Before reading this blog post, the title of the is source caught my attention. I don't know why I wouldn't think about PBL in Physical Education, so I was interested to learn more. In the scenario in this post, high school students are creating different physical fitness plans for middle school students. This is a great way for the high school students to collaborate and also benefit middle school students in the process. In PE, most everything the students do is obviously physical activity which is hands-on. But also, using PBL in PE pushes the students further than just performing the physical activities. Therefore, now I see how to incorporate PBL so students use their collaborative skills to create projects involving physical fitness. The projects also meet the content standards for Physical Education. The project the high school students create really gives them the creativity to "Voice and Choice" their opinion of what skill to create a physical fitness program around. After reading this blog post, I learned more about implementing PBL in Physical Education even if I didn't realize it at first. I'm glad that I was able to recognized how much PBL in involved in the further collaboration on PE, other than just the physical fitness aspect.

PBL: What Motivates Students Today
This video is a great source to see the students perspective. The first student says that he is motivated when his teacher compliments him and praising him on his work in class. When the teacher recognizes the students hard work, it makes the students want to accomplish more. The next student in the video says she is motivated by what is to come in the future. She wants a family, house, dog, etc and wants to have a successful job. Therefore, she wants to do well in school so she can have all of those things. The next several students all talk about being motivated by the future and wanting to be in a certain career that they dreamed of. Next, the video talks about rewards that work. Some of the rewards that the students explain are clip boards/charts for their behaviors, candy, going to the garden at school, prizes from the teacher like pencils or stickers, and brownie points. Most of the students talk about how their teacher has a certain reward they have for each day. I think that rewards definitely motivate students and it is a fun way to applaud students for their good work and behavior.

Two Students Solve the Case of the Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap
I thought this video was great! I am a ketchup lover and I personally hate when that watery substance goes everywhere when you squirt the ketchup out. Two high school seniors, Tyler Richards and Jonathan Thompson, came up with this project idea when they were asked "it really bugs me when..." I think that this project was a great learning experience for them to put their hard work into a real-world problem that they wanted to solve. They really cared about this project because they were able to pick it and decide everything that went into the research. I was really impressed that they spent so much time and energy into this project. They also had the tools to 3D print "the mushroom" that was the key to keeping away the watery substance in the ketchup bottle when it's poured. As teachers, we really want all students to be this engaged in a project. When we give the students the opportunity to collaborate with one another and innovate new ideas it is more fun for them and expands their learning on another level.

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

Photo by:EDUDEMIC


Part A
The data from the study by Zogby Analytics was not very shocking to me. In our society, having a smartphone is almost as important as carrying around a wallet. I think that especially people aged 18-24 are so embedded with texting and social media of course they are going to have their phone with them constantly. I too seem to always have my phone close at my side. In the data, it also shows that 91% of people have a camera on their smartphone. I personally tend to use my camera on my iPhone for just about anything. The quality of the camera is so clear that it is just easier to have a phone and camera in one. Honestly, smartphones are so useful in everything they do. Whether you want to search the web, make a phone call, send a text, email, or take a picture. I think that the statistics from this study go to show how the smartphone has impacted our every day living and how much we use them.
People may have different implications for education, school, teachers, and learners when it comes to smartphones. I think that technology such as smartphones and iPads can be extremely beneficial to education. In the classroom the tools on a smartphone can be used to help students search the web for anything they are learning about. Now a days, there is an app for anything. On our smartphones, students can use educational apps to enhance their learning through project-based learning. Also, using a camera/recorded on a smartphone is a great tool to use for students and teachers. Some people may think that using phones in the classroom is not acceptable, but in our day in age there is no getting away from technology so why not embrace it.

Part B
I think that the possibilities are endless when it comes to using technology in the classroom. Smartphones and tablets are so beneficial to the students learning because they provide so many Educational programs. For instance, a really great way for students to use the iPad is by making Board Builders projects for their different topics they are learning in the classroom. I think that Board Builders are a great way for students to personalize and create their own project and make it come to life. Also, using the video camera on a smartphone or tablet is a great way for students to make videos pertaining to their lessons or topic they are learning about. Students really enjoy making projects with this technology and they will be more engaged when they are busy collaborating hands-on. According to ALEX: Mathematics, a requirement under 2nd grade Math is to "Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces." This ACCRS standard could be met by using the Math app called Geometry 4 Kids. This is a tool that can be downloaded on any smartphone or iPad. Another example from ALEX is from Science, it states that students "Describe components of the universe and their relationships to each other, including stars, planets and their moons, solar systems, and galaxies." An app that can be downloaded on the iPad to go along with this curriculum is called Plantes. This app provides information on astronomy and a fun way for students to learn more about astronomy aside from their textbook. These are just a few of the many great apps that can be connected to the curriculum for in the classroom setting. Overall, I greatly believe in using technology in the classroom because of the many educational sources that can be found and used to enhance students learning. Some people may be against having "distractions" in the classroom, but to me these are tools that can provide 21st Century Teaching into the classroom.

Project 9: Video Book Conversation

Group 3:
Our group was assigned Topic 8: In Teaching Digital Natives, Marc Prensky asks "How should we connect technology to the curriculum?" ... "How could we teach for the future?" Below is a podcast of our conversation as a group and our thoughts about answering his questions.

Blog Post 8

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

Photo by: Los Angeles Times

I really enjoyed watching the video of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. He is a very encouraging and uplifting person and I really applaud him for all he achieved in his lifetime. This lecture is very encouraging and two things Randy says that stuck out to me is "inspiration and permission to dream are huge." We should all remember that!
In the beginning of the video, Randy talks a lot about when he played football when he was younger and he says it's all about the fundamentals. If you get the fundamentals down, then it makes for success. I really think this relates to learning because when you are learning anything at all you must know the basic fundamentals in order to gain more knowledge about that certain topic.
Randy also references "Captain Kirk" and he points out that his role was all about leadership. I think this is something that we as teacher's need to remember because as educators we are in a sense "leading people" and our students being those people. Randy mentions about creating different scenarios using "Virtual Reality." I think this would be a fun technique and tool to use for teaching.
Randy says "Being an imagineer" is an important quality. His stories about when he was "Imagineering" and making his project Aladdin are very inspirational. Randy really shows how learning and working with something you are passionate about is the most rewarding thing.
Next, Building Virtual Words is a project of about 50 students. Randy discusses how educational it was and beneficial for the students. On the students first assignment using the Virtual Reality tools, Randy was blown away at all of the students projects. I think this says a lot about hands on tools and how learning is so much fun when you are working with tools that you find interesting. Learning should be this way and that is why Project-Based Learning is so beneficial for the students and the teachers. The entire Building Virtual Worlds project was a campus wide phenomenon and students were so involved and Randy talks about how he was so honored to teach that course. The course was all about bonding and working with your peers. As a future teacher, I know that I will want my students to learn in a way like this where they are all together excited to be learning and creating!
Furthermore, Randy shares about the program Entertainment Technology center (ETC) and in this program you get a two year professional degree of Masters of Entertainment Technology. As Randy puts it, this whole program is where students are in small teams "making stuff." The program is all about projects and not "book learning." Randy says that by now the students have had four years of "book learning" and now they focus on projects and "making stuff." I think this is a great way for the students to actually work and build to create. Project-based learning is THE best way to learn in a fun hands-on way that you enjoy and want to keep working to create. Randy also stresses working in groups. Groups are a great way for students to work together to create their best work while collaborating with each other.
In my opinion, Randy is so passionate about the "Alice" project and he says, "The best way to teach is to have them think they are learning something else." When kids are using computer programs they think they are just making movies, but really they are learning something hard about programing. In this instance, Randy also says, "the best thing is when kids are having fun while learning something that is really hard."

Overall, Randy's Last Lecture was very encouraging and I really learned so much about learning and teaching. He teaches in a Project-Based Learning atmosphere with the students he had and I think that was rewarding in every aspect. When the students are collaborating and creating projects they are constantly engaged and love what they are doing. Also, in a course like Virtual Reality, Randy shows how it is important to teach in a way that is NOT surrounded by textbooks. On the other hand, everything is surrounded by technology and the tools needed to create those projects. I really enjoyed this video and I am so glad I was introduced to Randy Pausch and everything he had to offer in his last lecture.

C4T #2 Summary

Photo by: Math Game Time

Post #1: 9/24/14
On this post, I commented on David Wees's Blog. His blog post consisted of a chart titled "20 things every teacher should do" and a few short paragraphs at the end explaining that this list of things should not act as a checklist for teachers, but a starting point for beginning teachers to consider when preparing for the school year.
In my comment, I introduced myself and explained that I was assigned to his blog for my teacher's comment this week. I continued to tell Mr. Wees that I thought this chart would really help me as I begin my journey as an educator. I also told Mr. Wees that my favorite point from this chart was to "Learn something new every day." I think that it is so important for us, as teachers, to remember that because we are not just teaching but also learning as well. I also complimented Mr. Wees on his blog and how organized and well written it is. I closed my comment by saying that I will look forward to reading more of his blog posts, and that I was excited to learn something new from them. Lastly, I invited him to look at My Blog and also our EDM 310 Class Blog.

Post #2: 10/10/14
On this post, I commented on David Wees's Blog. His blog post is titled "Self-directed Workshops" and consists of a paragraph explaining that he created two Google slide presentations to be used as self-directed workshops for Math Education. Mr. Wees explains that he created these presentations for a workshop he is facilitating this weekend in San Francisco. Also, the two presentations are provided on this blog post for public use. One is titled "Programming in Math Class" and the other is titled "Free Tools for Math Education." I viewed the presentations, and they were very interesting to me because I wasn't very familiar with the information he was teaching on the slides.
In my comment, I introduced myself and explained how I was assigned to comment on his blog for a second time. I continued by complimenting Mr. Wees on his blog post and told him that I enjoyed learning something new about programming and different math tools. I told Mr. Wees that I thought the presentations that he made would be very helpful to teachers and other individuals who want to learn more about Math Education. I also complimented him by saying how informative his posts are and how I was glad I was introduced to his blog because I was able to learn something new. In closing, I told Mr. Wees to feel free to visit My Blog and also the EDM 310 Class Blog.

Project #13- Project Based Learning Plan #1

Group 3 TT11

We have decided to create our Project Based Learning lesson on "The Four Seasons." In our lesson, students are researching, in their collaborative groups, their assigned season by using the provided iPads. Then, students will construct the project discussed below.

"The Four Seasons" Lesson Plan
Project Calendar
Project Rubric

Photo by: Kindertown

Project #7 Part B: Classroom Videos

Parents of My Classroom video...





Students of My Classroom video...

Blog Post 7

How do we all become learners?

My strengths and weaknesses:
In my opinion, one of my strengths is being familiar with Apple products. In classrooms today, there is a lot of use with iPads, MacBooks, and Educational Apps. I am usually a quick learner with new things that Apple comes out with. I think that my knowledge of Apple products will really be handy in my future classroom because I will be using these technology tools to benefit the learning of my students. Of course they will be using them too, probably even more than me!
On the other hand, my weaknesses may be keeping a collection of activities to be done in a Project-Based Learning atmosphere. Before I graduate, that is one thing that I need to work on. I need to start collecting activities and lessons for my future use. Also, another weakness I may have is not using my PLN as often as I should. Once I become more familiar with it, I know it will be very beneficial to my future as an educator.

In the video, How to make an audio QR code, I learned the steps on how to thoroughly makes an audio QR code. Michelle Bennet explains how to start making the code you go to the website Record Mp3. From this website, you record your voice for all types of things such as, reading a book for your students to listen to. Press start, do not start talking until the number rolls over the number 1. Then, when you have recorded what you want, press stop. You can now play back the audio message that you recorded. After recording, a URL code will display and now I can copy this URL code. Next, go to the website QR Code Monkey which generates the audio code. Enter your URL code that you copied, click create and there is the QR code. Next, I can copy and paste it into word. I then print it out for my students or parents. Also, you can purchase a QR code scanner that is needed to scan the code for actually listening back to the code.

In the video, iPad Reading Center, I learned how to use the iPad for a tool for reading and recording in a center for Kindergarten. This is a way for students to video themselves reading and then go back and listen to themselves read so they can follow along again in the book to see if they made an errors. This is a great way for students to become aware of their reading errors, so they can further correct themselves. I have never seen this method for a reading center, but I think this is a great way to use the iPad as a learning tool. It is also FUN for the kids!

Photo By: Steamboat Today

In the video, Poplet with Ginger Tuck by Michelle Bennet, I learned how the teacher uses the "Poplet" free app to make a "Poplet" center. This is the process of creating a web around the poplet based on a career book. The Kindergarteners use a book as the source of their information. The students use the words and pictures to make the poplet. Once the Poplet is done it looks like a web that helps them see all the important information from the book. This is a great tool for the students to really explore their book more and it's also a way for them to learn the certain "Topic" of the book. For instance, in this video, Mrs. Bennet's kindergartener used a veterinarian book so now the student can keep this web to read over. Before this video I had never heard of "Poplet" and now I am glad I have learned about how and why to use them.

In the video, AVL and Kindergarten Students by Michelle Bennet, I learned that there is a AVL app that students can use in the classroom. On the AVL website, the students types in the word they want to search and then results come up. When the word is entered, a picture, an introduction of the word, and a listening portion too. This is a great way for students to visual and read about the objects. For instance, in this Kindergarten class they are researching transportation. The child enters a word, such as bicycle. From here, they can view the information about that object and create their own picture from it. This is a great hands-on activity for learning more about certain objects and more.

In the video, Tammy Shirley Discovery Education Board Builder Moon Project, I learned how to create a board on Discovery Education. The students will log in on the website and go to Board Builder. On this site, they can personalize their own board. The students type in all of their project information by using the keyboard. Images and videos can also be added to a Board Builder. This is a great tool for students to really become engaged with their projects because they enter the information and create it themselves. After students create their project board, they can write a narrative story about their project. This process of using Discovery Education to access Board Builder lets the students be as creative as they can while learning about their topics.

In the video, Mrs. Tassin 2nd Grade Students Share Board Builder Projects, I learned about two of Mrs. Tassin's 2nd grade students who are in the process of creating e a Board Builder Project about "Whales." The students were able to be creative with their board, while learning something new about whales after they took a virtual field trip to Glacier National Park in Alaska.

In the video, Mrs. Tassin's Students Share Board Builder Project, I learned about a group of Gulf Shores Elemntarty students who are using Board Builder. This groups makes a project about "Loose Change for the Haven" to help animals in need. This is a great example of a PBL project where the students collect information and pictures about their topics.

In the video, Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten by Dr. Strange, I learned information about iMovie and AVL from Elizabeth Davis and Michelle Bennett. Mrs. Bennett explains how Kindergarteners use iMovie to make book trailers. She exclaims how amazing it is that young children 5 and 6 years old are so capable of using these technology sources. Mrs. Davis discusses how Kindergarteners use AVL to research different topics, such as animals, on a regular basis! This is exciting because the students are so young, but yet they are engaging in technology and learning!

Photo by: Kite Readers

In the video, We All Become Learners, Dr. Strange, Elizabeth Davis, and Michelle Bennett have a conversation about learning. Mrs. Bennett points out that when students use "devices" it comes down to teachers teaching students, students teaching students, and students teaching teachers. The dynamic of this is that everyone becomes a learner and everyone becomes a teacher. I think that this is a great concept. Mrs. Bennett also talks about how the tool "Padlet" is very useful for anything! The Kindergarteners are even teaching Mrs. Bennett new things about Padlet. A statement that Mrs. Bennett said that really stood out to me is "We all become learners in each other's personal network." This is so true! Nowadays, it is so true in the fact that the students teach the teachers something new with technology and the programs they are working with.