Reflection on Blog Post # 1 and EDM 310
The first blog post that I did in August titled "My Future School/Classroom" was actually my favorite one despite the fact that I had just started blogging at that point. I talked about how I would teach my students and what I wanted them to learn.
My thoughts from August until now about how I want to run my classroom really have not changed. I said that I want my students to know that fun and learning really do go together. Visual learning is still going to be my primary way of teaching. The only thing I would change is to maybe incorporate more technology into what I already have. We could do presentations and class blogs to add to the curriculum.
I am so excited to start a classroom of my own and EDM 310 has really helped me to visualize what it will be like. Thank you EDM 310 staff for all of your hard work and dedication to this course!
REFLECTION VIDEO
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Blog Post # 15
“Assistive Technology for the Blind” by: Malary Booker
In the video titled “Teaching Math to the Blind” by Art Karshmer, he tells us how to help blind children learn Math. He invented blocks that allow students to do Math more easily. The computer has a touch pad and a scanner. If you scan the block it tells you what the number is and then you just line the numbers up on the touch pad in the order that the problem should be in. This will allow blind students to learn Math at a much younger age than they are currently learning it.
In the video titled “iPad Usage For the Bind” by: Wesley Majerus, he gives us some helpful hints about the iPad that blind people can use. He tells us that an iPad is equipped with a program called “Voice Over.” What this program does is talk to blind people and let them know what they are touching on the iPad. The most interesting app for blind people on the iPad is iBook. The voice reads the book to you and lets you know exactly what page and chapter you are on. It also describes the images which is really cool.
On the National Federation For the Blind website we found an assistive technological tool that we thought was great. It was an Audio Newspaper Service for the blind. All they have to do is call a number and it goes to a free telephone service that provides access to newspapers from all over the world. This could be very helpful in a Current Events class or something of that nature. For more information on being visually impaired or blind visit NFB’s website. Here is the link:NFB Website
“The Mountbatten” by: Sarah Barnett
The Mountbatten is an assistive type tool for the deaf and blind. It is a great tool because it allows for audio and tactile feedback for these students. The way it works, when the student uses the machine it starts to Braille, as it does this it uses audio so that student knows what they are doing. The Mountbatten is like a computer, it can do a lot a computer can do. It can send, receive, and share files from/to a computer. It is a pretty advanced gadget and so useful for the deaf and blind. It is also a wonderful tool for those students who do not know Braille. It is a great teaching tool so students can learn Braille and be successful. Overall, we thought this video was awesome! This device has helped many blind and deaf students be successful in learning.
“Assistive Technology for the Vision and Hearing impaired” by: Sarah Barnett
This type of technology enhances learning, removes the barriers, push boundaries, give hope, and challenge they way we think. 1 in 2500 Australian children have a vision impairment and on a avg. One Australian child is identified with a hearing impairment everyday. The question is “Are we doing enough for these children with these impairment?”. We as teachers should help teach these children to overcome these barriers and get over the hump and help them learn to the best they can be! All these children who have an impairment should have the same opportunity to learn, explore, discover, and engage just like a child who does not have an impairment. With technology we can help these children and if we learn how they learn we can help them to discover and interact in the world.
“iPad Usage for the Blind.” & “Teaching Mom What Her Deaf/Blind Child Is Learning On the iPad.” by: Lauren Bradley
Before we watched this video we had no idea that Apple Products even have this capability! In fact, when we saw the title in the video we thought how in the world could an iPad be useful for a blind person. It turns out, iPads are way more useful than I ever imagined, and a lot less difficult than I perceived them to be. They guide you step by step through whatever process you want to carry out by a voice that reads off what you are touching. For example, when your iPad settings are set for a blind persons use, simply slide your finger over the glass and when your finger grazes over an app, a voice tells you what you are touching. So, if you slide your finger over notes, it will read off notes; to open, tap twice anywhere on the page.
So far this is the most innovative technology we have come across for students with disabilities. The iPad can seamlessly guides a blind person to complete whatever action is desired. Once you have it down, working an iPad is painless! This technology really enhances and broadens what people who possess this disability are capable of.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
C4T # 4
C4T # 4, Comment 1
The teacher I had this week is Arvind S. Grover. His blog post was titled "Great Kid Teaches You About Transgender Identity." Arvind posted a video that warmed his heart. It is a video a guy did about kids whom are transgender. He talked about the book "When Kayla Was Kyle." He did this video while wearing a dress. He says that it is okay to be transgender and that kids who are should not be left out. Arvind says that the guy who did this video teaches clearly and assessibly about transgender identity. I commented and told him that I enjoyed the video, but felt like a book on transgender may not be appropriate for children of all ages. Here is the video if you would like to watch it:
C4T # 4, Comment 2
This week Arvind had a video of a commercial on his blog and he said " This video is a commercial for a new set of toys for girls that challenges limited views of what girls want to play with. Watch these great kids sing and build a dream-like Rube Goldberg device. Girls Rock!" I commented on this video and told Mr. Arvind that the commercial was hilarious but also very true. I really cannot explain the commercial in depth to you but please watch it below:
Blog Post By: Malary Booker
The teacher I had this week is Arvind S. Grover. His blog post was titled "Great Kid Teaches You About Transgender Identity." Arvind posted a video that warmed his heart. It is a video a guy did about kids whom are transgender. He talked about the book "When Kayla Was Kyle." He did this video while wearing a dress. He says that it is okay to be transgender and that kids who are should not be left out. Arvind says that the guy who did this video teaches clearly and assessibly about transgender identity. I commented and told him that I enjoyed the video, but felt like a book on transgender may not be appropriate for children of all ages. Here is the video if you would like to watch it:
C4T # 4, Comment 2
This week Arvind had a video of a commercial on his blog and he said " This video is a commercial for a new set of toys for girls that challenges limited views of what girls want to play with. Watch these great kids sing and build a dream-like Rube Goldberg device. Girls Rock!" I commented on this video and told Mr. Arvind that the commercial was hilarious but also very true. I really cannot explain the commercial in depth to you but please watch it below:
Blog Post By: Malary Booker
PLN Project # 2 Final Report
PLN Final Report
My personal learning network, or PLN, has been constantly growing. I started off with two websites and now I have a total of five website. Pretty soon I will have all open spaces on Symbaloo full of different websites that I can access. The two websites that I discussed in my progress report are The Teaching Channel blog page and BIE's website. For more information on those two sites just go to my blog post titled "Project #2 Progress Report." The three sites that I added and will be talking about in more detail later are the EDM 310 Class Blog, The Common Core Standards, and iCurio.
The first site that I added is the EDM 310 Class Blog . I added it because it is very helpful to me now since I am in that class and need to be aware of the updates. It also may be helpful for me in the future to show my students everything that I have learned with Dr. Strange.
The second website that I added was The Common Core Standards Website . This is the website to get all of the common core standards that I will need for my lesson plans now and when I start teaching. Common Core Standards are what I will need to follow as a teacher in creating the lesson plans for my students. They are the standards that the students have to meet before advancing to the next level of schooling.
The last website that I decided to add was The iCurio Website . Although I do not have a password for it yet, Dr. Strange was able to get us access to it for a while so that we could see what it was all about. I intend on using iCurio when I become a teacher. iCurio has so many wonderful resources for teachers and students. Teachers can research classroom tools and use them without having to worry if they meet the common core standards or not. Students can do research for different assignments on a safe and secure site and these days that is very important.It really is a win-win for everyone.
Creating my own Personal Learning Network has really helped me a lot. The wonderful thing bout it is that I can constantly add things to it whenever I need to. This is definitely a tool I will be using as a teacher to connect to every website I need in one place.
Blog Post By: Malary Booker
Smart Board Project # 12 Part B
The video below is of a SMART board lesson plan created by Malary Booker, Sarah Barnett, and Lauren Bradley:
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Blog Post # 14
I picked integrating the arts in an elementary school classroom for my created blog post directions and my created blog post because I am an elementary education major and I love the arts. Below are my blog post directions:
1.Watch the following video:
2. Write a post in which you discuss Mrs. Melanie Skankey's thoughts on art integration. After you have done this, give your own thoughts on art integration in the elementary school classroom.
My Blog Post on Art Integration
Melanie Skankey is a teacher at a STEAM school in Utah. She teaches art at a Science, Math, and technology school. She works as a specialist for the BTSAP ( Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Program .) Melanie says that art integration is not only hand printed turkeys and pictures. Art integration means that you teach a subject like Math using art. Students must actually understand Math through art. Melanie got her students to to create a dance to learn the stages of the water cycle. Doing this activity actually integrated art into the water cycle. Three things Melanie thinks we can all agree on are:
1. Children are important
2. Children need knowledge
3. Arts for children are good.
How are we going to prepare students for the future? Melanie tells us that the Common Core Standard help a lot with this. The standards really incorporate different subject matters. Art is learning through play. A quote by Fred Rogers says: "Play gives children the opportunity to practice what they are learning." This is so true. Art integration is all about playing while learning.
I feel like art integration is a very good idea for elementary school teachers as well as middle and high school teachers. It encourages students to have fun while still learning. I will definitely be using art in all of the subjects I will teach in the future as an elementary school teacher.
Blog Post By: Malary Booker
1.Watch the following video:
2. Write a post in which you discuss Mrs. Melanie Skankey's thoughts on art integration. After you have done this, give your own thoughts on art integration in the elementary school classroom.
My Blog Post on Art Integration
Melanie Skankey is a teacher at a STEAM school in Utah. She teaches art at a Science, Math, and technology school. She works as a specialist for the BTSAP ( Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Program .) Melanie says that art integration is not only hand printed turkeys and pictures. Art integration means that you teach a subject like Math using art. Students must actually understand Math through art. Melanie got her students to to create a dance to learn the stages of the water cycle. Doing this activity actually integrated art into the water cycle. Three things Melanie thinks we can all agree on are:
1. Children are important
2. Children need knowledge
3. Arts for children are good.
How are we going to prepare students for the future? Melanie tells us that the Common Core Standard help a lot with this. The standards really incorporate different subject matters. Art is learning through play. A quote by Fred Rogers says: "Play gives children the opportunity to practice what they are learning." This is so true. Art integration is all about playing while learning.
I feel like art integration is a very good idea for elementary school teachers as well as middle and high school teachers. It encourages students to have fun while still learning. I will definitely be using art in all of the subjects I will teach in the future as an elementary school teacher.
Blog Post By: Malary Booker
Monday, November 18, 2013
Blog Post # 13
Video 1: Alison Gopnik: What do babies think?
Alison Gopnik explains how babies and children think. She is a wonderful speaker and full of tons of information. She delivered this presentation beautifully. To sum up the video; she basically says that children and babies are like sponges. They soak up information better than adults. She showed a few pictures of a study of fifteen-eighteen month olds; the adult gave the children two bowls with broccoli and goldfish in the bowls. The adults then observed which bowl this children would choose. As you would imagine they mainly chose the goldfish, but who wouldn’t. Then the adults pretended to like the broccoli and not the goldfish, after that they asked the children to give them something out of the bowls.
This research showed that most of the eighteen month olds gave the adults the broccoli because the adults pretended they liked it. So, basically the eighteen month olds responded to instruction and absorbed what the task was to be done. Although, the fifteen month olds just stared and handed out goldfish. We learned from this video that in all actuality, children are the quickest and most efficient when it comes to learning. Children have brains that are always willing to learn new things. Alison Gopnik also said that when we (adults) say children are not paying attention, we are really saying they are bad at paying attention. This statement is so true because it takes children a few tries or experiments to figure out the correct answer. All in all we learned some great information.
Video 2: Shane Koyczan: To This Day...for the Bullied and Beautiful : Lauren Bradley
First off, wow; Shane Koyczan couldn't have presented a more brilliant speech. “To This Day...for the Bullied and the Beautiful” is a speech is on what it is like to be young and different in today’s world; and if you’re anything like me...grade school wasn’t easy. Koyczan talks about how he would constantly hear, “Just stand up for yourself, you have to stand up for yourself.” But how do we do this, if we don’t even know who we are. You know kids, one day they want to be a fireman, the next a dentist; but where is the fallacy in this? The education expects children to define themselves at such a young, inexperienced age; and if you did not define yourself, someone would for you; teachers, faculty, or even the students. Everyday another child is defining themselves by what other people say or think about them; fag, gay, stupid, ugly; and we are expected to accept this.
As you are being told what you are, with no say, you are being asked who you want to become. You know those high school days of visiting the counseling services and the career centers by force; being asked who you want to become. Well...I’m myself aren’t I? Koyczan experience with this was about the same as mine. He was asked, ‘’What do you want to be when you grow up?’’, “A writer.” Followed by, “Choose something realistic.” This is the fallacy in these types of actions; they asked him who he wanted to be, but told him what not to be. Why can’t we be who we already are? Why do people refuse to except that? We must somehow must become what we are not, sacrificing what we are, to inherit the masquerade of what we will be.
But what made his dreams so easily dismissible? Who has the power to shutdown someones elses dreams and tell them, “No, you can’t be that.” And at the same time, his dreams were being defined by some else also; being called stupid, unrealistic and so on. But like a boomerang, his dreams came back to him, and he used those dreams to take a stand. He told the audience one of the first lines of one of his first poems was about a world who demanded that he hate himself, and at age of fifteen through eighteen, he hated himself for becoming someone he knew he despised; a bully. When he was nineteen he wrote, “I will love myself, despite the ease in which I lean towards the opposite.”
With this he expressed that he was not the only kid who grew up like this, being bullied and hurt by people words and actions. So kids are growing up, being forced to believe they aren’t special, that no one will ever grow to love them, that that are unimportant. To this day kids are still being called names, still being hurt by other children who are raised to believe that looks and beauty are the of the utmost important; and anything less...is tossed aside. He says if you don’t think you are beautiful, if you don’t think you are perfect, get a new mirror, look a little closer, stare a little longer, because there is something inside you that made you keep going, that pushed you just a little further, despite everyone who told said, “You can’t.” As kids and as adults we must fight and push to believe that those people are wrong.
As educators we HAVE to take a stand. No longer “Kids will be kids” past my ears while another child sits in agony from the pain of fellow classmates . The education system does not understand that this type is behavior hinders learning in such a tremendous way, yet it continues to happens everyday in schools all around the world. We must find a way to change this, but first we must change ourselves. Maybe you were the bully or maybe you were the bullied, but no human life should ever have to go through this pain, especially in a place that should be embracing who you are and who you are going to become.
Video 3: Mae Jemison: Teach Arts and Sciences Together
Mae Jemison says that we are failing to act in the future. She says that our mission is to integrate Science and art together. If we keep thinking that Science and art are separate then we are in trouble. Many people say that scientists are not creative and this is not the case. Mae Jemison is an astronaut, a doctor, an art collector, and a dancer. She told stories from her own education and from her time in space. She calls on educators to teach both arts and sciences, both intuition and logic, as one to create bold thinkers. Mae told about how she became an astronaut and how she incorporated creativity into it. A quote from her is:
“Science and art are two parts of one thing. They come from one source and that source is creativity.”
This TED Talk video made us wonder about Mae Jemison’s whole biography so we looked it up. If you go to this link there is a mini biography video and a biography of Mae Jemison: Mae Jemison's Biography
Alison Gopnik explains how babies and children think. She is a wonderful speaker and full of tons of information. She delivered this presentation beautifully. To sum up the video; she basically says that children and babies are like sponges. They soak up information better than adults. She showed a few pictures of a study of fifteen-eighteen month olds; the adult gave the children two bowls with broccoli and goldfish in the bowls. The adults then observed which bowl this children would choose. As you would imagine they mainly chose the goldfish, but who wouldn’t. Then the adults pretended to like the broccoli and not the goldfish, after that they asked the children to give them something out of the bowls.
This research showed that most of the eighteen month olds gave the adults the broccoli because the adults pretended they liked it. So, basically the eighteen month olds responded to instruction and absorbed what the task was to be done. Although, the fifteen month olds just stared and handed out goldfish. We learned from this video that in all actuality, children are the quickest and most efficient when it comes to learning. Children have brains that are always willing to learn new things. Alison Gopnik also said that when we (adults) say children are not paying attention, we are really saying they are bad at paying attention. This statement is so true because it takes children a few tries or experiments to figure out the correct answer. All in all we learned some great information.
Video 2: Shane Koyczan: To This Day...for the Bullied and Beautiful : Lauren Bradley
First off, wow; Shane Koyczan couldn't have presented a more brilliant speech. “To This Day...for the Bullied and the Beautiful” is a speech is on what it is like to be young and different in today’s world; and if you’re anything like me...grade school wasn’t easy. Koyczan talks about how he would constantly hear, “Just stand up for yourself, you have to stand up for yourself.” But how do we do this, if we don’t even know who we are. You know kids, one day they want to be a fireman, the next a dentist; but where is the fallacy in this? The education expects children to define themselves at such a young, inexperienced age; and if you did not define yourself, someone would for you; teachers, faculty, or even the students. Everyday another child is defining themselves by what other people say or think about them; fag, gay, stupid, ugly; and we are expected to accept this.
As you are being told what you are, with no say, you are being asked who you want to become. You know those high school days of visiting the counseling services and the career centers by force; being asked who you want to become. Well...I’m myself aren’t I? Koyczan experience with this was about the same as mine. He was asked, ‘’What do you want to be when you grow up?’’, “A writer.” Followed by, “Choose something realistic.” This is the fallacy in these types of actions; they asked him who he wanted to be, but told him what not to be. Why can’t we be who we already are? Why do people refuse to except that? We must somehow must become what we are not, sacrificing what we are, to inherit the masquerade of what we will be.
But what made his dreams so easily dismissible? Who has the power to shutdown someones elses dreams and tell them, “No, you can’t be that.” And at the same time, his dreams were being defined by some else also; being called stupid, unrealistic and so on. But like a boomerang, his dreams came back to him, and he used those dreams to take a stand. He told the audience one of the first lines of one of his first poems was about a world who demanded that he hate himself, and at age of fifteen through eighteen, he hated himself for becoming someone he knew he despised; a bully. When he was nineteen he wrote, “I will love myself, despite the ease in which I lean towards the opposite.”
With this he expressed that he was not the only kid who grew up like this, being bullied and hurt by people words and actions. So kids are growing up, being forced to believe they aren’t special, that no one will ever grow to love them, that that are unimportant. To this day kids are still being called names, still being hurt by other children who are raised to believe that looks and beauty are the of the utmost important; and anything less...is tossed aside. He says if you don’t think you are beautiful, if you don’t think you are perfect, get a new mirror, look a little closer, stare a little longer, because there is something inside you that made you keep going, that pushed you just a little further, despite everyone who told said, “You can’t.” As kids and as adults we must fight and push to believe that those people are wrong.
As educators we HAVE to take a stand. No longer “Kids will be kids” past my ears while another child sits in agony from the pain of fellow classmates . The education system does not understand that this type is behavior hinders learning in such a tremendous way, yet it continues to happens everyday in schools all around the world. We must find a way to change this, but first we must change ourselves. Maybe you were the bully or maybe you were the bullied, but no human life should ever have to go through this pain, especially in a place that should be embracing who you are and who you are going to become.
Video 3: Mae Jemison: Teach Arts and Sciences Together
Mae Jemison says that we are failing to act in the future. She says that our mission is to integrate Science and art together. If we keep thinking that Science and art are separate then we are in trouble. Many people say that scientists are not creative and this is not the case. Mae Jemison is an astronaut, a doctor, an art collector, and a dancer. She told stories from her own education and from her time in space. She calls on educators to teach both arts and sciences, both intuition and logic, as one to create bold thinkers. Mae told about how she became an astronaut and how she incorporated creativity into it. A quote from her is:
“Science and art are two parts of one thing. They come from one source and that source is creativity.”
This TED Talk video made us wonder about Mae Jemison’s whole biography so we looked it up. If you go to this link there is a mini biography video and a biography of Mae Jemison: Mae Jemison's Biography
Thursday, November 14, 2013
C4K Assignments for November
C4K # 1
The kid I had this week was Porscha from Mrs. Nau and Mr. Burk's class in Auckland, New Zealand. Porscha's blog post was titled " My Planning." She has a picture of a four shot template. In each box she drew a picture of four different photo shots. The shots were: establishing shot, mid shot, cut away shot, and close up shot. Then she wrote a sentence telling the story of her photo shots. I commented and let her know that I really liked her story line and all of her shot drawings.
C4K # 2
This week I actually got to comment on a whole class blog instead of just one kids. The blog I had was Mrs. Yollis's Class Blog. The post I looked at was titled " Dr. and Mrs. Strange Visit!" It is so interesting to me that Dr. Strange actually got to visit with Mrs. Yollis's class. This post told me everything that they did and talked about. It also included pictures of them and the class. My favorite picture was the one of a little girl practicing her typing. Her fingers were all in the correct place! It is amazing to me how much these kids really do know. Dr. Strange told the kids a little bit about Alabama and the kids showed him what they know about technology. I commented on Mrs. Yollis's blog and told her that I am a student in Dr. Strange's class , but I believe her students may know more than me based on what I have seen. I am anxious to see her response. If you would like to view Mrs. Yollis's class blog then here is the link: Mrs. Yollis's Class Blog
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Blog Post # 12
Collaborative Blog Post: Sarah Barnett, Malary Booker, Lauren Bradley:
I’m sure many of you are familiar with the TED Talks Series; for those of you who are not familiar with TED Talks, it is a set of informative and educational conferences, presented by recognizable speakers from all around the world and runs under the slogan “Ideas Worth Sharing”. This particular TED Talks video was presented by Sir Ken Robinson. Ken Robinson led the British Government Advisory Committee in 1988 on creative and cultural education quest where we was eventually Knighted for his work. He is a New York Time’s Best Seller for the book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything., and has been translated into twenty-one different languages, and has now gained millions of views for his TED Talks conference videos.
Changing Education Paradigms
What can we learn from Sir Ken Robinson? That was the question proposed in this video. Sir Ken Robinson explained a lot about how education was…and is today. He basically puts it like this; in the past people are expected to attend grade school, then college and then finally get a degree to get a job. The current education system today has schools that ring the bell at a certain time, divide children into age groups, and have separate subjects. By doing all these things, children tend to just follow the drill and not broaden their education. We have all been expected to do certain things a certain way and that is that, no questions asked. However, if we encourage children to learn and discover new ways that help them learn best rather than hindering their talents, they will be confident and will be able to achieve their goals.
Some children can work more efficiently in small/large groups, work better alone, or even may learn more efficiently at different times of the day. In today’s world we have access to so many electronics that when they get to school, they are bored! We have to make learning engaging and enjoyable while they are still students. Sir Ken Robinson talks a lot about ADHD. A cool fact about ADHD was that children more on the east coast are prescribed medication. He talks about too many children are on medication to focus in school. The reason children have ADHD is because they sit there and do busy work all day; while they have all this energy and curiosity balled up inside them. All in all we really enjoyed this video. Sir Ken Robinson did a great job explaining changing education paradigms. We hope you all go check out his video and learn just as much as we did.
The Importance of Creativity Video
In this video Sir Ken Robinson talks about creating an education system that nurtures rather than undermines creativity. He believes that creativity is as important as literacy. He told a story about a little girl who only paid attention in class during drawing time. When the teacher asked her what she was drawing she replied, “I am drawing God.” The teacher said, “No one knows what God looks like.” The little girl then replied, “They will in a minute.” This is an appealing story, but it also lets us know how creative and insightful children really can be. Who are we as teachers to stand in the way of that? Sir Ken Robinson said, “If you are not prepared to be wrong, then you will never come up with anything original.”
As future teachers, we will one day need to let our students know that it is okay to be wrong. Sir Robinson says that by teaching kids they are wrong; we are undermining their creativity. This could not be more true. Encourage kids that there is more than one way to do something. The one thing that we completely agree with is when Sir Ken Robinson said, “We do not grow into creativity, we grow out of it.” All kids are born with a creative gene. What they do with that gene when they get older makes them who they are. Education Systems are now based fully on academic ability. Creativity really needs to be pushed now more than ever. Academic ability is important for students to achieve, but so is creativity.
How to Escape Educations Death Valley
In Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talks video titled “How to Escape Educations Death Valley.” he discusses three principles that are required for a fit and healthy mind and how your current education status actually works against these principles in what is called the educational “death valley”. He starts off by discussing the recent “No Child Left Behind Act”; he described it as “Ironic” because he says, “It is leaving millions of children behind.” He goes on to explain that in some parts of the country, the dropout rate of high school students is up to 60%, then in Native American communities, it is up to 80%. If you cut that number in half and estimate the net-gain earned by these students, it was be somewhere around...a trillion dollars; and that it actually costs more to come up with money and labor created by these so called “drop-outs”.
He states that what those statistics don’t show you, are the percentages of kids that are in school, yet are being disengaged, uninterested and not gaining any benefit from the educational system. Despite the fact that America spend more money on education and its progression than any other country, despite the fact that America on average has smaller classrooms than other countries, despite all the conferences, speaks and presentation, our progression is seems to be moving in the wrong direction. He suggests that real education gives weight to the arts, to the humanities, to physical education; not just science and math and gives recognition to other talents.
From here Robinson shares the three principles for the human mind to flourish. Let’s start with principle one, that humans are different and diverse by nature. He expressed that No Child Left Behind focuses more on conformity then celebrating children’s diversity. Principle number two states that curiosity is a great thing. Curiosity causes humans to learn with little or no assistance. He states that standardized testing is acceptable for measuring outcomes, but in no way should obstruct learning. Principle three states that human are curious by nature, but being stuck in a “paradigm of standardization” is killing our creativity.
So how do we change things and where do we even start? Robinson gave us some imperatives to counteract the principles. Imperative number one states that we MUST MUST MUST individualize learning and personalize our curriculum down to each and every student. Imperative number two states that we must hold high status’s and bars for the teaching profession, that it should be seen as an investment not a cost. Imperative number three says we must make our schools responsible for the decision making, who else knows what better decision to make about the students rather than their own school?
We believe a HUGE lesson is to be learned by all of us, thanks to Sir Ken Robinson. He speaks the truth when dealing with the education system, no longer is he ignoring the elephant in the room. If we want our future generations to be successful and to grow up and be able to compete with their peers in this swiftly changing world; we have to take a step back and focus on our students. No longer should it be about standardized testing and numbers, it should be about celebrating diversity.
I’m sure many of you are familiar with the TED Talks Series; for those of you who are not familiar with TED Talks, it is a set of informative and educational conferences, presented by recognizable speakers from all around the world and runs under the slogan “Ideas Worth Sharing”. This particular TED Talks video was presented by Sir Ken Robinson. Ken Robinson led the British Government Advisory Committee in 1988 on creative and cultural education quest where we was eventually Knighted for his work. He is a New York Time’s Best Seller for the book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything., and has been translated into twenty-one different languages, and has now gained millions of views for his TED Talks conference videos.
Changing Education Paradigms
What can we learn from Sir Ken Robinson? That was the question proposed in this video. Sir Ken Robinson explained a lot about how education was…and is today. He basically puts it like this; in the past people are expected to attend grade school, then college and then finally get a degree to get a job. The current education system today has schools that ring the bell at a certain time, divide children into age groups, and have separate subjects. By doing all these things, children tend to just follow the drill and not broaden their education. We have all been expected to do certain things a certain way and that is that, no questions asked. However, if we encourage children to learn and discover new ways that help them learn best rather than hindering their talents, they will be confident and will be able to achieve their goals.
Some children can work more efficiently in small/large groups, work better alone, or even may learn more efficiently at different times of the day. In today’s world we have access to so many electronics that when they get to school, they are bored! We have to make learning engaging and enjoyable while they are still students. Sir Ken Robinson talks a lot about ADHD. A cool fact about ADHD was that children more on the east coast are prescribed medication. He talks about too many children are on medication to focus in school. The reason children have ADHD is because they sit there and do busy work all day; while they have all this energy and curiosity balled up inside them. All in all we really enjoyed this video. Sir Ken Robinson did a great job explaining changing education paradigms. We hope you all go check out his video and learn just as much as we did.
The Importance of Creativity Video
In this video Sir Ken Robinson talks about creating an education system that nurtures rather than undermines creativity. He believes that creativity is as important as literacy. He told a story about a little girl who only paid attention in class during drawing time. When the teacher asked her what she was drawing she replied, “I am drawing God.” The teacher said, “No one knows what God looks like.” The little girl then replied, “They will in a minute.” This is an appealing story, but it also lets us know how creative and insightful children really can be. Who are we as teachers to stand in the way of that? Sir Ken Robinson said, “If you are not prepared to be wrong, then you will never come up with anything original.”
As future teachers, we will one day need to let our students know that it is okay to be wrong. Sir Robinson says that by teaching kids they are wrong; we are undermining their creativity. This could not be more true. Encourage kids that there is more than one way to do something. The one thing that we completely agree with is when Sir Ken Robinson said, “We do not grow into creativity, we grow out of it.” All kids are born with a creative gene. What they do with that gene when they get older makes them who they are. Education Systems are now based fully on academic ability. Creativity really needs to be pushed now more than ever. Academic ability is important for students to achieve, but so is creativity.
How to Escape Educations Death Valley
In Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talks video titled “How to Escape Educations Death Valley.” he discusses three principles that are required for a fit and healthy mind and how your current education status actually works against these principles in what is called the educational “death valley”. He starts off by discussing the recent “No Child Left Behind Act”; he described it as “Ironic” because he says, “It is leaving millions of children behind.” He goes on to explain that in some parts of the country, the dropout rate of high school students is up to 60%, then in Native American communities, it is up to 80%. If you cut that number in half and estimate the net-gain earned by these students, it was be somewhere around...a trillion dollars; and that it actually costs more to come up with money and labor created by these so called “drop-outs”.
He states that what those statistics don’t show you, are the percentages of kids that are in school, yet are being disengaged, uninterested and not gaining any benefit from the educational system. Despite the fact that America spend more money on education and its progression than any other country, despite the fact that America on average has smaller classrooms than other countries, despite all the conferences, speaks and presentation, our progression is seems to be moving in the wrong direction. He suggests that real education gives weight to the arts, to the humanities, to physical education; not just science and math and gives recognition to other talents.
From here Robinson shares the three principles for the human mind to flourish. Let’s start with principle one, that humans are different and diverse by nature. He expressed that No Child Left Behind focuses more on conformity then celebrating children’s diversity. Principle number two states that curiosity is a great thing. Curiosity causes humans to learn with little or no assistance. He states that standardized testing is acceptable for measuring outcomes, but in no way should obstruct learning. Principle three states that human are curious by nature, but being stuck in a “paradigm of standardization” is killing our creativity.
So how do we change things and where do we even start? Robinson gave us some imperatives to counteract the principles. Imperative number one states that we MUST MUST MUST individualize learning and personalize our curriculum down to each and every student. Imperative number two states that we must hold high status’s and bars for the teaching profession, that it should be seen as an investment not a cost. Imperative number three says we must make our schools responsible for the decision making, who else knows what better decision to make about the students rather than their own school?
We believe a HUGE lesson is to be learned by all of us, thanks to Sir Ken Robinson. He speaks the truth when dealing with the education system, no longer is he ignoring the elephant in the room. If we want our future generations to be successful and to grow up and be able to compete with their peers in this swiftly changing world; we have to take a step back and focus on our students. No longer should it be about standardized testing and numbers, it should be about celebrating diversity.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Blog Post # 11
Little Kids...Big Potential By: Ms. Cassidy
In this video, Ms. Cassidy's first grade class is talking about their personal blogs and their class website. The kids tell the people watching about all of the technological tools they use in their classroom. They made videos about the alphabet and put them on Wiki. They also watched videos on the alphabet that other students had done. These kids also got to Skype with kids from other classrooms. It is amazing how much the kids knew about every technological source they used during class and they enjoyed all of them. I like how Ms. Cassidy allows the kids to speak in the video. It really lets the people who are watching realize everything that the kids are learning.
Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy Part 1, 2, and 3
I really like Ms. Cassidy's technological approach in her first grade classroom. I agree with her answer to Dr. Strange's question about technology going away. She said that technology is definitely not going away and things that worked in the classroom twenty years ago do not work anymore. We as teachers have so many more opportunities for learning about technology now than we used to. The internet has everything.
Ms. Cassidy also said that being in college is the best time to learn about technology and how you want to teach it in your future classroom. I do agree with this because when we start teaching we will need to know how and what we are going to teach.
Ms. Cassidy believes that blogs are great because kids will have an audience other than her. I completely agree with her statement. In my future classroom blogs will be one of the first things I try to set up for this reason. The kids will enjoy getting feedback from people all over the world instead of just me.
The one thing that I saw that would be different between what Ms. Cassidy's approach to technology is and what mine will be is her not having much technology in her personal life. I plan to have technology in my personal life and in my classroom. I will just have to separate the two. The world is advancing too quickly not to incorporate technology in every aspect of your life.
The benefits of Ms. Cassidy's approach to technology are endless. She allows her students so many learning opportunities. She has taught me in just three videos how important using technology with elementary students, or any students for that matter, is. Here is the link to her class website:Ms. Cassidy's Classroom Blog
Monday, October 28, 2013
October's C4K Assignment
C4K # 1
The kid I had was Elisa from Mr. Gwaltney's class at an online high school for girls. Her blog post was titled "The First "C"." Her online school uses three C's that build the philosophy of educating young women. The three C's are: Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity. The "C" that Elisa focused on in this blog post was Communication. She talked about how much she enjoyed blogging and the advantages and disadvantages it has. Then she gave some recommendations to teachers who would like to start a class blog. I commented and told her that blogging has opened up a whole new internet world for me and I like it. I also let her know how good her recommendations were for me as a future teacher.
C4K # 2
The kid I had this week was Mari from Mrs. Hartoon's Science class. Mari's blog post title was "Pop! (Minus the snap 'n crackle plus a scream)" She talked about one of her favorite days in Science class when they had popcorn and her and one of her friends got embarrassed because an unexpected popcorn kernel popped and they screamed. I commented on her post and told her that everyone has embarrassing moments. I also told her I wished my Science teacher would let us have popcorn, but that is probably not going to happen since I am a college student!
C4K # 3
The kid I had this week was Dhillon from Mr. So's 2nd grade class in Canada. His blog post was titled "Family Tree Story." He created a paragraph telling his family tree. Dhillon listed all of the relatives he knows right now including his grandparents. I told him that I was impressed with how much he knew about his family and that I really enjoyed all of his information.
C4K # 4
This week I had a girl named Giselle from Mrs. Geldes's class in Nebraska. Her blog post was titled "Jackal Lanterns." She told the story of how Jack O Lanterns got their name. She said when you put them outside your door they are supposed to keep bad spirits away. She asked what kind of pumpkins her readers had carved and told of some that she had carved. I commented and told her that I did not know the story of how Jack O Lanterns got their name until reading her blog post. I also told her about what some of the pumpkins I have carved looked like!
The kid I had was Elisa from Mr. Gwaltney's class at an online high school for girls. Her blog post was titled "The First "C"." Her online school uses three C's that build the philosophy of educating young women. The three C's are: Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity. The "C" that Elisa focused on in this blog post was Communication. She talked about how much she enjoyed blogging and the advantages and disadvantages it has. Then she gave some recommendations to teachers who would like to start a class blog. I commented and told her that blogging has opened up a whole new internet world for me and I like it. I also let her know how good her recommendations were for me as a future teacher.
C4K # 2
The kid I had this week was Mari from Mrs. Hartoon's Science class. Mari's blog post title was "Pop! (Minus the snap 'n crackle plus a scream)" She talked about one of her favorite days in Science class when they had popcorn and her and one of her friends got embarrassed because an unexpected popcorn kernel popped and they screamed. I commented on her post and told her that everyone has embarrassing moments. I also told her I wished my Science teacher would let us have popcorn, but that is probably not going to happen since I am a college student!
C4K # 3
The kid I had this week was Dhillon from Mr. So's 2nd grade class in Canada. His blog post was titled "Family Tree Story." He created a paragraph telling his family tree. Dhillon listed all of the relatives he knows right now including his grandparents. I told him that I was impressed with how much he knew about his family and that I really enjoyed all of his information.
C4K # 4
This week I had a girl named Giselle from Mrs. Geldes's class in Nebraska. Her blog post was titled "Jackal Lanterns." She told the story of how Jack O Lanterns got their name. She said when you put them outside your door they are supposed to keep bad spirits away. She asked what kind of pumpkins her readers had carved and told of some that she had carved. I commented and told her that I did not know the story of how Jack O Lanterns got their name until reading her blog post. I also told her about what some of the pumpkins I have carved looked like!
C4T Number Three
Comment # 1
This week I had Edna Sackson and the title of her blog was " Planning in Response to Learning." In this post, Edna talked about different ways to ask questions or inquire in your classroom as a teacher. Edna visited some classrooms and gave examples on how different teachers use inquiry in their classrooms. Something that Edna said that really stuck with me was, "We're constantly trying to improve at listening to learning-observing and recording students' thinking. then planning responsively from there...like the kinder teachers do." I commented and let her know how informative this blog post was for me and how much I really enjoyed it altogether.
Comment # 2
Edna's blog post this week was titled "In the Picture..." One of her colleagues sent her an image of kids learning for her to incorporate into a presentation she is doing for parents. She listed practices in teaching and learning which she felt this picture showed. My favorite practice that Edna felt this picture showed was " We learn in different ways, depending on abilities, preferences, and interests." I commented and told her that I knew her presentation would turn out great because she had so many good parts to her blog post. I also told her what my favorite practice she mentioned was.
This week I had Edna Sackson and the title of her blog was " Planning in Response to Learning." In this post, Edna talked about different ways to ask questions or inquire in your classroom as a teacher. Edna visited some classrooms and gave examples on how different teachers use inquiry in their classrooms. Something that Edna said that really stuck with me was, "We're constantly trying to improve at listening to learning-observing and recording students' thinking. then planning responsively from there...like the kinder teachers do." I commented and let her know how informative this blog post was for me and how much I really enjoyed it altogether.
Comment # 2
Edna's blog post this week was titled "In the Picture..." One of her colleagues sent her an image of kids learning for her to incorporate into a presentation she is doing for parents. She listed practices in teaching and learning which she felt this picture showed. My favorite practice that Edna felt this picture showed was " We learn in different ways, depending on abilities, preferences, and interests." I commented and told her that I knew her presentation would turn out great because she had so many good parts to her blog post. I also told her what my favorite practice she mentioned was.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
BLog Post # 10
What can we learn about teaching and learning from Randy Pausch?
I believe that I really learned how to enable the learning of my future students from Randy Pausch. I learned that it is okay to have a dream that you are working towards and not accomplish it. This is a topic I will have to cover while teaching my class. For example, little Johnny from second grade may want to be a NASCAR driver when he grows up. I would encourage him that although that is a wonderful goal to have, NASCAR has so many other things that you can do other than just be a driver. This will allow students not to be so disappointed if they do not reach the exact goal that they have. Randy gave many examples of goals that he did not and did accomplish. He grew from his goals whether he accomplished them or not and I feel like this would be something good to teach students. If you give them an assignment and they do not reach the exact goal that you have for them, let them know that is okay because this is a learning process.
I was also very into Randy's classroom exhibition. It was so interesting to me how people made all of these animated things move around and speak. Students were able to create their own world and I know that this really encouraged them in their high technology course. This enabled them to bond and work together to create something wonderful. I will definitely be incorporating this mind set into my elementary school classroom. All of the subjects that I cover will allow the students to work together, learn, and have fun.
I loved Randy's whole lecture. It is amazing to me how uplifting he is considering his condition. Here is the video and I encourage you to watch it and be as inspired as I was:
Blog Post By: Malary Booker
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Blog Post # 9
Collaborative Blog Post # 9 By: Malary Booker, Sarah Barnett, and Lauren Bradley
1. Video Titled: “Back to the Future” by Brian Crosby
Mr. Brian Crosby’s class is made up mostly of poor kids. He showed us in his video that no matter where you come from you will learn something if taught the right way. Mr. Crosby did a lot of projects with his fourth grade class. Each project was videoed and embedded into each of the students’ blogs. Then the students would write a summary of how each project was accomplished on their blog page. One project they did was to send a giant balloon up into the air . This was Science project, but Mr. Crosby incorporated History into it as well by studying the history of ballooning with his class. The class then had a 25 question multiple choice test on the project from everything they had learned.
Mr. Crosby also incorporated Language Arts into this project by telling the students to write a story from beginning to end in the balloon’s point of view and tell where the balloon went, what the balloon did, and where the balloon landed. We really like how Mr. Crosby used one project and incorporated it into every subject. This is definitely something we all agree would be good to do in our future classrooms. We think that using projects to teach kids different subjects is a great way to get them to fully understand what you need them to learn. Mr. Crosby is a great teacher and future teachers can really learn something from him.
2. Video Titled: “Blended Learning Cycle” by Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson is a AP science teacher and a “learning through technology” enthusiast. In this video he explains his version of blended learning; then explains how successful it has been in his classroom. When Mr. Henderson created this version of the blended learning cycle, he simply combined two models; one being Blended learning and two being the learning cycle. He used a venn diagram to illustrate blended learning. It consisted of 1.) Online, 2.) Classroom and 3.) Mobile; when you combine each piece you then get blended learning. Now the cycle in blended learning cycle comes from the learning cycle model.
The learning cycle model consist of five E’s. First you Engage your students with a question. From there your students will be able to explore the said question, explain it, expand upon it, then evaluate what they have learned. Engage, explore, explain, expand and evaluate. This learning cycle is a great way to present material with your class.
Now when you mix the two together you get the Blended Learning Cycle. The Blending Learning Cycle consist of all the components or Blended Learning and the Learning Cycle.
Now we are going to elaborate on the Blended Learning Cycle. Mr. Henderson uses an acronym for remembering the steps of the Blended Learning Cycle and it goes by QU.I.V.E.R.S. The QU stands for question. Start with a question that the students are able to make predictions about and gets their interest (Also called the “Hook”). Next you want the students to investigate, experiment and inquire more about the question. Then you use a video or video podcast to make lessons. This way instead of lecturing your students you can upload the video and make it available to students at any time.
Next we have elaboration. This is the part where you encourage finding more information to support your answer, using any tools imaginable. Share with the students why this information is important and relevant to their everyday lives. When they are done with that they move on to the review. For Mr. Hendersons review, he breaks the class up into groups and asks questions and reinforce learning, check their understanding. They cannot move onto the next step until he is sure they know what they are talking about. Last but not least is the Summary Quiz. If they do not understand the material you must take steps backs. After they have completed the learning cycle about 5-10 times there is a good old fashion hand written exam where they have to show what they have learned.
When you are using quivers you are starting from a question and breaking down the learning process. Mr. Henderson said this blended learning cycle is working excellent so far, that he feels more involved in the classroom and returned to some old roots of starting with really good questions. So here we see just another example of blended learning and how it can improve the learning experience. This video just goes to show that you can create any type of learning cycle you want, and customized and personalize it to your classroom.
3. Video titled: “Making Thinking Visible” By: Mark Church
Mr. Church got his students to work in small groups based on the topic “early human beginnings of early origin of society”, they had been discussing about their ancestors and backgrounds. The students were to then discuss and decide on a headline that explains what the topic is all about. Once, they figured their headline out; Mr. Church gave them a paper to write it on. The students were to discuss and analyze; in the phrase they were to explain the question “How?”. The next step was to share their headline with class and explain in three words why they chose it. Mr. Church would then take all the papers up and place on a bulletin board for all students to see. The students will do this same assignment in 2 weeks and then explain how their headline has changed in a 2 week period.
We all loved this video and thought Mr. Church did a wonderful job explaining the lesson. The children seemed to be very engaged in the assignment. They also looked like they were having fun too. We feel that we learned some valuable information from Mr. Church and we will definitely use it when we all becomes teachers.
1. Video Titled: “Back to the Future” by Brian Crosby
Mr. Brian Crosby’s class is made up mostly of poor kids. He showed us in his video that no matter where you come from you will learn something if taught the right way. Mr. Crosby did a lot of projects with his fourth grade class. Each project was videoed and embedded into each of the students’ blogs. Then the students would write a summary of how each project was accomplished on their blog page. One project they did was to send a giant balloon up into the air . This was Science project, but Mr. Crosby incorporated History into it as well by studying the history of ballooning with his class. The class then had a 25 question multiple choice test on the project from everything they had learned.
Mr. Crosby also incorporated Language Arts into this project by telling the students to write a story from beginning to end in the balloon’s point of view and tell where the balloon went, what the balloon did, and where the balloon landed. We really like how Mr. Crosby used one project and incorporated it into every subject. This is definitely something we all agree would be good to do in our future classrooms. We think that using projects to teach kids different subjects is a great way to get them to fully understand what you need them to learn. Mr. Crosby is a great teacher and future teachers can really learn something from him.
2. Video Titled: “Blended Learning Cycle” by Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson is a AP science teacher and a “learning through technology” enthusiast. In this video he explains his version of blended learning; then explains how successful it has been in his classroom. When Mr. Henderson created this version of the blended learning cycle, he simply combined two models; one being Blended learning and two being the learning cycle. He used a venn diagram to illustrate blended learning. It consisted of 1.) Online, 2.) Classroom and 3.) Mobile; when you combine each piece you then get blended learning. Now the cycle in blended learning cycle comes from the learning cycle model.
The learning cycle model consist of five E’s. First you Engage your students with a question. From there your students will be able to explore the said question, explain it, expand upon it, then evaluate what they have learned. Engage, explore, explain, expand and evaluate. This learning cycle is a great way to present material with your class.
Now when you mix the two together you get the Blended Learning Cycle. The Blending Learning Cycle consist of all the components or Blended Learning and the Learning Cycle.
Now we are going to elaborate on the Blended Learning Cycle. Mr. Henderson uses an acronym for remembering the steps of the Blended Learning Cycle and it goes by QU.I.V.E.R.S. The QU stands for question. Start with a question that the students are able to make predictions about and gets their interest (Also called the “Hook”). Next you want the students to investigate, experiment and inquire more about the question. Then you use a video or video podcast to make lessons. This way instead of lecturing your students you can upload the video and make it available to students at any time.
Next we have elaboration. This is the part where you encourage finding more information to support your answer, using any tools imaginable. Share with the students why this information is important and relevant to their everyday lives. When they are done with that they move on to the review. For Mr. Hendersons review, he breaks the class up into groups and asks questions and reinforce learning, check their understanding. They cannot move onto the next step until he is sure they know what they are talking about. Last but not least is the Summary Quiz. If they do not understand the material you must take steps backs. After they have completed the learning cycle about 5-10 times there is a good old fashion hand written exam where they have to show what they have learned.
When you are using quivers you are starting from a question and breaking down the learning process. Mr. Henderson said this blended learning cycle is working excellent so far, that he feels more involved in the classroom and returned to some old roots of starting with really good questions. So here we see just another example of blended learning and how it can improve the learning experience. This video just goes to show that you can create any type of learning cycle you want, and customized and personalize it to your classroom.
3. Video titled: “Making Thinking Visible” By: Mark Church
Mr. Church got his students to work in small groups based on the topic “early human beginnings of early origin of society”, they had been discussing about their ancestors and backgrounds. The students were to then discuss and decide on a headline that explains what the topic is all about. Once, they figured their headline out; Mr. Church gave them a paper to write it on. The students were to discuss and analyze; in the phrase they were to explain the question “How?”. The next step was to share their headline with class and explain in three words why they chose it. Mr. Church would then take all the papers up and place on a bulletin board for all students to see. The students will do this same assignment in 2 weeks and then explain how their headline has changed in a 2 week period.
We all loved this video and thought Mr. Church did a wonderful job explaining the lesson. The children seemed to be very engaged in the assignment. They also looked like they were having fun too. We feel that we learned some valuable information from Mr. Church and we will definitely use it when we all becomes teachers.
Monday, October 14, 2013
C4T # 2
C4T # 2, Comment # 1
The teacher I had was John Burke. The title of his blog post was " CVPM Buggy Lab with Computational Modeling." I am really not into any of this stuff, but I did find his post to be very informative if it were to be something that I enjoy. He talked about a buggy lab experiment that incorporated the use of Physics. I commented and told him that Physics is really not my strong point, but his post was very informative if I enjoyed Physics and projects involving Physics.
C4T # 2, Comment # 2
John Burke had no new blog posts since the last one I commented on. I looked back on one he wrote titled "Profile of a Visionary First Faculty Day." This post was pretty much a shout out to Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School for how they welcomed his fellow teacher friend. The school has an opening day for faculty members that is unreal. He showed pictures of the room where they met and there was neon lights and a big screen TV. They gave the teachers a list of goals and expectations that they hope to reach for that school year. It was very impressive. I commented and told him I hope the school that I teach at one day is as awesome and organized as this one is.
The teacher I had was John Burke. The title of his blog post was " CVPM Buggy Lab with Computational Modeling." I am really not into any of this stuff, but I did find his post to be very informative if it were to be something that I enjoy. He talked about a buggy lab experiment that incorporated the use of Physics. I commented and told him that Physics is really not my strong point, but his post was very informative if I enjoyed Physics and projects involving Physics.
C4T # 2, Comment # 2
John Burke had no new blog posts since the last one I commented on. I looked back on one he wrote titled "Profile of a Visionary First Faculty Day." This post was pretty much a shout out to Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School for how they welcomed his fellow teacher friend. The school has an opening day for faculty members that is unreal. He showed pictures of the room where they met and there was neon lights and a big screen TV. They gave the teachers a list of goals and expectations that they hope to reach for that school year. It was very impressive. I commented and told him I hope the school that I teach at one day is as awesome and organized as this one is.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Blog Post # 8
21st Century Learning and Communicating Tools - Collaborative Post By: Malary Booker, Sarah Barnett, and Lauren Bradley
As educators and even individuals we are consistently finding and inventing new ways to make things run a little more effective. I had a teacher once tell me that every invention was made to make something easier. Think about how far inventions have come; starting with the creation of the first ever “wheel” to where they are now. Or even consider the technology that were in use during the 1980’s compared to today’s present technology. If we can learn anything from these examples it’s that technology and innovation are moving fast. It is no longer an argument that students in the 21st century classroom have no choice whether they want to be exposed to technology or not; they simply are born into this society.
So now we are left with little or no choice but to give into the ever changing demands of modern technology and manipulate it in a way to our advantage...which has simply become known as the 21st century classroom. But what about being in the 2000’s that makes a classroom “21st century worthy”? Is it simply the use of technology in the classroom? Or is because the students are technologically literate? Or could it even be both or more? Our group, as well as Dr. Strange, have searched and found you guys some 21st century learning and communication tools using technology that makes way for modern effective instruction and a more technology friendly classroom..
I’m sure you have all heard about iCurio through our EDM 310 blogs as well as some other sites that promote learning through an online or technological source. So we are here today to tell you about some new tools we have found to add to your students 21st century classroom experience.
The first site we are here to tell you about is www.edmodo.com. Edmodo is a social network learning website for teachers, students, and also parents that enables learners to connect with the people, resources, and information needed to reach their full potential. It is thought of as an online commonly (ex. Facebook.com) of schools, as called by students, teachers and parents alike. Where better than to start than an social network site dedicated fully to learning?! With edmodo reaching information is painless and you can easily search through educators to find learning experiences personalized to you and your classroom.
Another awesome feature about edmodo.com, is you are able to track student progress All grades, assignment, and activities are awarded through Edmodo are stored within the website and can be easily accessed. Teachers can get the status of their classrooms by the students reactions to quizzes, assignments, discussions, activities and posts that demonstrate understanding, confusion, or fallacies.
Edmodo is also equipped with hundreds of educational apps. You and your students can pick and choose the apps you want for your own page and personalize those as you choose and use them for interactive lessons or activities in your classroom. The only fallacy I can find so far about this website is just a minor speed bump. You as a teacher, your school, or your classroom must acquire an activation code before you can create an account. Otherwise you are on your way to quick and easy learning, sharing, and researching with thousands of other educators or fellow students.
Above are some snapshot from the Edmodo website that give you some insight on how it is set up.
Use Edmodo.com as a way to stay connected with your students. Edmodo.com is a great way to give your students a jumpstart to usung research and tasks through technology. Use it to connect with other educators or classroom around the world to learn about different cultures and different ways to approach teaching and learning. Use it to create a diverse idea of interactive and engaging lesson plans. Remember, think of it as a Facebook, only dedicated to learning; just imagine the possibilities!
The second tool we want to discuss is #PTchat, or Parent-Teacher chat. Parent-Teacher Chat is a weekly Twitter chat where parents and teachers around the world come together using hashtag #PTchat. This chat helps parents and teachers become open as a group to questions and concerns they may have. The chat starts every Wednesday around 9pm EDT. A topic is chosen every week and parents, teachers, and school leaders are able to give their opinion on each topic .
We believe that this is such a helpful tool for teachers as well as parents. Teachers will be able to extend they PLN, or Personal Learning Network. Parents will be able to show their support and raise questions to teachers all over the world. As a future teacher or parent, please use this tool to your advantage. It will help you grow both individually and professionally.
The third tool is ABC Teach. ABC Teach is a website with a ton of free course materials and documents. There are over 5,000 different activities for students. We thought this website would be perfect for teachers new and old. All you do is find a subject/category that you want; then look for more specific categories within the main category list. We all feel that this resource is very useful and that all teachers should use this at some point in their career. I hope you all find it as interesting as us and will use this awesome tool.
As educators and even individuals we are consistently finding and inventing new ways to make things run a little more effective. I had a teacher once tell me that every invention was made to make something easier. Think about how far inventions have come; starting with the creation of the first ever “wheel” to where they are now. Or even consider the technology that were in use during the 1980’s compared to today’s present technology. If we can learn anything from these examples it’s that technology and innovation are moving fast. It is no longer an argument that students in the 21st century classroom have no choice whether they want to be exposed to technology or not; they simply are born into this society.
So now we are left with little or no choice but to give into the ever changing demands of modern technology and manipulate it in a way to our advantage...which has simply become known as the 21st century classroom. But what about being in the 2000’s that makes a classroom “21st century worthy”? Is it simply the use of technology in the classroom? Or is because the students are technologically literate? Or could it even be both or more? Our group, as well as Dr. Strange, have searched and found you guys some 21st century learning and communication tools using technology that makes way for modern effective instruction and a more technology friendly classroom..
I’m sure you have all heard about iCurio through our EDM 310 blogs as well as some other sites that promote learning through an online or technological source. So we are here today to tell you about some new tools we have found to add to your students 21st century classroom experience.
The first site we are here to tell you about is www.edmodo.com. Edmodo is a social network learning website for teachers, students, and also parents that enables learners to connect with the people, resources, and information needed to reach their full potential. It is thought of as an online commonly (ex. Facebook.com) of schools, as called by students, teachers and parents alike. Where better than to start than an social network site dedicated fully to learning?! With edmodo reaching information is painless and you can easily search through educators to find learning experiences personalized to you and your classroom.
Another awesome feature about edmodo.com, is you are able to track student progress All grades, assignment, and activities are awarded through Edmodo are stored within the website and can be easily accessed. Teachers can get the status of their classrooms by the students reactions to quizzes, assignments, discussions, activities and posts that demonstrate understanding, confusion, or fallacies.
Edmodo is also equipped with hundreds of educational apps. You and your students can pick and choose the apps you want for your own page and personalize those as you choose and use them for interactive lessons or activities in your classroom. The only fallacy I can find so far about this website is just a minor speed bump. You as a teacher, your school, or your classroom must acquire an activation code before you can create an account. Otherwise you are on your way to quick and easy learning, sharing, and researching with thousands of other educators or fellow students.
Above are some snapshot from the Edmodo website that give you some insight on how it is set up.
Use Edmodo.com as a way to stay connected with your students. Edmodo.com is a great way to give your students a jumpstart to usung research and tasks through technology. Use it to connect with other educators or classroom around the world to learn about different cultures and different ways to approach teaching and learning. Use it to create a diverse idea of interactive and engaging lesson plans. Remember, think of it as a Facebook, only dedicated to learning; just imagine the possibilities!
The second tool we want to discuss is #PTchat, or Parent-Teacher chat. Parent-Teacher Chat is a weekly Twitter chat where parents and teachers around the world come together using hashtag #PTchat. This chat helps parents and teachers become open as a group to questions and concerns they may have. The chat starts every Wednesday around 9pm EDT. A topic is chosen every week and parents, teachers, and school leaders are able to give their opinion on each topic .
We believe that this is such a helpful tool for teachers as well as parents. Teachers will be able to extend they PLN, or Personal Learning Network. Parents will be able to show their support and raise questions to teachers all over the world. As a future teacher or parent, please use this tool to your advantage. It will help you grow both individually and professionally.
The third tool is ABC Teach. ABC Teach is a website with a ton of free course materials and documents. There are over 5,000 different activities for students. We thought this website would be perfect for teachers new and old. All you do is find a subject/category that you want; then look for more specific categories within the main category list. We all feel that this resource is very useful and that all teachers should use this at some point in their career. I hope you all find it as interesting as us and will use this awesome tool.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Podcast Project # 9
Collaborative Podcast Project
By: Sarah Barnett, Malary Booker, and Lauren Bradley
By: Sarah Barnett, Malary Booker, and Lauren Bradley
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Project # 2 Progress Report
My Personal Learning Network Progress Report By: Malary Booker
Creating my own PLN, or Personal Learning Network, was easier than I imagined it would be. I used the tool called Symbaloo. All you do is plug in all of your favorite tools and resources that you feel will be helpful to you as a teacher. A couple of websites that I chose are "The Teaching Channel" and "You Tube." The Teaching Channel is a website where teachers post different things and resources that may be helpful to future or fellow teachers. You Tube is where I will be getting most of the videos to help me with my lesson plans for my future classroom. I believe I am creating a nice little PLN now. I will continue to add to it and it will be an awesome tool that I will use as a second grade teacher!
Blog Post # 7
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Collaborative Group Assignment By: Malary Booker, Sarah Barnett, and Lauren Bradley
VIDEO 1:
One of the things that Anthony Capps really put into perspective was exactly what project based learning is all about. In his first video Capps told us that when carrying out the processes of project based learning students are creating something as they discover knowledge. The goal is to create a project with the content needed for learning within and throughout the project. Project based learning should relate to the real world and be relevant to students lives.
A great example of project based learning comes from one of Anthony Capps third grade classes. He and his students were learning about how women are now allowed to fight in combat. The students were to write a letter to the Congressmen Joe Bonner about their opinions on this subject. But, not before they got involved and formed opinions of their own through a project.
The students were to research using anything from iCurio to a book. They were to find a female or minority history figure that demonstrated success and that rose above challenges; such as the first female astronaut. They could also interview a family member or friend who served in war. Then they can go and use the information and decide whether they think it is appropriate. Then reflect on each others letters. While students are performing PBL they are also also meeting many social studies, writing, and reading standards.
VIDEO 2: In the second video with Anthony Capp’s, he discussed with us one of his favorite, effective PBL activities yet. His class was studying culture, specifically the culture in Afghanistan. His class was to search using iCurio for text, images, movies, activities and create an educational video of their own. Some students focused on food, some fashion, religion, warfare, or a blend of all. Third graders were using iMovie like a pro!!
The outcome of passion from this project was phenomenal. He discussed with us the reactions of his students, his colleagues, his principal and all his other “bosses”. He says students love project based learning. They are invested and engaged in their projects; and when they are engaged, they are learning. The only times the project receives negative feedback is when there is an fallace in collaboration. Principals, teachers and parents are enthralled with high approval ratings. With project based learning you are going to get more than you expect. Dont limit your students, create an opportunity for them to go beyond your expectations.
VIDEO 3:
In this video Capp’s discusses with us iCurio and why it is so effective in the classroom. iCurio allows students to safely search the web. iCurio has been curated through professionals and through educators and has been created for educational uses only. Another part of iCurio that is effective for classrooms is it allows students to search not only text, but videos, audio, images, you name it...even the standards at any grade level! Students are becoming more engaged and given more than one aspect of learning. Another thing iCruio contributes to the classroom is practicing organization, not only in the real world but organizing through technology or virtual organization.
By: Malary Booker“Don’t Teach Tech-Use It”: by Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange
I agree with what Anthony Capps says about technology. The world is advancing in technology every day and it must be incorporated into our curriculum when we start teaching. Dr. Strange was correct when he said that it probably takes less time for third graders to learn how to use iMovie then it does for his EDM 310 students. Children are able to learn so much faster at such a young age now. Anthony chooses one technology at a time to use in his class week by week so that the students are not overwhelmed with a lot at one time. I believe that this really is a great teaching strategy. Students will be using technology for the rest of their lives, so it is important for them to learn how to use it and incorporate into their daily lives while they are young.
BLOG POST BY: MALARY BOOKER
Collaborative Group Assignment By: Malary Booker, Sarah Barnett, and Lauren Bradley
VIDEO 1:
One of the things that Anthony Capps really put into perspective was exactly what project based learning is all about. In his first video Capps told us that when carrying out the processes of project based learning students are creating something as they discover knowledge. The goal is to create a project with the content needed for learning within and throughout the project. Project based learning should relate to the real world and be relevant to students lives.
A great example of project based learning comes from one of Anthony Capps third grade classes. He and his students were learning about how women are now allowed to fight in combat. The students were to write a letter to the Congressmen Joe Bonner about their opinions on this subject. But, not before they got involved and formed opinions of their own through a project.
The students were to research using anything from iCurio to a book. They were to find a female or minority history figure that demonstrated success and that rose above challenges; such as the first female astronaut. They could also interview a family member or friend who served in war. Then they can go and use the information and decide whether they think it is appropriate. Then reflect on each others letters. While students are performing PBL they are also also meeting many social studies, writing, and reading standards.
VIDEO 2: In the second video with Anthony Capp’s, he discussed with us one of his favorite, effective PBL activities yet. His class was studying culture, specifically the culture in Afghanistan. His class was to search using iCurio for text, images, movies, activities and create an educational video of their own. Some students focused on food, some fashion, religion, warfare, or a blend of all. Third graders were using iMovie like a pro!!
The outcome of passion from this project was phenomenal. He discussed with us the reactions of his students, his colleagues, his principal and all his other “bosses”. He says students love project based learning. They are invested and engaged in their projects; and when they are engaged, they are learning. The only times the project receives negative feedback is when there is an fallace in collaboration. Principals, teachers and parents are enthralled with high approval ratings. With project based learning you are going to get more than you expect. Dont limit your students, create an opportunity for them to go beyond your expectations.
VIDEO 3:
In this video Capp’s discusses with us iCurio and why it is so effective in the classroom. iCurio allows students to safely search the web. iCurio has been curated through professionals and through educators and has been created for educational uses only. Another part of iCurio that is effective for classrooms is it allows students to search not only text, but videos, audio, images, you name it...even the standards at any grade level! Students are becoming more engaged and given more than one aspect of learning. Another thing iCruio contributes to the classroom is practicing organization, not only in the real world but organizing through technology or virtual organization.
By: Malary Booker“Don’t Teach Tech-Use It”: by Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange
I agree with what Anthony Capps says about technology. The world is advancing in technology every day and it must be incorporated into our curriculum when we start teaching. Dr. Strange was correct when he said that it probably takes less time for third graders to learn how to use iMovie then it does for his EDM 310 students. Children are able to learn so much faster at such a young age now. Anthony chooses one technology at a time to use in his class week by week so that the students are not overwhelmed with a lot at one time. I believe that this really is a great teaching strategy. Students will be using technology for the rest of their lives, so it is important for them to learn how to use it and incorporate into their daily lives while they are young.
BLOG POST BY: MALARY BOOKER
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Project # 13
Lesson Plan for Second Grade English and Language Arts
By: Malary Booker, Sarah Barnett, and Lauren Bradley
This lesson plan is for second grade teachers who need a project to do for the English/Language Arts portion of their class. The kids will create their own Google Presentation of whatever book you choose. For our lesson plan we chose the book by Arnold Lobel titled:"Frog and Toad Together." We hope you enjoy this helpful tool!
Here is the link to our website which has our lesson plan overview, calendar, and rubric: EDM310 Group Site
By: Malary Booker, Sarah Barnett, and Lauren Bradley
This lesson plan is for second grade teachers who need a project to do for the English/Language Arts portion of their class. The kids will create their own Google Presentation of whatever book you choose. For our lesson plan we chose the book by Arnold Lobel titled:"Frog and Toad Together." We hope you enjoy this helpful tool!
Here is the link to our website which has our lesson plan overview, calendar, and rubric: EDM310 Group Site
Monday, September 30, 2013
C4K Assignment for September
C4K Summary # 1
I did my C4K assignment this month on a girl named Tisha. Tisha's blog post was titled "Piercings: A Way You Can Express Yourself." She talked about the piercings that she has and how they allow her to be able to express herself. I encouraged her to keep expressing her feelings in any way that she sees fit. I also told her to never let anyone try to tell her how she should express what she feels.
C4K Summary # 2
The student I had from Mrs. Huebner's 5th grade class in Iowa was Jack S. His blog post titles "Face Planting" was about the funniest thing that had ever happened to him. He talked about when he stayed at a friend's house and went go cart racing. He hit a ramp and went flying and almost landed face first into the steering wheel. He and his friend both laughed it off. I responded to him by telling him about a time in my life when I was driving a golf cart and tipped it over into a mud puddle.
C4K Summary # 3
This C4K assignment was on a boy named Jalen. His blog post was titled "The Ugly Duckling" and he did a Google Presentation on this topic. His presentation let me know where this story originated and who created it. I commented and told him how informative and colorful his presentation was. I also let him know that this brought me back to my childhood and I really want to go read the book now!
C4K Summary # 4
This week I read a blog from Garrett in Mr. Rhodes' 6th grade class in Robertsdale, Alabama. His blog post was titled "How much does the sky weigh?" He made the point that air pressure actually causes the sky to have a weight. I told him how interesting his blog was and that he did a really good job. I just want to make sure that I continue to let these students know how good they are doing so that they will feel good about themselves.
Blog Post by: Malary Booker
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Blog Post # 6
What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher?
Do not act like you have an answer for everything. As Ben Johnson said in his blog, " As teachers, we need to come to grips with the fact that we do not know everything, and there is no reason to assume that students know nothing." As teachers, we and our students are learning new things every day. When we ask students questions, we should be specific. Ask a question that can have a variety of answers. Do not only ask questions with simple yes and no answers. Ask a mixture of different questions during class discussions. Also, be open to different answers from your students. There does not have to be one set answer to the questions that you ask. Students should learn how to explore different answers to specific questions.
The way that we respond to questions is also very important. Make sure to give students time to come up with an answer before you start responding. Show students that you are truly interested in what they have to say , regardless if their answer is "right" or wrong. This will encourage them to not be afraid if they do not have the "right" answer. All of these tips will allow us to be effective teachers!
Blog Post by: Malary Booker
Friday, September 20, 2013
My Sentence Videos
My sentence is Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and to give you a hope and a future.
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My Passion is Painting
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My Passion is Painting
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
C4T Project Summaries
C4T #1, Comment 1
The blog that I read from Teacher's Voice was "Three Big Ideas to Reach and Guide Students." Kevin Bennett talked about the life of being a well educated and experienced black man in todays' society. He is a teacher and gave very good instructions that future teachers should pay attention to. I commented and let him know how proud I was of him and how much I agreed with what he had to say. He shares his story to his kids about being a black man today and the impact it has had on his life. I admire him so much for that. It shows that no matter where you are in life you can always rise to the top and be someone!
C4T #1, Comment 2
The second blog post I commented on from The Teacher's Voice Blog was by a teacher named Brian Cooley. The title of his blog post was "Video in Your Classroom: Tips for Filming and Editing." His post gave very good information on filming and editing film! I commented and let him know how informative his blog post was. I also let him know that I will be using his tips when I do film making for my classroom one day.
Blog Post By: Malary Booker
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