Blog #16

C4T #4

For my final C4T assignment, I chose to read two posts from Tyler Rice's blog Wisdom Begins With Wonder. In the two posts that I read and commented on, Mr. Rice made some points that I completely agree with. Furthermore, I am very glad that we were able to choose our own C4T this time around. I was able to choose a blog that I was really interested in, and Mr. Rice is the first teacher that has acknowledged my thoughts and responded to my comments.

The first post I read was The Curse of the Standardized Test. In this post, Mr. Rice talks a lot about how the growing focus on standardized testing has changed him. He expresses that he still tries to allow his students to collaborate and engage in real-world learning; on the other hand, he expresses that testing has changed him, and not for the better. In my comment, I told Mr. Rice that I know how testing can change teachers, because I experienced it first-hand when I was in high school. Before the school began to focus so much on testing, I had some very passionate teachers who loved what they did. Once testing came around, however, their spirits were silenced. I told Mr. Rice that I agree that testing limits students and that I do not think that students should be defined solely by their test scores. I also said that I think it is great that he still tries to allow his students to gain real-world experience and that I hope I can do the same for my future students.

The second post I read was You Can't Depend on Your Eyes When Your Imagination is Out of Focus. This post focuses on the fact that the school systems are so concerned with standardized testing and "teaching" that we have forgotten how valuable the knowledge gained from real-life experiences really is. He believes that is time that we stray from standardizing. In my comment, I told him that I completely agree that we are only being taught rather than being allowed to experience at this point. I also agreed that it is time to move away from standardization.

Blog #5 Part 2

I had never heard the term Personal Learning Network (PLN) prior to entering EDM 310, but I am very glad that we learned about them at the beginning of the semester. I began to build my very own PLN a few months ago, and since then, it has grown and changed quite a bit.

I used Symbaloo to start building my PLN. The image below is a screenshot of my Symbaloo page. As you can see, I have collected quite a few websites that I find useful and have made them all available from one source. When I first created my Symbaloo account, almost all of my tiles were websites that interest me rather than websites that would benefit me professionally. Since then, I have created tiles for websites such as Discovery Education, BIE, and several other websites that I think will be useful to me as a future educator. All of the websites that we used frequently in EDM 310, such as Blogger and YouTube, are also included in my PLN. We have used so many different websites and tools that I definitely think will be good to use in my future classroom.

There are quite a few people that I have found to be valuable resources throughout the semester, and I have added them to my PLN as well. Current, college-level educators such as Dr. Strange and Mrs. Gaillard are people that I will definitely include in my PLN. These teachers have so much experience and have access to so much knowledge and so many resources. When I first began to build my PLN, I compiled a list of some of my past teachers that I believe would be valuable assets to my network. I find that lower-level teachers are good to include because they have experience working with the age group that I want to work with one day. I have also come in contact with other teachers during my time as an education major, such as the teacher for my interview movie or the teacher I observed with in EPY 351, that I have added to my network. Furthermore, I have found that there are so many teachers who blog and it is fairly easy to search for them. I think that these teachers, like the ones we have been assigned to for C4T, would be good to keep in mind as well.

I am so glad that we had the opportunity to learn about Personal Learning Networks. I have enjoyed building mine throughout the semester, and I know that it will only grow as I continue on in my journey to becoming an educator.

Blog #14

In the article Teaching Can Be a Profession, Joel Klein expresses how he wants to professionalize teaching so that it can be a well-respected career. The article outlines a number of problems with teaching and possible solutions to go with each one. The problems and solutions that Klein talks about are as follows:

Problems & Solutions:

1. Pick from the best: Some teachers today are not the most capable or the most prepared. Those who are trying to become teachers are not being taught nor trained properly. Some solutions include providing better academic training for incoming teachers, finding a new approach to recruiting teachers (recruit from the top third of graduates), and changing how teachers are rewarded.

2. Seniority distraction: Seniority dictates the way schools operate, and all teachers are paid the same and rewarded the same regardless of level of performance. If layoffs have to happen, the most recently hired is usually let go first, even if they are doing the best job. A possible solution to this issue is creating a "national teacher examination" requiring that prospective teachers complete a supervised internship that would last from one to three years.

3. Radical change: There are too many incompetent teachers that need to be removed. Solutions for this problem include establishing standards in order to remove incapable teachers and giving teachers the opportunity to promote based on specialty exams.

1. Pick from the best:
I agree with Mr. Klein that some teachers are simply not qualified to teach, and I believe that is a result of the requirements (or lack thereof) that are in place to become a teacher. I do not necessarily agree that recruiting solely from the top third of graduates would help anything. I do, however, agree that the given issue could be fixed by improving academic training programs. If students were properly and effectively taught and trained, there would be no need to only recruit the best, because everyone should be at the same level.

2. Seniority distraction:
I definitely think that seniority is an issue in some ways. I have witnessed teachers being removed from schools not because they were incompetent but because they were the most recently hired. Teachers got to keep their jobs because they had taught there for years even though the other teachers were more capable and more effective. I do not think that is right at all. I think that Klein's idea about giving a teacher examination and requiring the supervised internship is good; however, I do not know that it would completely get rid of this issue. They may pass the exam or make it through the internship, but they may not be able to adapt to the ever-changing education system, and they may become incompetent over time. While I do not agree that this solution would be effective, I do think that seniority is a problem, and I think that it needs to be fixed.

3. Radical change:
I completely agree that incompetent teachers need to be removed. I believe that establishing standards is a great way to see who is inadequate. Promoting based on specialty exams is a good idea as well. I think that the possibility of promoting would push teachers to go above and beyond. Klein also states that this could lead to less and less teachers being aided by teaching assistants, which I personally think is a good thing. Although everyone needs help at some point, I agree that most teachers are perfectly capable of running a classroom without help.

This article definitely makes some very good points. Klein listed numerous problems that need to be fixed in order to make teaching a well-respected profession, and I think that most of his solutions would help a tremendous amount. While I do not agree with all of his thoughts, I do for the most part. I think that if we fix these problems, we will be on our way to professionalizing teaching.

November C4K Summary

I have had to read some very informative and insightful blog posts for my C4K assignments this month. All of the kids that I have been assigned to seem so bright, and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of their posts.

Week 1:
Elliot was the first student that I was assigned to this month. This is the third time that I have been assigned to Elliot for my C4K, which I am very happy about, because his posts are so much fun to read. Every time that I have been assigned to him, I have read all of his posts rather than just the one that I was supposed to comment on. In the post that I commented on, Elliot focuses on the four different types of citizens- local, digital, Canadian, and global. He gives a brief description of each, and then goes on to express why it is so important to be a good global citizen. In my comment, I told him that I always enjoy reading his posts because I learn a lot from them. I said that I knew there were different types of citizenship but was unaware of the four types before reading his post. I told him that I learned that I am a local, digital, and global citizen. I also agreed with him that it is important to be a good global citizen and take care of the world around you.

Week 2:
The second student that I was assigned to this month was Mckenzie. In her post, she shared a project that she created in her art class. The project required them to take a picture of their reflection in the mirror and then draw what they see in their future over their reflection. In her picture, Mckenzie drew a question mark over her reflection. She said that she did this because her future is uncertain and filled with questions. In my comment, I told her how much I loved her post and how creative she is. I also expressed how much I liked the fact that she used a question mark to represent her future. I told her that she is still young and has plenty of time to make her future go in the direction that she wants it to and that she does not have to be certain about it yet. I ended by telling her how great of a job she did.

Week 3:
Pablo was the last student that I was assigned to this month. In the post that I read, Pablo reflected on his work from this quarter and set goals to do better next quarter. He said that he did well this quarter, but he could have done better. He talked about two main goals that he has for next semester. He wants to get over his shyness and get more involved in class. He also wants to do better next quarter than he did this time around. In my comment, I told him how much I enjoyed his post and how great his vocabulary is. I also told him that it's great that he set goals for himself for next quarter. I told him that I was also fairly quiet in my classes when I was younger, but that I found that I gain so much more by actively participating in class. I also said that it is very important to always strive to do better and be the best that you can be.

Project #12 Part B

Our group decided to create a kindergarten lesson about the "greater than" and "less than" math concept. We showed them a story, which motivated them and taught them the material all at the same time. We then worked out practice problems in several different activities. Our lesson plan can be found here.

Blog #13

We have been given a multitude of resources and insights with each blog assignment that we have completed. Most of the assignments, however, focused on teachers in general rather than specific types of teachers. There were really no blog assignments pertaining to just high school English teachers or just special education teachers. I, as an elementary education major, would have liked to see assignments or videos specific to elementary teachers. I think that the following assignment would definitely be beneficial. The question could be changed to "for your area of specialty" rather than "in elementary schools" as well. I think that it would also give the students a chance to do some research on their own rather than just watching the listed videos or reading the given articles.

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What are some available apps for the iPad that are designed to aid in the learning process in elementary schools?

Find at least five apps for the iPad that you feel would be beneficial to the learning process for elementary students. This research can be done online or through the descriptions given in the Apple App Store. Try to give apps that relate to different subjects and have different functions.
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Here is my example of the blog post that I would create:

For this week's blog post, we were assigned to research iPad apps that would be useful in an elementary classroom. I have compiled a list of five free iPad apps that I think would be very beneficial to any elementary student.

1. SpellingCity is an app that helps students with spelling and vocabulary words in a fun way. It provides them with games that they can play, which makes the material seem more interesting. It also has a features called "Spelling TestMe" that tests the students by reading the word aloud, using it in a sentence, and repeating it again. It allows the students to work at their own pace and provides them with instant feedback.

2. MyScript Calculator is really a useful app for anyone. This app allows you to write out any math problem on the screen so that it can change your handwriting to digital text and solve the problem for you.

3. Educreations Interactive Whiteboard is an app that turns your iPad into a whiteboard. The uses of this app are unlimited; it can be used for any different subject. Students can use it to work out math problems, to practice spelling words, etc. This app also acts as a voice and screen recorder.

4. Periodic Table of the Elements is a great app for some of the older K-6 grades that learn about the elements. This provides an interactive Periodic Tables of Elements that provides information about each element when you click on it.

5. Atlas for iPad is a great interactive app that provides you with an interactive world map. This app has several different maps and contains valuable information about places, pictures of each country's flag, etc.

Project #10

Blog #12

C4T #3

For my third C4T assignment, I was required to read two posts by Daniel Edwards. Although both posts were very different, I gained a lot from each of them.

Pedagogy First- Technology...
This post focuses on the major changes that education is undergoing. Mr. Edwards expresses that teachers who have taught a certain way for years are having to change and that it is causing a disruption in the learning experience. He also expresses, though, how crucial this change is. He says that everyone is a learner and that teachers should be more accepting to this change. In my comment, I said that I never realized how many changes are being made to the education system until entering EDM 310. I said that although I can see how it can be difficult for some teachers to change their ways, I agree that it is important for them to adapt and accept the changes. I expressed how beneficial technology is during the learning process and that teachers need to learn to embrace it and utilize it more in the classroom.

Top 10 Apps in Established 1:1 iPad School
In this post, Mr. Edwards shares what he believes to be the ten most beneficial apps to the learning process. The apps that he described are as follows: Explain Everything, Socrative, iMovie, iTunes U, Showbie, Edmodo, Notability, Keynote, Book Creator, and Pages. He gives a brief description of each one and explains why it is so beneficial. In my comment, I expressed that we use iMovie quite a bit in EDM 310 and that I was familiar with a few of the other apps, but that I had never heard of most of the apps he mentioned. I said that I plan to do research on each and that I am sure I will be using them in my future classroom.

Blog #11

Technology is rapidly becoming such a huge part of everyday life, and nobody understands that more than current educators. For this assignment, we were required to watch videos that included teachers sharing their experiences. These teachers know exactly how essential technology and project-based learning (PBL) are to the learning experience. We can learn a lot from those who have had experience working with technology and implementing it in the classroom. The main things they can do for us are reiterate how essential technology really is to learning, explain how important it is to engage our students, and give us ideas of how to do so.

My favorite of all of the videos was Sam Payne's Teaching Digital Citizenship. In this video, Mr. Payne talks about the importance of teaching how to use the internet safely, respectfully, and responsibly. Since it is becoming more and more common for children to work with technology and use the internet, it is definitely important to focus on this. Although this is a very important subject, it can be boring for younger children. Mr. Payne shows that there are ways to teach these things and have fun at the same time. He allowed his students to create an entire comic book centered around a superhero that exemplifies a good digital citizen. This project allowed the students to show their creativity, use technology, and learn about the subject all at the same time.


Paul Anderson's Blended Learning Cycle was also quite informative. I have heard of blended learning before, but did not fully understand exactly what it entailed. He defined blended learning as a mixture between online, mobile, and classroom learning; he also defined the learning cycle with "the 5 E's": engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate. Mr. Anderson provided his viewers with the acronym "QUIVERS" as a reminder of how to tackle the blended learning cycle. He says to successfully implement blended learning, you must do the following: question, investigate, show a video, elaborate, review, and give a summary quiz. I really like the idea of blended learning, and I am glad that Mr. Anderson has shared this acronym. I will be sure to use this method in my future classroom. It is a great way to engage students and ensure that they are actually learning.

The video Project-Based Learning consists of three experienced teachers explaining why it is so crucial to incorporate PBL in the classroom. They expressed that PBL really allows you to teach beyond the curriculum and that technology can be used as a tool to bring the content of any subject to life. These teachers got their administration to agree to allowing them more time to focus on these projects, and they said that the outcome of doing so was remarkable. They said that the students ended up producing work that they ultimately said they were very proud of, and some of the students expressed that they would be interested in doing more projects like it. That really shows that such projects really are engaging and informative all at the same time. They also showed how beneficial it can be to integrate several subjects into one project. These teachers' words just make me more excited to use PBL in my future classroom. I will definitely be using these methods when I am an educator.

In the video Making Thinking Visible, the teacher splits the students into groups and asks them to create a headline about the material they were covering. They created this headline at the beginning of the project, and at the end of the project two weeks later, he asked them how that headline had changed after learning more about the subject. This is a great way to view the students' progress and check to see if they have learned or gained anything from the project.

Project #14

Lesson Plan

Project Calendar

Project Rubric

PBL Checklist

As a group, we decided to create a project on the founding fathers. Each group will be assigned to a founding father, and the students will collaboratively research and create a Board Builder project that they will present to the class. The students will be given the option to dress up as their founding father for bonus points.

Blog #10

During my time spent in EDM 310, I have really learned the importance of using technology in the classroom regardless of what age the students are. It is very apparent after watching Little Kids... Big Potential that students of all ages are capable of actively and efficiently using technology. In the conversational videos between Mrs. Cassidy and Dr. Strange, Mrs. Cassidy expresses that she began to incorporate technology in her classroom around ten years ago when she started up her web page and has continually incorporated more and more more technology in her classroom since then. She really understands how beneficial the use of technology really is and how important it is to embrace change and advances in technology. She says, "It's not going away, it's here to stay." One form of technology that Mrs. Cassidy implements in her classroom is blogging. This is something I definitely plan on using in my future classroom. I will have a class blog and I will allow each individual student to create their own blog that they will post on regularly. By having a class blog, students and parents will easily be able to stay up-to-date with information. Parents will also be able to keep up with what their child is doing by viewing their individual blogs. Blogging will help a lot with the students' writing abilities as well as their technological abilities. It will also allow them to interact with each other as well as other people around the world (just as some of them interact with EDM 310 students). It may be difficult to teach them how to work with such technology depending on the grade level I will be teaching, but I will work with them as much as I need to until they understand how to efficiently use it. I definitely learned a lot from Mrs. Cassidy's words, and I will definitely keep all that she has said in mind as a future educator.

Project #12 Part A

October C4K Summary

I got to read some awesome blogs for my C4K assignment each month. Although all of the posts were very different, I thoroughly enjoyed reading and commenting on each one of them.

Week 1:
Elliot was the first student that I was assigned to this month. I was actually assigned to Elliot once before, and I absolutely love reading his posts. I actually read all of his other posts in addition to the one that I commented on. In the post that I commented on, he talked about his new math class. He said that although fifth grade math is a lot more difficult than fourth grade math, he is having a lot of fun in class this year. He then expressed that he never actually hated math and that he has secretly loved it all this time. In my comment, I told him that I also love math. I said that that fifth grade math is some pretty tough stuff and that I am glad he is enjoying his new class.

Week 2:
The second student that I was assigned to was Brodie. He expressed a lot of opinions in the post that I read. He said that he thinks students should be able to use their phones as research tools in the classroom. He also said that students should be allowed to wear whatever they want to school instead of spending money on uniforms. He also said something quite powerful for someone his age. He basically said that more people should express their opinions and stand up for what they believe in. In my comment, I told him that I completely agree with both statements. I said that cell phone use in the classroom would be beneficial to students as long as teachers monitor students while they are using their phones. I also said that although uniforms are convenient, they limit students' ability to express themselves. I also expressed that he was very right in saying that more people should share their opinions and make a stand.

Week 3:
Aleigha was the third student that I was assigned to. Her post was about Dot Day. For Dot Day, her class spent time with a Pre-K class. She spent the day with a girl named Sophia and they did all kinds of fun activities with dots. They drew their names using Bingo stampers, did activities with the candy Dots, and played Twister. She said that they had a blast. In my comment, I told her how much fun their day sounded and how creative the activities were. I told her that I had never heard of Dot Day until recently but that it sounds like loads of fun.


Week 4:
The last student that I was assigned to was Khaia. Her post included a Google Slides presentation about a book that she read. The book is called The Three Ketes of Knowledge. In her presentation, she described what each of the three ketes stood for and explained what a kete actually is. In my comment, I started off by telling her how cute her blog is. Then, I told her that I enjoyed her presentation and that it seems like an interesting book. I told her that I did not know what a kete was prior to viewing her presentation. She did an excellent job with Google Slides.

Blog #9

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a very popular teaching/learning method and is becoming more and more common in schools. We can learn a lot from those who implement or participate in PBL regularly.

Seven Essentials to Project Based Learning is a very beneficial article for those who are unsure of how to implement PBL in their classroom. Listed are seven distinct things that are crucial to every project. The seven essentials listed in the article are as follows: a need to know (an introduction to the material), a driving question (used to focus the students' efforts), student voice and choice, 21st century skills (collaborating and communicating), inquiry and innovation (generating more detailed questions in addition to driving question), feedback and revision (critiquing one another's work), and a publicly presented product (reflection on completed project and what they gained in terms of knowledge, skills, and pride). These seven things are definitely necessary in executing PBL in the classroom. This is a very good starting point for those who do not know how to integrate this method into their teaching style.

The video Project Based Learning for Teachers is very helpful for those who are unsure of why they should bring PBL into their classroom. It expresses a very easy way to know why PBL is useful: the four C's. It shows that PBL teaches collaboration skills, communication skills, critical thinking skills, and career/life skills. These are all skills that we want our students to leave our classroom with and keep with them forever.. They are also skills that are essential to have upon graduating and entering the real world.

PBL: What Motivates Students Today is a video compilation of different students expressing what their main motivators are to do well in school. The students' answers range from receiving positive feedback from teachers to wanting to have good grades to get into college. Some students also talk about positive and negative consequences as motivators. Some students want to do well so they will be rewarded with things such as money and candy, and some students want to do well to avoid negative consequences such as being grounded at home. Everyone is not motivated by the same thing, so it is important for teachers to learn what motivates each individual student and use that in the classroom. This video is a great reminder of that.

Ten Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration in Project Based Learning is an article that I will definitely be saving for future reference. This article presents the readers with ten websites that assist in classroom collaboration through the use of technology. Some of the websites, such as Titan Pad, seem to have a purpose similar to that of Google Docs or Padlet. Most of the websites do not even require you to make an account. You can just provide the students with the URL and they can begin collaboration. I really like the idea behind Linoit. It is basically a digital cork board that students can access from anywhere. The "cork board" can contain images, sticky notes, videos, and more. The article also provides you with links that include ways you can use some of these websites in your classroom. This article is definitely a helpful resource worth keeping.

In the video High School Teachers Meet the Challenges of PBL Implementation, several teachers discuss the difficulties they have faced while trying to implement PBL in their classroom. One of the biggest issues seems to be that teachers who have been teaching one way for years are now having to change their way of teaching. I will not have to face that issue since I will start my teaching career using PBL, but it is nice to hear someone say how difficult it is to transition but how rewarding it actually is. Another problem mentioned is that some teachers do not know how to implement PBL in a certain subject area (mostly math and English). Some teachers expressed that although it may take some time to figure out how it fits into their particular subject area, they enjoy having a voice and being able to execute their own ideas in their classrooms. The teachers' words and the statistics at the end of the video really helped me realize how big of an impact PBL really makes in the classroom. I really enjoyed this video and it has made me even more excited to use PBL in my future classroom.

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

Nowadays, it is difficult to come across someone who does not own some type of smartphone. Most people do not go anywhere without theirs and use it for literally everything that they do. Smartphones can help you accomplish just about anything from communicating to researching. They are also extremely convenient. I have had one for about five years now and probably could not function without it. They are increasingly becoming more and more common and have really become an essential tool for many different people over the years.

Most schools do not allow cellphone use in the classroom because they are distractive and can be used for cheating. Instead of banning smartphones from the classroom, schools should accept the fact that technology is becoming essential to everyday life and implement it even more. All smartphones have access to the internet, and the internet has so much information that can be very beneficial to student learning. Smartphones should be allowed in the classroom as research tools. This would be successful as long as teachers make sure to monitor the students to ensure they are using their phones in the correct manner. This could especially be helpful for schools that cannot afford to give their students access to iPads and other technology. Some other ideas on how smartphones can be used in the classroom can be found here.

By the time I begin teaching, depending on what age group I will be working with, I am sure that most of my students will have access to a smartphone. Most smartphones have cameras, and there are so many different ways that such a tool can be used in the classroom. Some examples include taking photos to demonstrate the five senses, taking photos of different objects to learn the colors, taking photos of their pet at home to include in a presentation about animals, and taking photos to put on their blog (which I definitely intend to implement in my future classroom). There are so many different things that you can do with a smartphone camera, or even just a smartphone itself, in the classroom. Schools who have not yet done so need to realize how beneficial these tools can be to student learners.

Project #9

Blog #8

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture was so incredibly inspirational. Most people would be completely devastated after receiving such tragic news; Mr. Pausch, however, decided to live the remainder of his life happily and to its fullest potential. He discovered that he only had three to six months to live, but that did not stop him from continuing to do what he loves. It is clear from this video that he is so passionate about teaching and helping others. In this lecture, Mr. Pausch focused a lot on the fact that learning should be a fun experience for children. He expressed that this can be accomplished through the implementation of project-based learning and the use of technology. He believed that project-based learning allows students to express themselves creatively; he also believed that the students are more likely to grasp the information if they are having fun while learning. Mr. Pausch also focused a lot on the importance of always being the very best version of yourself. He gave some very good advice on how to do so. His advice included the following ideas: get a feedback loop and listen to it, show gratitude, don't complain- just work harder, be good at something because it makes you valuable, work hard, find the best in everybody, and be prepared. This advice and the lecture as a whole will stick with me for a long time. The lecture was informative, enjoyable, and inspiring. I will certainly keep all of what he has said in mind in my future career.

C4T #2

For my second C4T assignment, I was required to read two posts by Dorothy Burt. The two posts that I read were very different but were both very interesting.

Sparking Learning
This post focuses on a video called Digital Learning. In the video, a foundation known as Spark provided underprivileged students with modern technology so that they can further their learning. The school being featured in the video is actually one of the schools that I've had to do a C4K assignment for. In my comment, I expressed how incredible the foundation is and how remarkable it is that underprivileged students now have the opportunity to work with such technology. These students will have so many new doors open up for them now that they have the same privileges as everyone else.


Longevity of The Essay
This post also focuses on a video, In 15 years: Death of the essay?. This video was so interesting, especially since I am enrolled in a class that completely revolves around technology. This video involves a professor expressing that the written word will become completely obsolete within the next fifteen years. He says that we are communicating thoughts with media more now than at any other time in history. He expresses that change is coming. In my comment, I expressed that I completely agree with the professor in the video. I said that while I do not believe that the written word and essays will ever become completely obsolete, I definitely think that technology is taking over. I said that we need to accept the fact that change is coming and embrace it as it comes.

Project #7 Part B

Project #13

As a group, we decided to have our students complete a project on the solar system. The students will be split into groups, and each group will be assigned a planet. The students will be researching their planet and will be required to complete an iMovie presentation.

PBL Lesson Plan

Project Calendar

PBL Rubric

PBL Checklist

Blog #7

Project Based Learning (PBL) and the use of technology have both become a very big part of teaching, and that is definitely a good thing. I feel that after this class, I will definitely be prepared to teach this way. I am really good with technology and I am pretty creative, so I do not think I will have a problem implementing PBL in my classroom. I believe that my only weakness is actually being able to find new forms of technology and new tools to bring into the classroom. I believe it will be difficult for me to find new things such as Poplet and think of new ways to use other forms of technology; however, I think that I will be successful in doing so as long as I do research and utilize my resources and my PLN.

Summaries of Videos:

iPad Reading Centers
The teacher in this video shows the viewers a really neat concept. This concept includes individual students reading a book aloud while recording themselves on an iPad. Once they are done reading, they replay the video to see if they made any mistakes while reading. This is such a great idea. I think that by listening to what they've read aloud while rereading the same excerpt, students will be able to identify and correct their mistakes. If I have such technology available to me, I will definitely be implementing this concept in my future classroom.

Students Sharing Board Builders: Video 1 & Video 2
In these videos, Mrs. Tassin allows her second grade students to share their board builder projects. I did not necessarily learn anything from these videos, but it definitely amazed me how technologically advanced these students really are. They know what search engines to use to find information, where to go to find images, and how to construct all of their findings into a presentation. I think it is remarkable and I hope that I can get my students to the same level in my future classroom.

How to Make an Audio QR Code
The concept being explained in this video is very interesting. I have a QR scanner on my phone and have used it multiple times, but never knew there were audio QR codes or thought about using them in the classroom. In the video, Ms. Bennett explains how to use the QR codes in the classroom. She explains where to make the recording and how to link that recording to a QR code. You can use these codes for several things; you can record yourself during a lecture, record the students reading, etc. Ms. Bennett also explains that there are several free apps for scanning the codes that you can download for smartphones and tablets; parents can download these on their smartphones or students can download them if they have access to iPads in the classroom. This is definitely an interesting concept that I intend to implement one day.

Using iMovie and the AVL in Kindergarten
This video conversation between Dr. Strange, Ms. Bennett, and Ms. Davis focuses on how kindergarten students are using iMovie and the AVL on a regular basis. Both Ms. Bennett and Ms. Davis expressed how amazed they are that five and six year olds can handle such technology and handle it so well. Ms. Bennett even mentioned that one of the teachers, Ms. Tuck, forgot how to use iMovie because the students were using it so well on their own that she didn't need to teach it anymore. I really hope to get to that point with my future students. If I am lucky enough to work at a school that is provided with such technology, I hope that my students will grow to use it so efficiently that they will be able to teach me more about it.

AVL and Kindergarten Students
In this video, Ms. Tuck explains how she implements the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) in her classroom. AVL allows you to search for key words and provides you with information, images, videos, and audio recordings. After her students complete their search, she provides them with worksheets to complete. On the worksheets, the students must draw a picture about what they learned and write a sentence to go along with it. AVL definitely seems like a beneficial tool, and I will definitely consider using it in my classroom one day.

Popplet
In this video, Ms. Tuck talks about what Popplet is and how she uses it in her classroom. She explains that Popplet is an app that you can download onto the iPads. She has her students choose a subject matter, put the subject matter in the center, and then create a web of images and information around that center. The app allows you to access the camera on your device and take pictures from other books to include in your web. This tool is a good way to teach students how to organize information, and if I have access to iPads in my future classroom, I will definitely be using this app.

Discovery Education Board Builder
This video consists of Ms. Shirley and one of her students demonstrating how to use Board Builder on Discovery Education. This tool allows you to create boards. Boards are a way of organizing and displaying information on a certain subject. You can add a custom background, add photos and videos, and add information. The student also demonstrates how to search for photos and videos to include on your board. This tool is definitely neat and I definitely plan on using it in the future.

We All Become Learners
I really enjoyed this conversational video between Dr. Strange, Ms. Davis, and Ms. Bennett. The main focus of this video is the fact that everyone in a school setting is a learner. At the beginning of the video, Ms. Bennet explains that learning does not just involve an instructor teaching a student and that sometimes the roles are reversed. She expresses that nowadays teachers are teaching students, students are teaching students, and students are teaching teachers. Although some may believe that teachers should know all, they do not. Teachers are always learning, just as students are. We have to accept that and be willing to let others help sometimes, even if that means learning from our students.

Blog #6

Anthony Capps is a former EDM 310 student who now teaches third grade at Gulf Shores Elementary School and uses what he learned in EDM 310 in his classroom. Prior to this assignment, I thought I understood the importance of Project Based Learning (PBL), but I learned a lot from the videos Project Based Learning Part 1 and Project Based Learning Part 2. I learned that PBL is an actual learning process rather than a test of what the students have learned. Mr. Capps also mentions how the projects sometimes meet several of the requirements that he must meet for state standards. I personally think that Common Core really limits how creative we can be in the classroom, so I definitely think that PBL is a great way to meet standards, inspire creativity, and allow student-student/student-teacher interaction all at the same time. I also learned how important it is to get feedback from the students. In the video, Mr. Capps mentions that he records his students' feedback so that he can continue to appeal to their taste, which is a really good idea. It is important to create projects that appeal to them in order to keep them interested.

Project #8 Book Trailer

September C4K Summary

I had to read some very interesting blogs for my C4K assignments this month. The three blogs were all very different, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading each one of them.

The first student that I was assigned to was Marama, a seventh grader from PT England school in New Zealand. Her blog post was about the dangers of drinking alcohol and doing drugs. She was very informative in addressing the subject and gave factual information to back up her words. She also made sure to mention how dangerous these things can be and that you should never do them. In my comment, I told her that I learned a lot about how harmful these things really are from her post. I also told her that I completely agreed that doing these things are extremely bad for you and that you should avoid them at all costs.

The second student that I was assigned to was Elliot, a student in Mrs. Horst's class. The post that I read was about Dot Day, which I had never heard of before. He expressed how excited he was that it was finally Dot Day by saying that it was "a whale of a time". He also shared his artwork from Dot Day; it was a picture of a minion from Despicable Me created entirely from dots. In my comment, I told him how neat I thought Dot Day was. I also told him that I enjoyed his artwork and that I love minions. I really enjoyed the enthusiasm that he expressed in his post. Here is the picture that Elliot shared on his blog:

The last student that I was assigned to was Brayden, a fifth grade student from Connecticut. This was Brayden's very first blog post, and he gave a lot of details about himself. He said that he loves purple and blue, cats and dogs, and video games. In my comment, I expressed that we have a lot in common. I told him that I also love the color purple and that I love animals as well. I also mentioned how much I love video games, especially on the Playstation and the Wii.

Project #3 Presentation

Blog #5

Prior to this class, I had never even heard of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). A PLN is a set of tools and people that you can turn to when in need of assistance. As teachers, we will not know everything, and we will have to call upon others for help throughout the years. If you have a PLN set up, it is very easy to get assistance. The first step in building a PLN includes finding people that you believe will be beneficial to you. Once you find someone who appeals to you, you can find even more people by seeing who he/she interacts with. Another important step in building your PLN is finding tools and resources, such as websites and blogs, that will be useful in your future endeavors.

I have found Symbaloo to be very useful, and I used this resource to begin building my very own PLN. This tool allows you to access the websites that you use most frequently all from one place. You create "tiles" for the websites that you visit most often and arrange them however you would like. Now Twitter, USA Online, and other websites that I visit on a daily basis are all available at once source. I have also thought about people who would be beneficial to include in my PLN. I think that my teachers, past and present, would be great to include in my network. Education instructors such as Dr. Strange would be good to include because he has an abundance of resources and knowledge about being an educator, and my elementary and middle school teachers would be good to include because they have spent many years working with the age range that I hope to work with one day. I am very glad that we have learned about this concept, and I cannot wait to use my PLN in the future. I know that it will only continue to grow in the future.

My Sentence Videos

My Sentence is...


My Passion is...

C4T #1

My first C4T assignment required me to read and comment on posts from educator Annie Palmer's blog Breaking Education Barriers. The two posts that I read were very interesting and will be very helpful to me in my future classroom.

Comment #1:

The first post that I read and commented on was titled Feedback: Lessons from the Ball Field. In this post, Palmer makes a lot of comparisons between her time in the classroom and her time on the softball fields as a young adult. She first explains the importance of giving specific, verbal feedback rather than just a score. She says that scores indicate that the learning is done and that there is no room for improvement. Next, she says how crucial it is to keep feedback and praise separate in the classroom; she does so by expressing that praising students affects their self-esteem rather than their level of achievement. Her final point in this post includes her expressing how important it is to constantly give feedback during the learning process instead of just providing it at the end.

In my comment, I focused on the first two points that she made in her post. I agreed with her about how important it is to give verbal feedback rather than just an end-result score because there is always room for improvement. As far as her second point goes, I told her that I had never really thought about it much before. I said that I have always found it to be very important to praise students, but after reading her words on how praise should be kept separate from feedback, I completely feel the same way. Her words from this post will definitely help me tremendously in my future classroom.

Comment #2:
So, How DO You Teach Fluency? was the second post of Palmer's that I read and commented on. This post focuses on the importance of fluency instruction in the classroom. She also explains how important it is for teachers to have resources to help them teach fluency in their own classrooms. She then provides the reader with several different resources including articles, videos, and lists of books.

In my comment, I expressed my interest in her post and told her how helpful the resources will be in my future classroom. I mentioned that I was particularly pleased with a video that she shared titled Foundational Reading Skills: Fluency (K-2). I told her that I hope to be able to teach that age range one day and that I loved the ideas that the video provided. The video mostly focuses on the use of songs in teaching fluency, which I told her I thought was an excellent idea. I think that this post will also be extremely helpful for me in my future classroom.

Project #15

I always automatically use Google any time that I need to look up information. Although I was familiar with other search engines prior to this assignment, I definitely feel better acquainted with them and now know which one to use and when.

Craigslist: Craigslist is a very commonly used search engine. On this website, people can post things that they are trying to sell or search for items that they are looking to purchase. There is also a section that lists countless job opportunities in your area. Although this website is sometimes made out to be sketchy, I think it is a very good search engine for these purposes.

Dogpile: This is just a basic search engine used to find any information. The results come from other search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com. I would personally rather just go straight to the source, but this search engine gets the job done nonetheless.

Indeed: Indeed is a search engine created for people who are in need of a job. You simply type in what kind of job you are seeking and your location and it provides you with pages of different job opportunities. It gives you the name of the company, a description of the position they are looking to fulfill, contact information, and a link to the application. It is definitely a useful search engine for anyone looking for a career in any field.

Ixquick: Ixquick claims to be the most private search engine. They hold up to this standard by not recording IP addresses, not sharing personal data with any third party, and not storing any of your searches or data. Although I am personally not concerned with these things, this search engine is definitely good for anyone who is very concerned with their privacy.

Mapquest: This is a search engine that almost everyone is familiar with. Whether you are traveling a long distance or just need directions to somewhere around town, Mapquest gives you specific directions to wherever you need to go. You can search for places by typing in specific addressees or names of businesses. This search engine is useful for pretty much anyone who drives and at any point needs to know how to get somewhere.

Nextag: Nextag is a search engine used for shopping. It has a price comparison tool that allows you to see which website has whatever you are looking for at the best price. It also makes suggestions of what to buy based on what is popular and what other people are purchasing.

WebMD: WebMD is a medical search engine that includes a symptom checker, a list of common conditions, tips on how to lead a healthy life, and more. It is an extremely convenient way for people to keep up with their health. It is a useful search engine for anyone.

WolframAlpha: This search engine is unlike any other I have used before. It is similar to Google in that it can provide you with almost any piece of information; however, I actually like it a lot better than Google, because rather than just giving you links to choose from, it goes above and beyond to answer your question in detail. It also assists in solving almost any kind of math problem, which is definitely a useful feature.

Blog #4

I think that it is very important for students to ask questions in the classroom, but I have never really thought about how important it is for teachers to ask questions as well. After reading the articles and watching the videos, however, I understand that it is crucial to do so. I definitely learned a lot from the article The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom. This article explains that it is important to ask questions in order to ensure that your students are understanding the material being taught to them. After reading this article, I realize that the commonly used question "Does everybody understand?" is not a good question to ask. Even if the students respond to this question with "yes", there is no way to know if they actually understand or if they are just complying because they do not care or are too embarrassed to say no. This is why it is important to ask specific, open-ended questions about the material to make sure that everyone is actually understanding. The video Asking Better Questions in the Classroom taught me a lot about the importance of using open-ended questions rather than close-ended questions. Close-ended questions are simple, because they usually just require a "yes" or "no" response. Open-ended questions, however, require students to actually think and elaborate more with their response. By hearing a detailed response rather than a simple "yes" or "no", you can really see whether or not they are actually grasping the material being taught to them.

I have really learned a lot from this assignment, and I will definitely use these techniques and keep these things in mind in my future classroom.

Blog #3

English has always been my favorite subject and I have had numerous teachers in the past who were huge advocates of peer editing, so I have a lot of experience with it. Since I am already very familiar with this, the videos and slideshow did not necessarily teach me anything new. They did, however, remind me of a few things to be mindful of when editing someone else's paper.

I have always been told that one of the most important things to remember while peer editing is to be kind with your criticism. The slideshow Peer Edit with Perfection reiterated this by expressing that giving compliments is one of the most important parts of peer editing. I always make sure to give a compliment with every critique that I make while editing someone's paper. If you strictly make negative comments and point out what is wrong, the recipient of the feedback will more than likely get their feelings hurt. The point of peer editing is to help, so not pointing out the good parts of the paper can be very discouraging. By saying something like "You make a very good point with this paragraph, but you may want to word the opening sentence a little differently," you are pointing out what needs work and giving a compliment all at the same time. It is also very important to be specific when giving feedback rather than making vague statements. If you were to simply say that some paragraphs need work, the author would have no clue how to improve his/her writing. You must use specific details about which sentences or paragraphs need improvement and why.

I think that using kind and encouraging words along with your criticism/suggestions and providing specific details on which areas need improvement makes for successful peer editing. I will definitely teach my future students to peer edit this way.

Blog #2

1. Mr. Dancealot
Mr. Dancealot is a dance teacher that does not actually allow his students to dance during class. This video expresses that standing in front of a class and lecturing without allowing the students to get involved is a completely ineffective teaching method. Students learn much more from actively participating and practicing the material than they do listening to a teacher read word for word from a power point, and that is made very clear when the students had absolutely no clue how to actually dance for their final at the end of the video. I completely agree with what the creator of this video was trying to get across.

2. Teaching in the 21st Century
Roberts believes that teaching in the 21st century has changed so much from the traditional form of teaching. He says, "If teachers can only provide facts, then our role in the lives of students is obsolete." With this statement, he expresses that students can basically find anything on the internet these days and that teachers now are there to guide and encourage rather than to relay facts. He says that teachers are there to teach you how to determine whether or not information is reliable and how to understand, interpret, and apply the given information. When I was in high school, I had some teachers that just lectured information to us and some teachers that taught us how to analyze and apply such information. I would definitely say that the latter were more helpful, because I do agree with Roberts; I can search for almost anything on Google and get the information I need. Technology, however, does not teach you what to do with that information. I definitely agree that is what teaching has come to, and I think that it is a good thing. Teaching real life skills rather than facts will be so much more beneficial to those being taught.

3. The Networked Student
This video essentially expresses that teachers are pretty much useless since there is an ample amount of resources and technology available to students nowadays. It pretty much shows that with today's technology, students can ultimately teach themselves anything. The very end of the video, however, proves this thought to be false. The last thirty seconds or so explain that teachers are there to guide you and teach you how to utilize such information more than they are to feed you useless facts. I don't necessarily agree that students should ever have to teach themselves, but I do believe that this is what teaching has amounted to.

4. Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
Vicki Davis starts off her video by expressing that students are limited by the use of just paper and pencil. She believes that the use of technology is crucial and she makes it a point to teach her students everything about it. She says that she wants her to students to learn how to learn. She also allows her students to interact internally and internationally with the use of technology. I agree that it has become very important for one to learn how to utilize technology, and I think that students learn so much more in a hands-on environment than they do just reading and writing information.

5. Who's Ahead in the Learning Race?
This video was definitely interesting to watch. Although this is not true in all cases, in this case, I definitely think that the elementary students are ahead in the learning race. There were some things mentioned throughout the video that I, a junior in college, do not even know how to do. It is remarkable that elementary students can use such technology so enthusiastically and efficiently. While not all schools are up to the level that Gulf Shores Elementary is at, I definitely think that this is the direction that teaching is going in. Technology is such a huge part of everyday life nowadays, and soon it will be impossible to get by without knowing how to efficiently use this technology.

6. Flipping the Classroom
I have never heard of flipping the classroom until watching this video. Although I think the idea is a little far-fetched, I think that it is an excellent idea with a lot of potential. Flipping is basically teaching students information through a video that they will watch the night before class so that class time can be used to ask questions, practice the given material, and apply the information. I think it is a great idea because less time is wasted lecturing and more time is available for hands-on activities. I do not think that all schools would adhere to this method by any means, but I do think it is a step in the right direction. Technology is really taking over and students need to be prepared for that and they need to be taught how to utilize it.

7. Bringing the Locker Room into the Classroom
This article expresses how important active participation and collaborative learning are in the classroom. Owens talks about how his time spent as an "honorary coach" impacted the way he views teaching and education. He witnessed a pre-game ritual that was very different from the normal speech from the coach; the coach allowed the team members to participate in discussion as well. Owens found that working as a team, asking questions, and collaboratively solving problems benefits everyone much more than listening to a lecture or speech. I will definitely implement this in my future classroom. I think that standing in front of a classroom lecturing from start to finish is completely useless and ineffective. I will allow my students to actively participate in class as much as possible, and while they will have to complete individual work, they will have a lot of group assignments as well. Being able to work as a member of a team is very important once you get into the real world, and we have to be able to teach our students how to do so.

Source: www.securedgenetworks.com

Blog #1

I was honestly a little nervous coming into EDM 310 because of some of the things I've heard. I've heard a lot of people complain about how difficult and time-consuming it is. My biggest fear is that I won't actually have enough time to complete every assignment to the best of my ability because of the work and attention to detail it requires. This class is similar to AP classes that I took in high school in that it requires a lot more time than most other classes. That is how it really differs from the majority of the college classes I have taken; although I spend the majority of my time on school work, I have not yet had a class that requires so much time each week. I have also never taken a class that is primarily based on the completion of projects. Although I am usually pretty good with technology, I think that working with some technology that I am unfamiliar with will be the most difficult aspect of EDM 310 for me. The best way for me to address this "difficult" aspect will be to use my resources and ask questions to become better acquainted with what I am unfamiliar with.

Practice Blog

My name is Taylor Anglado and I am a junior here at South. I'm from d'Iberville, MS and have lived there my whole life until moving to Mobile. My heart was always set on attending Auburn after high school, but I had a complete change of heart after visiting USA for the first time. I started out as a physical therapy major, but I quickly realized that my heart wasn't in it. I absolutely love kids and I think I've always known deep down that I was meant to be a teacher, so after a semester or so I changed my major to elementary education. When I'm not obsessing over my school work, most of my time is spent with my family. I have three siblings who are my absolute best friends. I'm also a bit of an aspiring photographer, so I also like to take a lot of pictures in my spare time.

(Most of my pictures are on my computer back at home, so these are really the only ones I'm able to share right now.)

Although I spent almost all of high school thinking I was going to college to major in physical therapy, I think I always knew that I was really supposed to be a teacher. I was blessed to have some of the best teachers throughout middle and high school, and they really inspired me to go into the education field. It was always so obvious that they care so much about their students and really love what they do. That is exactly the kind of teacher I want to be. I want my students to really be able to see how passionate I am about teaching and making a difference. I think that in this day and time, it takes more than just showing up to the classroom to be an educator. You have to actually care about your students' well-being and put in a lot of time and effort in and out of the classroom. You have to make it known that you care, because the students can sense if you don't, and it will cause them to be careless as well. I really love kids and really want to make learning a fun and positive experience for everyone.

Outline:
I. General Information
A. Hometown
B. Major
C. Interests
D. Family

II. Education
A. Reasons for entering field
B. What educator's work entails