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.