Sunday, October 26, 2014
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Blog Post #10
Little Kids BIG Potential-Interviews with Kathy Cassidy
I really enjoyed watching Ms. Cassidy's class have a fun time making their video First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class. It's so encouraging to see young students engaging in technology and loving to learn! Ms. Cassidy has definitely found a successful way to connect her students to technology.
One of the techniques that I will definitely be stealing from Ms. Cassidy is the fact that her students blog at least once every week, according to her Q + A in the last video Interview with Cassidy Part 3.
She also stated that the students sometimes blog when they are at home. This means that the students love blogging so much that they take their own time away from school to blog without even being assigned to. Another thing I really liked about Ms. Cassidy's approach is the fact that she doesn't try to "force" anything on herself. She encouraged her audience to start their technology journey with something that they specifically enjoy doing. For example, if you like to write (like me), you should start with blogging. The same goes for anyone who likes to share pictures, start with Flickr. Using technology because you love doing it makes it easier for you to get into other types of social media/technology.
I think that by taking Ms. Cassidy's techniques and her approach to technology it will help encourage my students to become more engaged in technology and learning through it. Her students were so excited that other students were reading their work and that they were able to communicate with people and classrooms thousands of miles away. It will be my job to make it fun for the students and beneficial.
When the students were using their DS's in the classroom to play Nintendogs, it was helpful for first graders because it helped them learn to share. But in addition to that, for my high school students, it increases collaboration within groups. In high school, this would mean that the students would be gathered around one computer working together on projects that I assign in my PBL lesson plans.
A negative impediment I might encounter in my technological journey in a high school classroom might be keeping the students' attentions. First graders are pretty fascinated with computers in general and do not need much to keep them interested. High school students, on the other hand, have had access to technology their whole lives. So, this just means that my jobs becomes a little bit harder. I have to be willing to research and discover advanced methods of teaching through technology for my older students. It has to be interesting, new, and appropriate for my grade level. But that's the fun part! I can't wait to begin applying technology to my classroom!
I really enjoyed watching Ms. Cassidy's class have a fun time making their video First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class. It's so encouraging to see young students engaging in technology and loving to learn! Ms. Cassidy has definitely found a successful way to connect her students to technology.
One of the techniques that I will definitely be stealing from Ms. Cassidy is the fact that her students blog at least once every week, according to her Q + A in the last video Interview with Cassidy Part 3.
She also stated that the students sometimes blog when they are at home. This means that the students love blogging so much that they take their own time away from school to blog without even being assigned to. Another thing I really liked about Ms. Cassidy's approach is the fact that she doesn't try to "force" anything on herself. She encouraged her audience to start their technology journey with something that they specifically enjoy doing. For example, if you like to write (like me), you should start with blogging. The same goes for anyone who likes to share pictures, start with Flickr. Using technology because you love doing it makes it easier for you to get into other types of social media/technology.
When the students were using their DS's in the classroom to play Nintendogs, it was helpful for first graders because it helped them learn to share. But in addition to that, for my high school students, it increases collaboration within groups. In high school, this would mean that the students would be gathered around one computer working together on projects that I assign in my PBL lesson plans.
A negative impediment I might encounter in my technological journey in a high school classroom might be keeping the students' attentions. First graders are pretty fascinated with computers in general and do not need much to keep them interested. High school students, on the other hand, have had access to technology their whole lives. So, this just means that my jobs becomes a little bit harder. I have to be willing to research and discover advanced methods of teaching through technology for my older students. It has to be interesting, new, and appropriate for my grade level. But that's the fun part! I can't wait to begin applying technology to my classroom!
Friday, October 24, 2014
C4K Summary Week 10
These past 4 kid blogs I have had the pleasure of reading have somewhat amazed me. Wow! Kids are really smart and teachers have opened their eyes to real life problems in the world today. They all have really bad grammar problems but they are such a joy to read. It helps me remember what I was like at that age.
The first young lady I had the opportunity to read wrote a short paragraph about how we should help feed the homeless and take care of them. How thoughtful! Here we have a young soul caring about others and the world around her. I encouraged this student and offered advice for looking into different organizations that help the homeless. I also warned her to always have an adult present.
The second student I was able to address was a young Mr. Zane. It appears as though Zane's teacher had presented the class with a driving question: Should kids lose recess when they are getting punished in schools? Zane said no because recess is where students get all of their hyper tendencies out in order to relax when in class. If you take that away than the student will just misbehave more in class because they have so much energy. This sounds like he really gave the question some thought and I informed him that I agree with him. There are other ways in punishing a child then making them sit inside. There's detention, writing lines, and many other things than taking his physical activity away.
The third student was particularly interesting to me. Patrick was (I'm assuming) assigned to write creatively. It wasn't really clear on the post just what his point was or what he was trying to get across. One thing I know though is that he was really into it. The story had something to do with crystal flowers. I encouraged him to keep writing creatively and to continue his story because his readers would love to learn more about it. I hope this inspired him to keep writing.
The last student I read this month was a girl named Shavanah. Shavanah composed a list of things a person needs to do when trying to protect themselves from the sun. She informed her readers that exposure to the sun can cause cancer and we should take steps to avoid it as much as possible: wear shades, use sunblock, and wear clothes. I told her that it was always very important to be aware of the sun and the harm it can do to our bodies. It was a great post. They all were!
The first young lady I had the opportunity to read wrote a short paragraph about how we should help feed the homeless and take care of them. How thoughtful! Here we have a young soul caring about others and the world around her. I encouraged this student and offered advice for looking into different organizations that help the homeless. I also warned her to always have an adult present.
The second student I was able to address was a young Mr. Zane. It appears as though Zane's teacher had presented the class with a driving question: Should kids lose recess when they are getting punished in schools? Zane said no because recess is where students get all of their hyper tendencies out in order to relax when in class. If you take that away than the student will just misbehave more in class because they have so much energy. This sounds like he really gave the question some thought and I informed him that I agree with him. There are other ways in punishing a child then making them sit inside. There's detention, writing lines, and many other things than taking his physical activity away.
The third student was particularly interesting to me. Patrick was (I'm assuming) assigned to write creatively. It wasn't really clear on the post just what his point was or what he was trying to get across. One thing I know though is that he was really into it. The story had something to do with crystal flowers. I encouraged him to keep writing creatively and to continue his story because his readers would love to learn more about it. I hope this inspired him to keep writing.
The last student I read this month was a girl named Shavanah. Shavanah composed a list of things a person needs to do when trying to protect themselves from the sun. She informed her readers that exposure to the sun can cause cancer and we should take steps to avoid it as much as possible: wear shades, use sunblock, and wear clothes. I told her that it was always very important to be aware of the sun and the harm it can do to our bodies. It was a great post. They all were!
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Blog Post #9
So, just what can teachers and students teach us about project based learning? Well, for a person who hardly knows anything about PBL I can learn a lot. The general idea of the program is known but the technicalities and the actual steps are pretty blurry to me. By watching these videos and reading these articles the idea is becoming a lot less hazy.
In the article Seven Essentials for PBL, I learned that there is a proper way for establishing a project in the classroom that will be both educational and motivational for the students. By following these steps the students will be engaged from the beginning and as the teacher I will be there to guide them through their academic progress. The most important step in this, I believe, is the "hook." In order to grab their attention, the teacher must present it in a powerful way that will lure them into caring about the project. Then from there it's all about helping the students find good resources and ways to present what they have learned from the project. In doing this the students learn how this "driving question" really connects to the real world around them.
In the video Project Based Learning for Teachers, first of all, this video really grabbed my attention. What this video does in contrast to the previous article, is it gives many different examples of driving questions and resources that students can use in their projects. It goes over the different types of skills students will learn while doing projects e.g. communication and collaboration. I think the Einstein quote at the end really sums up PBL. His quotes says that teachers should not teach but to set the grounds for which their students learn. This is the epitome of project based learning and everyone can take something from that quote.
The article Project Based Learning and Physical Education shows just how universal PBL is as a learning unit. This project shows that PBL can be used in any kind of classroom setting and that it is just, if not more, effective. Having projects in P.E. classes is a genius idea! It gets kids moving and thinking at the same time. What better way to get kids to exercise than to hand the reins to them and allow them to academically explore at the same time. It makes exercising more fun and innovative than your typical physical education class. I thought that allowing high school students to come up with the a new middle school activity for P.E. was very creative. I could only imagine how much fun the students had with this project. This project example deemed very successful and if I was a P.E. teacher I would definitely steal this idea for my own class!
The title for the video High School Teachers Meet the Challenges of PBL Implementation really speaks for itself. In this video, I saw the struggle that these teachers had to go through in order to find just how they could fit PBL into their curriculum and how it shaped their classrooms. Yes, this is a totally new way of teaching and I'm glad I watched a video from the teacher perspective about the hardships of it. I mean, we can't just come up with a new way of teaching and expect it to automatically fit into the ways that have always been taught. It's very interesting to see how they attempted to fit the new program into every subject and to learn that not every subjects works the same way with PBL. The effects will indeed be different between let's say math and English. Overall, I think that project based learning can indeed be applied to every subject. We as teachers just have to work together in order to find a way that best achieves this goal.
Watching the video Two Students Invent New Ketchup Bottle Lid was very encouraging! It made me imagine just what my students will be able to come up with when I give them the means to go above and beyond. This really reminded me of Randy Pausch and how he said that he never set a limit on what his students could do. Once you set a limit, your students will always stop there. But if you give them the freedom to think and explore in new ways you never know what they will create.
In the article Seven Essentials for PBL, I learned that there is a proper way for establishing a project in the classroom that will be both educational and motivational for the students. By following these steps the students will be engaged from the beginning and as the teacher I will be there to guide them through their academic progress. The most important step in this, I believe, is the "hook." In order to grab their attention, the teacher must present it in a powerful way that will lure them into caring about the project. Then from there it's all about helping the students find good resources and ways to present what they have learned from the project. In doing this the students learn how this "driving question" really connects to the real world around them.
In the video Project Based Learning for Teachers, first of all, this video really grabbed my attention. What this video does in contrast to the previous article, is it gives many different examples of driving questions and resources that students can use in their projects. It goes over the different types of skills students will learn while doing projects e.g. communication and collaboration. I think the Einstein quote at the end really sums up PBL. His quotes says that teachers should not teach but to set the grounds for which their students learn. This is the epitome of project based learning and everyone can take something from that quote.
The article Project Based Learning and Physical Education shows just how universal PBL is as a learning unit. This project shows that PBL can be used in any kind of classroom setting and that it is just, if not more, effective. Having projects in P.E. classes is a genius idea! It gets kids moving and thinking at the same time. What better way to get kids to exercise than to hand the reins to them and allow them to academically explore at the same time. It makes exercising more fun and innovative than your typical physical education class. I thought that allowing high school students to come up with the a new middle school activity for P.E. was very creative. I could only imagine how much fun the students had with this project. This project example deemed very successful and if I was a P.E. teacher I would definitely steal this idea for my own class!
The title for the video High School Teachers Meet the Challenges of PBL Implementation really speaks for itself. In this video, I saw the struggle that these teachers had to go through in order to find just how they could fit PBL into their curriculum and how it shaped their classrooms. Yes, this is a totally new way of teaching and I'm glad I watched a video from the teacher perspective about the hardships of it. I mean, we can't just come up with a new way of teaching and expect it to automatically fit into the ways that have always been taught. It's very interesting to see how they attempted to fit the new program into every subject and to learn that not every subjects works the same way with PBL. The effects will indeed be different between let's say math and English. Overall, I think that project based learning can indeed be applied to every subject. We as teachers just have to work together in order to find a way that best achieves this goal.
Watching the video Two Students Invent New Ketchup Bottle Lid was very encouraging! It made me imagine just what my students will be able to come up with when I give them the means to go above and beyond. This really reminded me of Randy Pausch and how he said that he never set a limit on what his students could do. Once you set a limit, your students will always stop there. But if you give them the freedom to think and explore in new ways you never know what they will create.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning
Part A
Technology plays a larger role in education today than people tend to realize. In the study by Zogby Analytics, statistics show just how reliable people are on technology, specifically smartphones. With 87% of them saying that their phone never leaves their sides it's a wonder that work ever gets done in the world today. This is especially true for the education world.
Having students that constantly have cell phones has so far caused disruption universally in the classroom setting. For teachers, this means constantly reminding students that phones are prohibited and to pay attention during class. This implies that learners will be at a disadvantage due to these distractions and disruptions. Having phones at all times and wanting these phones to have cameras as well can ultimately be an advantage for academics. But like all technology, it must be applied properly.
Part B
As a high school English teacher, at first glance it is rather difficult to insert the use of smartphones and cameras into my classroom. But with some creative ideas and a little innovation, any form of technology can enhance any classroom. Constantly having a phone by your side calls for easy access to communication, internet, and other tools. This can be applied to more than one aspect of the classroom.
The first and most important tool this would be in my own classroom is a way for me to contact my students and vice versa. Emails would be on hand instantly and if a student had any questions or concerns I am just a phone call or an email away. This is also a good reason to keep a class blog so students can collaborate together and keep up with what is going on in the classroom.
Having cameras constantly on hand in the classroom makes for documenting important information and practice simple and easy. Students will easily be able to take pictures of important notes and possibly sections of books we're studying during class that they need to remember.
Paper and pens will no longer be a necessity in the classroom. Instead of wasting time writing and organizing papers, students will just be able to take pictures of assignments and things they need to keep up and will instead be able to pay attention in class and use technology to create something. Projects and presentations will be in the palm of their hands where they can easily look, share, and edit on demand.
Technology plays a larger role in education today than people tend to realize. In the study by Zogby Analytics, statistics show just how reliable people are on technology, specifically smartphones. With 87% of them saying that their phone never leaves their sides it's a wonder that work ever gets done in the world today. This is especially true for the education world.
Having students that constantly have cell phones has so far caused disruption universally in the classroom setting. For teachers, this means constantly reminding students that phones are prohibited and to pay attention during class. This implies that learners will be at a disadvantage due to these distractions and disruptions. Having phones at all times and wanting these phones to have cameras as well can ultimately be an advantage for academics. But like all technology, it must be applied properly.
Part B
As a high school English teacher, at first glance it is rather difficult to insert the use of smartphones and cameras into my classroom. But with some creative ideas and a little innovation, any form of technology can enhance any classroom. Constantly having a phone by your side calls for easy access to communication, internet, and other tools. This can be applied to more than one aspect of the classroom.
The first and most important tool this would be in my own classroom is a way for me to contact my students and vice versa. Emails would be on hand instantly and if a student had any questions or concerns I am just a phone call or an email away. This is also a good reason to keep a class blog so students can collaborate together and keep up with what is going on in the classroom.
Having cameras constantly on hand in the classroom makes for documenting important information and practice simple and easy. Students will easily be able to take pictures of important notes and possibly sections of books we're studying during class that they need to remember.
Paper and pens will no longer be a necessity in the classroom. Instead of wasting time writing and organizing papers, students will just be able to take pictures of assignments and things they need to keep up and will instead be able to pay attention in class and use technology to create something. Projects and presentations will be in the palm of their hands where they can easily look, share, and edit on demand.
Video Book Commentary for Group 4
This is Group 4's Video Book Commentary video. Enjoy! Our question was topic #8.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Blog Post #8 The Last Lecture Video
After watching Randy Pausch's Last Lecture I am speechless. I am absolutely at a loss for words and no simple blog post is going to be nearly sufficient enough to express just how moving that video was. It left me in tears at the end. This man truly emblemizes the kind of legacy I want to leave behind as an educator and not just as an educator but as a person. While watching the video I found myself jotting down topics and side notes Randy mentions throughout the lecture and when I went back and read my notes I was taken aback. I saw words like hope, dream, loyalty, leadership, achieve, and most importantly, fun. These are the basic qualities of life I hope to inscribe into my own students and even my future children.
As I listened to Randy's life and all the dreams he had come true it made me step back and examine my own life. Just what am I doing right now to pursue my dreams? Have I allowed the world and society to help me forget those childhood dreams that used to be so important? To Randy, becoming an imagineer worker for Disney was close to impossible.
As I listened to Randy's life and all the dreams he had come true it made me step back and examine my own life. Just what am I doing right now to pursue my dreams? Have I allowed the world and society to help me forget those childhood dreams that used to be so important? To Randy, becoming an imagineer worker for Disney was close to impossible.
This is where he discovered his first real "brick wall." But without these, according to Randy, people wouldn't be able to tell apart who really wanted to work hard for it and those who didn't. I can say that I have faced a few of these myself and if I'm being honest with myself, I have walked away from a lot of them. Randy taught me to face them head on. He also taught me not to fear those around me who seem to be angry with no soft side. He's right, if you hang around long enough, everyone has a good side just like every brick wall can be taken down with enough hard work and determination.
Randy and I share a perspective that is very close to my heart for learning: wanting the students to bond together while learning and having fun. Aside from all the success of his ETC class and other endeavors at Carnegie Mellon University, Randy above all wanted his students to be "head-faked" into learning really hard stuff while having fun at the same time. This is all I want for my future students. I've never been a huge fan of a technology take over, but if this is what will allow my students to have fun while learning and connecting with each other than I will embrace technology with open arms for every aspect of the classroom. All I want is to do like Randy and help others achieve their dreams. Opportunities for my own dreams will come and go, but my career will forever be based on helping others achieve their dreams and learning that brick walls can come down with hard work.
A big success in his classroom is something we have been learning about in EDM310. He didn't have a name for it and I do not think the program had even been thought of yet but it was very plain to see project based learning was what his classroom was all about. Randy even stated that book learning was thrown out the window on the first day because he knew his students had been reading books for 4 years and by then they had probably read all the books. His curriculum said nothing but project all across the border. With the success that came from the pioneering class, we should all be learning from him. What his students were able to achieve in that class just prove how effective PBL really is and how it can push your students to limits they never believed possible. That's another thing I like that Randy says, "Never set the bar." By setting the bar we are limiting what our students can do and that is worst thing an educator can ever do for their students.
Above all, Randy seemed like he was a magnificent guy who was a leader to pretty much everyone around him. He definitely got a lot out of life and he wanted everyone around him to get the most out of life as well. This video was very inspirational and I'll never forget it. We can all learn a lot from Randy. Never stop learning. Never stop helping others. Never stop having fun.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
C4T Summary #2
I was fortunate enough to be able to peruse Eva Buyuksimkesyan's Blog. Her latest post up was about a few different websites useful if you are trying to learn English. Most of them were just a bunch of games and quizzes that make it fun to learn the language. This is how all learning should be done. If you can't keep the student interested and having fun then they won't pay attention and the information will not be retained. One of her ideas she suggests that makes it easy to organize activities for learning was Pinterest. In my comment I mentioned that this was a fascinating idea. I have always used Pinterest for arts and crafts ideas and even gifts, but I never considered utilizing this site for learning.
In Mrs. Eva's second post I commented on, she discusses different activities teachers can use in the classroom on the first week to socialize their students and get them working together. A great idea I saw was her activity involving making the students group together and create advertisements for themselves. Then they present the advertisement to the class and the teacher to introduce themselves. Not only does this implement the activity into a project, but it's a group project that allows the kids to use their creativity while working together. The other ideas were very creative as well and I'll definitely be stealing a few of these for my own classroom.
In Mrs. Eva's second post I commented on, she discusses different activities teachers can use in the classroom on the first week to socialize their students and get them working together. A great idea I saw was her activity involving making the students group together and create advertisements for themselves. Then they present the advertisement to the class and the teacher to introduce themselves. Not only does this implement the activity into a project, but it's a group project that allows the kids to use their creativity while working together. The other ideas were very creative as well and I'll definitely be stealing a few of these for my own classroom.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
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