Project 16

Unfortunately I was sick during the meeting times that Group Pencils had to make the video but I was fortunate enough to be able to help with the lesson that our Project 16 was on via email, google docs, and text messaging! Group Pencils did a great job including me in this Project even though I was sick!  

Blog Post 5-Part 2

For this blog post assignment, we were required to summarize our Personal Learning Network so far since starting at the beginning of EDM 310 class! Since starting my Personal Learning Network at the beginning of the class, it has improved greatly! Like most of the future educators in EDM 310 my PLN has improved mostly through twitter. I follow many accounts that help me keep up with the many changes in the educational world. These accounts allow me to also keep up with the evolution that is happening with technology integrated into the classrooms. 

The accounts that have been included in my Personal Learning Network are: 

1. edutopia

2. WeAreTeachers

3. ScholasticTeachers

These accounts listed above are all very informative! They have links, pictures, videos and other great things that can help teachers now and also other future educators. They offer other information that could really be useful in a classroom or classroom setting. Now that I have improved my Personal Learning Network I can broaden my horizons as an educator. I would also like to encourage other future educators to broaden their Personal Learning Network's through Twitter, there are a lot of great accounts that can help improve skills in technology, creativity, and also their educational views. 

C4K April Summary

Gabi T's Blog Post: SO BE IT

Hi Gabi, my name is Allie Brooks and I am a student in the EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I really found your blog post about the book So Be It to be very interesting! I liked hearing what you found interesting about the book and why you enjoyed reading it. I loved reading mystery books so I will definitely have to see what this book is about! Great Post!

Ariana's Blog Post: My Kindness Post

Hello Ariana, my name is Allie Brooks. I am a student in the EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed your kindness post! I'm glad that Adam was able to help you better understand what you were doing in class! Adam seems like a really nice person! Keep up the good work!

William's Blog Post: How Do We Get Energy From The Sun?

Hi William, my name is Allie Brooks and I am in the EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. Like you, I am required to read your blog and comment on one of your blog posts. This blog post was pretty short but the answer to your blog post question was very true. We can get electricity from a lot of things but the sun is our main source for electricity! Great Job! Keep up the good work!

Blog Post 16

My Final Reflection

Blog Post 13

What Did I Leave Out?

Why Elementary Education? 

In this weeks assignment we were asked the question "What did I leave out?" We were asked to create a blog assignment that corresponds with our choice of major. I have created a blog post that I think would be a great add in with all of the other great blog assignments we were asked to do. Its important for everyone that is majoring in the field that they have chosen, to be able to answer the question "Why are you majoring in ..." and this blog assignment allows them to answer the question and provide their reasoning. 

I am majoring in Elementary Education so the question I would ask in this blog post is: "Why did I choose elementary education as my major?" 

First I would like you all to watch this very special video that really is truly inspiring to me as a future educator. And really explains my view on why I chose to major in elementary education. 

I chose to be a elementary major because it really has been dream of mine ever since I was little! I strive to be the best I can be and I would love the opportunity to teach kids to be the best they can be as well. It is amazing to think that in the future I will be educating young minds and that I can make a difference for them. I can remember my mom always telling me that I was going to be a teacher when I got older and that I was going to make a huge difference in the world for little kids and now that the opportunity has arrived I am both terrified and astounded! 

C4T #3: Summary

These post and comments can be all referenced to: My Mind Gap

Post 1:
In Mrs. Rand's blog post she explains that she is reading a new book: Tywla Tharp's A Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life. She tells us how much she loves the book and explains how it is helping her with everyday life.

My Comment:

Hi Mrs. Rand, my name is Allie Brooks and I am currently a student at the University of South Alabama! I have been required to create a blog and write posts each week according to an assignment given by our teacher. This week I was given the assignment to read your blog and comment on a favorite post of mine! This post was very interesting to me because you made some really great points that have stuck with me throughout your post. An example would be when you mentioned that facing your fears helps to get a new perspective. While you said it was about getting your Phd, others can achieve a new perspective on many things when facing certain fears! This was a really amazing post!

Post 2: 

Unfortunately Mrs. Rand has not posted any recent blog post so I was forced to comment on a old post! In this post Mrs. Rand explains that she will be pursing her doctorate degree and will be posting about her experiences and what she learns during her awesome journey. 

My Comment: 

 Hello again Mrs. Rand! I loved hearing about the journey you are about to partake on! I wish you the best of luck and look forward to your future blogs. Pursuing your doctorate is a great accomplishment and I cannot wait to read all about the interesting concepts and experiences you learned! Thanks

Blog Post 12

Blog Post 11

What Can We Learn about Teaching and Learning from These Teachers? 

In the video Roosevelt Elementary PBL Project I learned that not only do PBL projects help students learn the common standards for their grade, it also helps them gain basic skills. With PBL teachers are given the help they need to guide and teach students the basic skills they need like public speaking skills and also skills that involve technology. Everyday teachers are faced with many challenges but PBL makes things a little easier in the classroom for teachers!

In the video Project Based Learning  I learned how to include more subject content into one project lesson. This video was shared to us by Dean Shareski, and she explains throughout the video that when a teacher incorporates more subject content into a lesson it allows students to to have a better understanding of the information being covered in the classroom. This idea made a lot of sense to me because students could always use a better understanding of the concept they are learning and if teachers can help by doing this then they should!

In the video Super Digital Citizen , I learned about Mr. Sam Pane. Mr Pane is a 5th grade teacher who explains his lesson about keeping the internet safe for students. He allows his students to brainstorm idea on how to keep the internet safe and asks them to create a cyber hero that can be put into a comic strip that involves the same idea of keeping the internet safe. Mr. Pane allowed the students to display their creations throughout the classroom which then allowed the students to walk around the room and explore the other ideas and creation made by other classmates. This was a really great idea and lesson because it allowed students to use their imaginations based off what they got out of the lesson. It also allowed the students to see the many ways other students can be creative and use their imagination.

In the video Making Thinking Visible  we meet Ron Richart. Mr. Richart was always faced with the question: "how do I get my students to think?" throughout the video. He answered the question creatively by allowing his students to work in groups to collaborate and answer a question. Once they have an answer he will ask the students a question again and see what their answers are after they have worked in a group. This allows students to work together to come up with a conclusion to a question and use their ideas and reasons behind the answer.

In the video about Paul Anderson  I learned about the many teaching styles and techniques he uses in the classroom. The video included the idea of QIVERS. I found QIVERS to be an excellent and interesting idea to use in the classroom. QIVERS stands for question, investigate, elaboration, review, and summary quiz. Mr. Anderson allows his students to explore each of these concepts throughout their time in his classroom. According to Mr. Anderson this idea has been very successful in the classroom for most students. Mr. Anderson has very unique and interesting teaching strategies that I will definitely refer back to.

In the video Back to the Future we learn about Brian Crosby and his ways of teaching. Brian explains how he encourages his forth graders to want to learn using many technology resources. Brain also explains how he uses class blogging, fliker, and wiki in his classroom to get his students involved. Mr. Crosby is also challenged in a way that can be really hard on a teacher. Unfortunately a young student was diagnosed with cancer in his classroom and according to higher people would not be able to be included in class anymore. In Brian's mind this was not okay or an excuse for that student to be excluded from an education so he used video chat everyday to include that student into their classroom. This was truly inspiring to me because Brian could have left the child alone but he included the student in every way he could and allowed them to continue their education.

Teachers must be able to face the many challenges that will come our way throughout our teaching careers. Being resourceful whenever those time come about is crucial and it is our job to manage the situation the best we can and learning from these videos has been extremely beneficial.

Blog Post 10

What Can We Learn from Mrs. Cassidy?

In the videos Interview 1 , Interview 2, Interview 3 with Kathy Cassidy, questions and concerns about integrating technology into the classrooms was answered and resolved. In the videos Mrs. Cassidy provided many useful techniques about using technology in the classroom. Also in the videos Mrs. Cassidy stated many obstacles that teachers may face when technology is integrated into the classroom. One major obstacle that stood out to me was how hard it is to get parental consent when allowing students to post on blogs. Many parents have concerns when it comes to their kids names, pictures etc... being broadcast throughout the internet, especially when teachers require students to comment and post things on blogs weekly. Mrs. Cassidy eases their minds by reassuring that she does  not allow students to post their names or any related pictures. Although there are always going to be obstacles that teachers will face when it comes to integrating technology in the classroom, Mrs. Cassidy aslo pointed out that their will be many advantages too. One advantage that stood out to me is when students create a blog their personal learning networks are continuously growing and maturing. Also another thing that was said in Mrs. Cassidy's video that stood out to me was the guidelines she has for her students blogs. She enforces collaboration, safety and also the importance of being a digital person. Meaning basically to be a nice and understanding person when commenting on other students posts. I thought that was a really great concept to have because it can eventually decrease the amount of bullying going on online. Overall I really enjoyed learning from Mrs. Cassidy and I found her approach to technology based classrooms to be very interesting!  

C4K- March Summary

Hector's Blog Post Yaya Toure:

I am influenced by Yaya Toure. He is an Ivorian soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Manchester City. One of the best midfielders out there in EPL (English Premier League). The way he plays is outstanding! I am influenced by his great skills and respect towards other players. Every time he is on the pitch he makes a good difference for his team every time. Yaya Toure is known for being in wealthy and popular clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester City. This Legend has scored many spectacular goals but mostly of his tactics and positioning are what makes him who he is. In respect to black history month id like to thank Yaya Toure for his amazing skills on and off the pitch that make fans all around the world look up to him. Happy Black History Month!

My comment: 

Hi Hector, my name is Allie Brooks and I am a student at the University of South Alabama! Like you, I am required to create a blog and write posts each week for one of my classes! (EDM 310) This blog post was very interesting and very well written! I love reading posts from other students about who inspires them! Yaya Toure seems like a very inspiring man on and off the field and is a great role model! Great Post!

Michael's Blog Post Standardized Test: PLAN:

In this blog Michael describes the standardized test PLAN! He explains some great pointers to get future students through the test! He also gave some great advice in how to prepare ant future students for the test! 

My Comment: 

Hi Michael, my name is Allie Brooks and I am a student at the University of South Alabama! This was a very informative post about the PLAN test! I have never heard of this test because I graduated from a very small high school so we were not required to take any tests before we could graduate! This posts can really help any students in the future who may have to take the PLAN test! Awesome Post!

Pedro's Blog Post Should Guns Be Banned?

In recent discussions of should guns be banned in America, a controversial issue has been whether guns should be banned or guns should remain in America. On the one hand, some argue that guns are bad and useless. From this perspective, some say that guns kill people. On the other hand, however, others argue that guns don’t kill people and are used for other things then just self-defense. In the words of one of this views main supporter, “police abandoned entire neighborhoods. Live TV broadcasts showed hoodlums burning homes and businesses, and dragging innocent motorists from their cars — beating and killing them. The police did nothing to protect them. The only thing that prevented entire communities from being burned to the ground were community residents barricading their streets and using their guns to protect their homes and families.” (Kopel 1). According to this view, guns are useful to people to protect them self’s. In sum, then, the issue is whether guns should be banned in America or stay in America for self-defense or other things. My own view is that guns should not be banned. Though I concede that some people see guns as a bad thing, I still maintain that guns are not bad the person who did the crime with the gun is. For example guns can protect you and your love ones. Although some might object that guns should be used for self-defense, I reply that some people with guns do take a bad move with the guns. The issue is important because a lot of people use guns to have fun, self-defense, and hunting also some might lose their jobs at a gun store or anything dealing with guns.

My Comment: 

Hi Pedro! I commented last week on your blog post about the PLAN test and how one could be prepared for it and it was a great post! This was also a great post! This topic seems to becoming a lot more controversial and there are many different opinions about banning guns in America and I have to say that I agree with you. I do not believe America should have to give up their right to the second amendment, which is the right to bear arms. As long as the people of America stay safe and use caution when using and carrying a gun I think they can be very useful! Interesting post!

Lauren M's Blog Post Chicken Minis

Chicken Minis are my favorite food. It is like tasting Heaven in a single bite. I consider them a separate food group. Though, I don’t like how Chick-fil-a does not serve them all day long. I got a platter yesterday that had forty minis on one tray! It was a good day… I want to learn how to make them myself. Whoever invented them were good people.

My Comment:

 Hi Lauren, My name is Allie Brooks and I am a student at the University of South Alabama! Like you, I am required to create a blog and write posts on it each week! I have never been much of a chicken eater but because you talk so highly of these Chicken Minis I am going to have to try these! The way you describe them, I just have to! ha! Great Post!

Video Book Conversation- Project #9

Blog Post 9

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

The blog post we were required to write this week a very interesting assignment to write. This post gave more insight into Project Based Learning and how it helps students learn and create new things. This weeks assignment has shed some light on some very interesting ideas and also what I would like in my future classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this blog post because I am constantly learning new things that will only help me get better with technology and become a the best teacher I can be.

In the article Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning the seven essentials are: a need to know, a driving question, student voice and choice, 21st century skills, inquiry and innovation, feedback and revision, and publicly presented product. A teacher can activate a student's need to know content by having a project with an entry event. The beautiful thing about an entry event it that it can be almost anything. Some examples are a video, a discussion, a guest speaker, or a field trip. An important part of project based learning is to make sure you have a driving question.  The driving question is one of the most important parts of PBL.

In the video Project Based Learning for Teachers  it explains the ideas of Project Based Learning and all of the many aspects it provides for teachers and students. In my opinion the most important aspect that PBL provides are the advantages of learning for students. Students are finding new remarkable ways to learn using Project Based Learning everyday! This video also explains the useful skills that students can gain by using PBL such as: collaboration skills, communication skills, critical thinking skills, and also career and life skills. One point that really stood out to me what that PBL is a technology that reminds us to think critically as it being a tool for questioning, investigating, sharing, and reflecting. The major role for educators is to give the students the motivation and opportunity to learn, and PBL offers that.

In the video Two Students Solve the Problem of Watery Ketchup by Designing A New Cap two students designed a better solution for ketchup caps. They brainstormed ideas for a better cap. They designed the caps on the computer, they found the cap project to be fun. They said you can't design ketchup caps in a normal class.

What Motivates Students? multiple students answered what motivates them. One student said she wanted to feed her family and have a good house, this is what motivates her. Another student said he wanted to be a business man and in order to do this he has to get good grades. One little boy said he would be grounded if he didn't do good in school.  Some students said they love it when teachers give them candy when they succeed. Another little boy said he would like notebooks from his teacher. One teacher does music Monday, she allows the students to dance around the classroom.

The video Wing Project: Crafting a Driving Question taught me how to better draft a driving question. How can we create a better wing structure ? The teachers in this video explained that you would have to take in the dimensions. The engineers explained that wing designing has to deal with loads carried. One of the teachers said, " A good driving question sets up a process of inquiry, students are interested in, and guides them toward how they are going to do the work they will have to produce."

Blog Post 8

What can we learn about Teaching and Learning from Randy Paunch?

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture was a truly unforgettable video! This man is so inspirational in so many ways! It takes a really strong person to be so positive when given the devastating news that Randy was given. If I was given the news that I only has months to live I would the most negative person on this earth, but Randy strives to be more and that is truly inspiring. Randy's attitude towards life is something I personally want to strive for. There were so many great points made in this video but the one that stood out to me was about following your dreams. That has always been and continues to be a personal goal for me because I believe that if your not following your dreams that what are you striving towards in life?

Another great point made in this video is that as a teacher is is important to find greatness within your students. each and everyone of your students has their own strengths and weaknesses and its a teachers to learn these and showcase them in a positive way. Figuring out students strengths and weaknesses can eventually help teachers figure out who they are as learners. Good ways to do this are to use project based learning and incorporating technology into lesson plans. Making learning fun for students will put them on the path to becoming very successful and that all starts with the teachers' positivity and need to know one's own class personally and educationally.

I will always keep Randy's words and story in my mind because he not only gives great advice and insight about being a teacher but because he is truly an amazing and inspiring man!  

C4T #2- Post 2

In the Blend My Learning blog this week, the book Go Blended: A Handbook for Blending Technology in Schools by Liz Arney was advertised and introduced. The author Liz Arney, is the Director of Innovative Learning at Aspire Public Schools has just launched the book and it has gotten great buzz so far! The book is about blending technology into schools and some of the best ways to go about it especially for teachers. 

Comment: 

Hi! My name is Allie Brooks and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am currently enrolled in the EDM 310 class which involves me creating a blog and writing posts continually throughout the year. This week I was given the privilege of monitoring your blog and commenting on a recent post. I come from a more traditional teaching background so all the new technology being added into the schools is quite scary for me. I am gradually getting used to the idea of blended classrooms when it comes time for me to be a teacher! I am so glad that you posted this blog post because I will definitely have to read this book especially if it gives insight to blended classrooms. I think blended classrooms is a very interesting idea and I can’t wait to use this book to find out more information regarding it! Thank you! 

In blog post How to Avoid Post- REVIVAL Stress Disorder (PRSD) I learned about Post-Revival Stress Disorder and how to avoid it! This post was very interesting and told a lot of insight into Post-Revival Stress Disorder! Definitely a great read! 

Comment: 

Hi, my name is Allie Brooks and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am currently enrolled in the EDM 310 class and we are assigned a blog that we have to read and post on weekly and fortunately I was assigned this one! I commented last week on the blog post about Liz Arney’s new book Go Blended and was really impressed with the book! This week’s blog post was very interesting and very well written! Thank you for an amazing post! 

Blog Post 7

How Do We All Become Learners? 

List your strengths and weaknesses What do you have to do in the next year and a half (or the time before you graduate) to get ready to be a teacher using project based approaches to learning in situations where students have have the tools they need to participate effectively in such instruction? 

My Strengths: Great with Microsoft Office, Familiar with PC, patience with children, classroom adaptations
My Weaknesses: becoming more technological savvy, using PBL, adapting to new student learning, using educational applications for tablets and iPads

I have a year and a half to mentally prepare myself for becoming a teacher in a world that is on the track to becoming technologically advanced.  I don't think there is a way to really prepare yourself but to actually get out and start getting the experience you need as a teacher. I have strengths but I also have weaknesses as do all upcoming teachers. I believe that if I try hard to make learning a fun experience for my students and balance the right amount of technology and lecture into my lessons I can become a successful teacher.

We All Become Learners 
This video was very interesting to watch! Every time I watch these videos that inquire some insight into Project Based Learning, I gain not only a new likeness, but also a new sense of respect for it as well. I found it very interesting when Michele made the point about the student in Kindergarten teaching her how to use an app! It is amazing what children are learning and actually teaching adults these days and technology is making that happen. Technology is allowing students minds to grow in so many ways. Integrating technology in the classroom not only allows children to become more educated in using the actual technology but to use the technology to become more educated in what they are required to learn in school. We are already seeing children who are teaching the teachers how to do things they aren't familiar with, so I cannot wait to see what the students can conquer and achieve in the upcoming future.

iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten Classroom
Watching this video was so encouraging! I love to see children especially at the Kindergarten age, so eager to research and learn new things. I have heard about the Alabama Virtual Library through school and was pleased to know that Alabama offers such interesting resources for students to use! I find it very interesting that students are wanting to do research and learn new things all on their own! Once they learn things and grasp that knowledge they should have the resources to learn more and more and research what they want to know, and the Alabama Virtual Library encourages and allows that to happen! I think it is amazing to see research start at such a young age and would welcome any student that would like to show me how to correctly use any technology in the classroom! ha!

iPads in the Classroom
I have always been skeptical of having technology in my classroom when I become a teacher because I was not necessarily raised on technology but this video was really important to watch for me because it helped to ease my mind about technology in the classroom. After watching this video, the more I learn about iPads in the classroom and how they can help to broaden a students learning, the more I am in favor of them. It is very important that I learn as much as possible about technology in the classroom because in just a few short years students will begin to know more about technology than teachers will so its very important that we as teachers learn to adapt with our students. iPads and other uses of technology allow both teachers and students to go beyond what a textbook and lecture can teach and if these technologies help students learn more efficiently and can broaden their learning, I'm all for it!

10 Reasons to Use Technology in the Classroom.
This was another great video for skeptics to watch. This video could really end up eventually changing the minds of skeptics about technology in the classroom. I found the system AmpliVox to be very interesting because I've never heard of it and it seems like a very helpful tool to have in the classroom. When I was observing in the classroom last semester, some of the teachers were complaining about losing their voices on and off throughout the semester because of having to speak loudly. AmpliVox could really come in handy for them because it could help broadcast their voice without having the straining effect on the voice. I would definitely be interested in having this tool in my classroom! The main point though of this video is that technology is not only an awesome source for student learning but it can also eventually save money. Technology can cut paper, notebooks, binders, and calculators expenses by a lot and I think once people start realizing this, they will too be on board with technology in the classroom.

Project 7- Four Movies Part B

For My Students

For The Parents 

C4K Summary (February)

Blog Post 1.

 In Kayleigh W's recent blog post from Mr. Boylen's 7th grade lit class, she summarizes the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. I was impressed with summary she wrote for the book. The summary wentinto great detail and and it only took her one paragraph to write about the characters and book. Although it was a great summary, there were some spelling mistakes. Overall look and creativity of the blog post was great! 

I commented on Kayleigh's blog post and informed her who I was and where I'm from and that I am also writing a blog for one of my classes at school, so that was cool! I wrote in my comment how impressed I was with her ability to write a book summary in just one paragraph. I also informed her that I actually read this book when I was in the 9th grade and the fact that she is reading it at the 7th grade is amazing.  There were a few spelling mistakes that I located in the blog but I told her it is okay that I'm in college and I still spell things wrong. I also mentioned that she made a very good point at the end of her post when she said that the book shows that "there is adventure out there". I told her that this is a very true statement and that I hope she keeps reading and experiencing the adventures of the world. 

Blog Post 2. 

In Mikayla R's recent blog post from Mr. Boylen's 8th grade class, she explains her love for reading. In Mikayal's blog she tells us that she reads everywhere all the time! She explains that reading for her is an escape from the real world. Mikayla likes reading science fiction and also a little fantasy. In her blog, Mikayla also mentioned that she started really enjoying reading when she was in the 6th grade and ever since then has read 50 books! She also states that she wishes other people will find reading as enjoyable as she does one day!  

In my comment to Mikayla's post I informed her who I was and where I was from. I also informed Mikayla that I too share her love for reading. Mikayla's blog post was interesting to read because it was very detailed and informative and shed some light to who she is as a reader. I mentioned in my comment that I agreed with her statement about reading being an escape from the real world because it is for me as well. I stated in my comment that I was really fascinated that Mikayla loves reading so much at a young age! I also wrote that I was very proud of her for reading 50 books since she started reading in the 6th grade! I wished her luck with reading and expressed how much I hope she continues to love reading as she grows older. 

Blog Post 3. 

This week I had the privilege of reading Ava's blog post The President Has Been Shot . Ava's wrote about John F. Kennedy's assassination and how it affected his family. In her writing she included step by step descriptive details of how the shooting of JFK happened and also included other incidents that happened after the shooting. Ava also mentioned that she thought the shooting was very sad and scary. In my comment to Ava I mentioned exactly who I was and where I was from. I wrote that her writing was very informative and descriptive and that I agreed with her comment about the shooting being very sad and scary. I was overall very impressed with Ava's post and writing style! This was a great post!

Blog Post 4. 

This week I commented on Kayleigh W's blog post about the book American Sniper. In her post she explained exactly what the book was about! She also explained that she really enjoyed the book because it gave insight to what it takes to be a sniper. I really enjoyed reading Kayleigh's post because it was interesting and very well written. In my comment to Kayleigh I mentioned how I had been following her blog posts and how this one was my favorite! I told her that I enjoyed the movie American Sniper so I would definitely have to check out the book after reading her post! I mentioned to Kayleigh that her post was very well written and I really enjoyed it! 

Blog Post 6

What did you learn from these conversations with Anthony Capps?

Project Based Learning Part 1

This video was a great introduction into exactly what Project Based Learning is and what it does. I am new to the idea of project based learning but after watching this video I am so intrigued. It is a very interesting idea that gets children involved with the standards that they are required to learn every school year by using the projects that teachers create. I also found it interesting what Mr. Capps said about about how he is always learning from his students. I agree with this because most teachers approach the idea of teaching thinking they know everything about anything and that it not correct. Teachers are constantly learning new things from students everyday. I can only hope that when I become a teacher that I can learn all there is to know from my students.

Project Based Learning Part 2

The conversation between Mr. Capps and Dr. Strange in this video was very interesting. Mr. Capps and Dr. Strange makes a great point when they said never limit a students learning. I agree with this statement because when a teacher begins to limit a student's learning, it begins to limit there their imagination and creativity. I find it even more interesting that Mr. Capps 3rd graders are so involved with projects. There are always going to be positive and negative reactions when it comes to doing new things especially when it comes to learning but I can tell that with Project Based Learning there are many more positive reactions rather than negative. I also agree with the statement made by Mr. Capps that when students are engaged they are learning. In my opinion it is our jobs as educators to make learning fun and interesting for the students. Being able to engage my students and allow their creativity and imagination to shine through their learning is a personal goal of mine once I become an educator. Project Based Learning provides students with the confidence that everything they are learning in the classroom is meaningful and I respect that.

iCurio

I have never heard of iCurio so watching this video was not only interesting but educational as well. As more and more technology is being brought into the classroom, teachers jobs are becoming more and more challenging. It is harder to learn new technology because frankly we did not grow up learning it, so it is harder for us future educators to adapt to virtual learning but iCurio helps out. It's features are really amazing and it was very interesting to me because it is a tool that allows limits to what students are viewing and doing on the internet.

Discovery Education

I have also never heard of this site either so watching this video was interesting and educational as well. I was always never interested in social studies and sciences but I feel that if I was to have had access to this site I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I think that Discovery Education can make both students and teachers more excited to learn and teach social studies and science. I am a firm believer in visual learning. I am a college student and still use visuals to learn. Students all learn in different ways, but visual learning can always be a start and Discovery Education allows students to access that way of learning.

Strange Tips for Teaching Part 1

I always view and accept tips that come from other educators because I believe they can help me to become a great teacher. This video gives great tips and advice that will definitely come in handy once I become a educator. I believe that teachers have to be ready to constantly learn new things. As students are learning so are teachers and because of this I believe that it can in the long run motivate kids to want to learn. If they see their teachers are making a point to learn new things then in return it can motivate them to learn new things and be excited about it. A great tip that Mr. Capps said and that I agree with 100% is that teachers have to make teaching a fun experience for them as well as their students or he or she will be miserable and no child learns from a miserable teacher.

Use Tech Don't Teach It

I think that this video was a very important video to watch. It really helped me see how teaching with technology can make a difference. I learned that the most important thing about teaching with technology is that children need to see how the technology actually works and for them to see that a teacher has to actually use the technology to teach not just talk or lecture about it. Students should see how helpful technology is in school and it is up to the teachers to show them that. It is also as equally important that parents see how technology is helpful in the classroom. Teachers are finding new ways to show parents that technology helps students with homework, projects, and other interesting things in the classroom. This video gives great insight as to how technology can be taught and used in the classroom but one thing really stood out to me that Mr. Capps and Dr. Strange talked about and that is that students should be allowed to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes and it is important that teachers explain that to their students. The important thing about making mistakes is that you learn from them. Teachers must teach students that making mistakes is okay as long as you take your mistake and learn from it. Once students learn that, they will remember that for the rest of their lives, and I thought that was a very valid point.

Additional Thoughts About Lessons

In this video Mr. Capps referred to lessons as layers, and I think that is a great point. It is an important idea to grasp as teachers as well, because the ultimate goal when teaching students is that they learn each day in school and continue to build on that learning throughout life which is gradually becoming their "learning layers". Any teacher wants their students to learn but it is more important for the children to want to learn and when they do that, they can continue to build their layers with each school year!

C4K #3

This week I had the privilege of reading Ava's blog post The President Has Been Shot . Ava's wrote about John F. Kennedy's assassination and how it affected his family. In her writing she included step by step descriptive details of how the shooting of JFK happened and also included other incidents that happened after the shooting. Ava also mentioned that she thought the shooting was very sad and scary. In my comment to Ava I mentioned exactly who I was and where I was from. I wrote that her writing was very informative and descriptive and that I agreed with her comment about the shooting being very sad and scary. I was overall very impressed with Ava's post and writing style! This was a great post!

Project 15: Search Engines

It was very interesting to see all the different and useful search engines besides Google. I am a Google user all day everyday but it also intrigued me to start using other search engines because they also offer different and successful ways to search the Internet. Some of these search engines include:

1. WolframAlpha.com is a different search engine from all the rest. According to reliable soft net they market this search engine as a computational knowledge engine. This search engine gives you pages and pages of facts and numerical data for many topics. It does calculations as well! It is relatively easy to use once you pull up the page, just type in what your looking for or wanting to calculate and it brings up many useful pages regarding the topic. I think this site can be a really useful tool once a person learns more about it. 
2. Bing.com is another form of Google that Microsoft has created. Bing is a very useful and easy to use tool. The home page is set up along the lines of Google but also different in its own ways. When the page pops up for Bing, all you have to do is type what you are looking for and it will show you numerous useful pages on the topic. I personally love using Bing, especially on  my mobile device because it has a voice operation that allows a person to voice search what they are looking for. 
3. Yahoo.com is a program inspired by the search engine Bing. It is mostly popular because of its email provider but in 2011 Bing launched the new Yahoo Search. This search engine is also inspired by Google and Bing but it makes it easier on people who have email accounts with them because they can launch a search right from their email. Even if you are not a Yahoo user, a person should definitely check this engine out! 
4. Ask.com was formerly known as Ask Jeeves, but changed to Ask.com for easier use. Ask is a question and answer based search engine. Most of the things people are searching for are answered by other people or polls done on the subject. The engine also has a general search option but from experience the results that it produces have not been very useful. This site is very user friendly. 
5. ChaCha.com is a search engine similar to Ask.com. Where users can ask or answer questions once a search on that topic has been preformed. The answers produced from searches on this site are very precise and to the point. They have a really cool feature that allows you to take quizzes that helps you decide on a number of topics to choose from, 
6. Blekko.com is a search engine developed by the people who are against using Google. They have a promise that their search engine is spam free. This engine is better suited for webmasters and people who need data more than people of normal use. I found this search engine to be easy to use but hard to navigate around once a search was performed.
7. AOL.com is an older search engine but works just as good as Google or Bing in my opinion. It was very easy to use and provided a lot of useful answers to things that coordinated to what I was searching for. 
8. DuckDuckGo.com I found this search to be my favorite. Not only does it have a very cool name it also has a lot of advantages over the other engines. It's interface is very clean and doesn't track its users. It has very nice features including only one page of the best results that they site could find on the subject being searched. It is very user friendly and unique. 

Blog Post 5

PLNs What Are They?

According to Edublogs Teacher Challenges PLN stands for "personal learning network" and it is a set of people and tools that can help a person call upon help, consultation, collaboration, and other assistance, when needed as an educator. There are three parts to PLN: personal, learning, and networks. The personal is about connecting and building personal relationships with other teachers, school administrators, college professors, and other experts around the world. The learning is about sharing new creative ideas and resources using new tools with people around the world. That is where Networking comes into play, it is the defining feature of PLN because it is the global network of learning. It allows people to tap into and share diverse teaching strategies and educational technologies. There are many reasons one can come up with as to why a person would want to create a PLN and explain how it helps you as a teacher... One important reason is that it is a unique and empowering transformation process which transforms your professional learning and teaching approach. A connected educator is also a connected learner, and if a teachers can use this process to better themselves in the classroom, then I'm all for it!

A great way to start your own PLN is:

1. Join Twitter
2. Participate in Twitter Chats
3. Start your own Blog
4. Subscribe to other useful and informative blogs
5. Use bookmarking tools
6. Join a community
7. Attend Web seminars 

The first additions to my PLN are going to be Twitter and YouTube! I'm excited and cannot wait to start my own journey towards my personal learning network! 

C4K #2

In Mikayla R's recent blog post from Mr. Boylen's 8th grade class, she explains her love for reading. In Mikayal's blog she tells us that she reads everywhere all the time! She explains that reading for her is an escape from the real world. Mikayla likes reading science fiction and also a little fantasy. In her blog, Mikayla also mentioned that she started really enjoying reading when she was in the 6th grade and ever since then has read 50 books! She also states that she wishes other people will find reading as enjoyable as she does one day!  

In my comment to Mikayla's post I informed her who I was and where I was from. I also informed Mikayla that I too share her love for reading. Mikayla's blog post was interesting to read because it was very detailed and informative and shed some light to who she is as a reader. I mentioned in my comment that I agreed with her statement about reading being an escape from the real world because it is for me as well. I stated in my comment that I was really fascinated that Mikayla loves reading so much at a young age! I also wrote that I was very proud of her for reading 50 books since she started reading in the 6th grade! I wished her luck with reading and expressed how much I hope she continues to love reading as she grows older. 

Project 7: My Sentences...

My Sentence

My Passion

Blog Post 4

Asking Questions: What questions do we ask? How do we ask them? 

As I was reading the article: The Right Way to Ask Questions I couldn't help but to be shocked at how much the article was spot on. I was reading it while saying to myself I remember doing and saying all of those things in the classroom. I always thought it was me just being shy and not wanting to be embarrassed if I answered the wrong thing but looking back I would say that the teachers really had no intentions of getting me to answer questions, so I did nothing to prepare myself for getting called on or really cared about answering the questions. I agree with this article and it portrays the honest truth when it comes to educators moving on without fully knowing if their students understand the content they are teaching. I believe that it is extremely important to that teachers make an extra effort to ensure their students fully understand the material he or she is teaching. I agree that there is a simple and very effective solution that teachers struggling with this can try. Start by simply asking the class a question and pausing for at least 3 seconds and then say a students name. By doing this in a classroom, it allows all of the students to automatically think about an answer and once another students name is called they can start sighing in relief for not being chosen. Of course this does not fix the problem teachers face about "questions" but it is a effective start.

It was very interesting watching the video Open Ended Questions because it is a great way to approach questions in the classroom. My college professor for EDU 330 asks her questions in class using this technique and it really allows the us students to open our minds and think about the answer. A lot of students do not get the opportunity to answer the questions teachers are asking because they are so vague and they only allow the students to answer vaguely. Once a teacher starts this technique in the classroom then it allows more students to answer that one question. I agree with this video and the information she provided and will definitely think about this strategy while I'm teaching.

My Sources Include:

The Right Way to Ask a Question
Open Ended Questions

C4K #1

 

In Kayleigh W's recent blog post from Mr. Boylen's 7th grade lit class, she summarizes the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. I was impressed with summary she wrote for the book. The summary went into great detail and and it only took her one paragraph to write about the characters and book. Although it was a great summary, there were some spelling mistakes. Overall look and creativity of the blog post was great! 

I commented on Kayleigh's blog post and informed her who I was and where I'm from and that I am also writing a blog for one of my classes at school, so that was cool! I wrote in my comment how impressed I was with her ability to write a book summary in just one paragraph. I also informed her that I actually read this book when I was in the 9th grade and the fact that she is reading it at the 7th grade is amazing.  There were a few spelling mistakes that I located in the blog but I told her it is okay that I'm in college and I still spell things wrong. I also mentioned that she made a very good point at the end of her post when she said that the book shows that "there is adventure out there". I told her that this is a very true statement and that I hope she keeps reading and experiencing the adventures of the world. 

C4T 1 & 2 Summary

First Blog Post:

In Eva Buyuksimkesyan's blog page A Journey in TEFL she breaks down her experience and what she found interesting during her visit to the venue: #Bett2015. This venue is located in London and gives people the opportunity to up-to date their knowledge in education, attend seminars, workshops and talks, listen to people with practiced experience with things and get inspiration from students and teachers who were there to present their projects, experiments and ideas. She goes on to explain that her favorite part about #Bett2015 was visiting the stand Creaza; which is a tool to help teachers and students create projects. She continues on about how Mindomo; which is a tool of the program Mindomo. Buyuksimkesyan writes about the new different things that the program Mindomo provides and how its interesting and easy to use.

First Blog Post Comment:

In my first comment on the blog post, I wrote that I am a student from the University of South Alabama and how it was a privilege to be able to read and comment on her blog. I shared that I writing a blog for my EDM 310 class and left the link for in it in the comment as well. I wrote that I come from a traditional background in teaching and that all of this new technology can be overwhelming. I explained that at one time, one could call me technologically illiterate and how that has drastically changed after I started college. Also in my comment I included that access to this blog has given me great insight to new and interesting programs such as Creaza and Mindomo. I also noted that I will keep this blog in mind as I start my teaching career!

Second Blog Post:

The second post I commented on in Eva Buyuksimkesyuan's blog is a Lesson Plan for Valentines Day. The lesson plan is very interesting and creative. It allows the students to coordinate their learning of words and phrases and what they mean, with Valentines Day.

Second Blog Post Comment:

In my second comment on the blog post, I informed Mrs. Buyuksimkesyan who I was and where I came from again and I have been given the chance to follow and comment on her blog. I wrote that I loved the lesson plan idea and how cute and creative it was. I especially commented on how she coordinates Valentines Day with the children's need for learning words and phrases and there meaning. I noted that I would definitely keep this lesson plan in my mind for future reference in my teaching career.

Blog Post 3

Peer Editing

Peer editing is working with someone who is in your own age group, usually in a class setting, to help improve, revise, and edit your work. The best way to approach peer editing is to have a positive and helpful attitude. While peer editing, it is very important to remember that you are helping to change someone else's work, so being nice and suggesting useful changes is the best way to go. Giving compliments, making suggestions, and also making corrections are three easy steps to remember while peer editing. The post important thing to remember while peer editing is to always stay positive and to think about the other persons feelings and how you would want another person to edit your writing.  

When I peer edit my own classmates blog posts in EDM 310 I will remember the three steps: give compliments, make suggestions, and also make corrections. Giving compliments is the first step I will use while peer editing my classmates blog because who doesn't love a compliment? A compliment consists of telling the person whose blog I am editing what he or she did well in their writing. Making suggestions while peer editing is very important, suggesting consists of giving the person I am editing specific and detailed ideas about how to make their work better. Correcting is the last step I will use when peer editing my classmates. Corrections consist of checking my peers blog for any spelling or grammar mistakes, missing punctuation, and sentence structure. I think that the importance of peer editing is to allow people to correct and improve each others work so that they can be the best they can be. It is important for children and for adults too, to learn constructive criticism so that they can take it and improve themselves and make themselves better not only in writing but with other things as well.