Blog Assignment #10

What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy?

Mrs. Cassidy video Little Kids...Big Potential is another video that constantly reminds me of how important it is to incorporate technology into my classroom. I learned several different factors about teaching and learning from Ms. Cassidy's videos. One fact is that incorporating technology into the classroom get students overly excited about learning and participating in class activities. Also students love to write in their blogs because other people outside their classroom such as family members, students from different classes or schools, and the community can view their blog post and leave comments. The comments really get the students excited because it re-ensures them that they have a real audience and that real people are actually viewing their work and commenting on it, which is a great way for students to practice collaboration and communication skills. The kids in the video were so awesome and very smart. They taught us how they log into their blogs and different resources they use to help them learn.

Technology help students see and sound out words better. Writing in blogs help students become better writers over time. One of the students in the video mentioned that her writing gets better every time she writes in her blog. In Ms. Cassidy approach to the use of technology in the classroom, she made a very important statement. Ms. Cassidy mentioned that there are so many opportunities online for collaborating, working together, and learning from each other, and teachers that are not taking advantage of the use of technology is actually handicapping their students by not allowing them to explore those options. I truly agree with that statement because as she mentioned, the world is changing and therefore it is time to make some adjustments and change the way we are teaching and learning as well.

There are two techniques Ms. Cassidy used that I will most definitely use in my classroom. The first technique is allowing students to work in groups. Studies have shown that group projects can help students develop a host of skills that are increasingly important in the professional world. Group projects can also help students develop skills specific to collaborative efforts, allowing students to tackle more complex problems than they could on their own and delegate roles and responsibilities. Group projects also teach students communication skills and how to be respectful, how to sure, and how to take turns. The second technique is using Skype to talk to other students in other classes or schools. Skype is also another tool that can help enhance student's communication and public speaking skills while at the same time having fun doing so.

Project #12 (Part A) Using the Smartboard Tools

C4K Summary for month October

C4K Summaries

My first C4K was a sixth grade student by the name of Kaili. Kaili blog was titled Marley, which was a book she had read. In her blog post she simply asks a question about the book and revealed the answer below the question. In my comment to her blog post, I explained to Kaili who I was and my reason for commenting to her blog. I also told her that I have not read the book that she is discussing but I will be sure to search for the book and read it because it sounds very interesting.

My second C4K was a seventh grade student by the name of Carrie Landshark. Carrie blog was titled "Edible Goldfish Bowl." Carrie blog post was about a book her class was reading called, "The fourteenth goldfish." Alone with the book, her class had a project where they each created their own edible goldfish bowls. For the ingredients, they used cookie dough, frosting, chocolate chips, and colored rock candy to create the fish bowls. In my comment to Carrie's blog post, I told her that she did an excellent job on her blog post and in explaining the ingredients for the project. I also mentioned that she named some of my favorite toppings such as cookie dough, frosting, and chocolate chips.

For my third C4K, I could not find the name of the student that was giving to me, so I commented on a student name Ruby blog post. Ruby was a 3rd grade student and her blog post was titled Basketball. In ruby blog post, she explained that basketball was here favorite sport and that she actually plays on a basketball team. She also said that she loves to practice basketball and that she even practice with her father sometimes. Basketball was also my favorite sport in school. I started playing at the age of five and have been enjoying it every since then. In my comment to Ruby's blog post, I told her that basketball was also my favorite sport back in school and still is.

My fourth C4K was a student by the name of Toma. Toma was a year six student at PT England School in Auckland, NZ. Toma blog post was titled Reading Maps. In his blog post he posted a picture of a map that his Literacy class was learning to read. In my comment to his blog post, I told him that maps were fairly easy to learn once he learn the difference between North, South, East, and West.

Blog Assignment #9

What can teachers and students teach us about Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning is a method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, problem, or challenge. In PBL, students are active, not passive; a project engages their hearts and mind, and provides real-world relevance for learning. After completing a project, students remember what they learn and can retain it longer than is often the case with traditional instructions. From a teacher stand-point, a project should be meaningful and fulfill two criteria. First, students must perceive the work as personally meaningful, as a task that matters and that they want to do well on. Second, a meaningful project fulfills an educational purpose. Well-designed and well-implemented project-based learning is meaningful in both ways. Also every good projects should incorporate the Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning; a need to know, a driving question, student's voice and choice, 21st century skills, inquiry and innovation, feedback revision, and a publicly presented product. Because of this, students who gain content knowledge with PBL are better able to apply what they know and can do to new situations.

By using Project Based Learning techniques, teachers can teach us how to work together over an extended period of time answering a driving question. Using PBL can teach a person to use collaboration skills, communication skills, critical thinking skills, and career and life skills. Also PBL allows a person to take advantage of what technology has to offer, such as using Google slides, Google docs, Popplet, QR codes, movie maker, Skype, and several other cool tools that technology has to offer (Project Based Learning for Teachers). Also, when creating a project, it is helpful to know what motivates and excite students to learn. Students can teach us about PBL by explaining their motives, like what catches their attention or what topic is more interesting to them, or what help them stay focus over an extended period of time. In the video What Motivates Students, one of the students mentioned that receiving positive feedback from his teacher helps keep him motivated and make him feel like he accomplished something. Being that I am still a student, I must say that I totally agree with his statement because I still find myself getting excited when I receive good positive feedback from my professors. Positive feedback re-ensures me that I am doing the right thing and makes me want to continue doing my best. By seeking this information, teachers would be better prepare when trying to create a project that he or she find meaningful and exciting for the entire class.

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

Part A

Where would the world be without Smartphone’s? Let me start off by saying that I would absolutely have a nervous breakdown the second I discover my Smartphone is not in my presence. I myself would fall under each category that is listed in the data on Zogby Analytics. However, I believe that having a camera is important, but I am not obsessed with taking photos every minute of my life like some people I know unless I am celebrating at a special event or something in that nature. I will admit that I am a victim of never letting my Smartphone leave my side. It has become so bad to the point that I do not like to let people use my phone for any reason. Also each morning I wake up, the first thing I do is roll over and check my phone for miss calls, text messages, Facebook notifications, or Etc.

As listed in the above data, 24.1% of the entire world population has a Smartphone. That means that billions of people are staying connected with the latest technology all around the world. In today's society, kids as young as five years of age have a Smartphone. Smartphone’s have became so popular that I can see how they can be a big distraction for adults and especially for school age kids. I like to think of Smartphone’s as a gift and a curse because they are extremely helpful for one's needs, but they can also get you into a lot of trouble. iPhones are extremely popular as well, but I am more of an android guy. With an android phone, you have access to much more free apps versus an iPhone. Having a Smartphone is just like having a mini computer because you can search the web to seek any information that is beneficial for your health. Also you can download Skype, blogger, have access to twitter, or YouTube, which is very helpful because most schools are beginning to incorporate these tools into their school systems and classrooms to help enhance students ability to cope with the 21st Century Teaching Skills. Without Smartphone’s, the world would be moving at a much slower paste. I see why people Smartphone never leave their side, because without it, we would be lost in the world.

Part B

I have yet to see anything in education that generates excitement and motivates students the way tablets or Smartphone’s do. Being that I am a Physical Education teacher, I still find tablets and Smartphone’s to be very helpful and bring much excitement into my classroom. There are several activities I can incorporate into my classroom using a Smartphone or tablet. One example is that I can set up one tablet on the smart board and use it to play music that my students can step to during our step and aerobic lesson. I can also show my entire class how to download apps that are beneficial to their health such as MyPyramid App, which is an app design to help people eat balanced meals. Another helpful app would be the Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker app, which helps keep track of the food people put into their body. These apps can be used during school as well as outside of school to help students maintain a healthy fit life style. The last example is one that I think all students would enjoy. On Friday, I would allow my students to have a free day and search any information or play any games that they would like to play that have been filtered and confirmed by the Alabama State Board of Education.

Project #9

Video Book Commentary

Project #4

C4T #2 Summary #1

In my C4T #2 post #1, I was assigned to John Spencer. John Spencer is a teacher, author, speaker, incessant doodler, and perpetual bender of paper clips. In his most recent blog post, John posted a blog about how we cannot predict the effects of technology. I found this post to be very interesting because any topic discussing or explaining the use of technology is a good one. He talked about the dominant narratives he's seen revolving around the apple watch. The first vision was how wearable connectivity will make life better for people such as, using the watch to diagnose diseases, utilizing more accurate exercise regiments, and staying connected with friends and family while being more mobile. The second vision explained the down falls of technology, such as lacking of privacy and full of tech addiction, where nobody is able to pay attention to the world around them. In my comment to John's blog, I explained to him that I agree with both views. Technology has become to be extremely helpful far as making things easier for people, such as communication, transportation, and researching information. I also agreed that lacking of privacy is one of the biggest down falls about the use of technology.

C4T #2 Summary #2

In my C4T #2 post #2, I also was assigned to John Spencer. In this blog post, John was explaining that a person first draft will probably suck, and that is okay. John made a great point when he mentioned that suckin' at something is the first step to actually being good at something. He goes on to say that we are living in an instant publish world. A person may write a paper and expect for the first draft to be perfect, which in most cases that is never the outcome. I think that people are failing to realize that practice makes perfect and that the first draft may not be perfect but in due time, things will start to get better with practice. In my comment to John's post, I told him that I was so glad to hear him say that because I often find myself getting upset when I fail at something on the first try. I also told him that his blogs give me so much life and re-ensure me that there is still hope.

Blog Assignment #8

Randy Pausch Last Lecture

Randy Pausch last lecture was such a great inspiration on what is truly important in life. His story was so inspiring and it has made a positive impact on my life. Randy had a lot of childhood dreams, not only did he dream big, but he did everything possible to make his dreams come true. Randy talked about his childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned: how you can achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others. One of the things I learned about teaching from this video is that you have to be willing to enable the dreams of others, and then you will begin to see the excitement you get from helping other people learn. This video also has showed me that you cannot change the things that happen to you in life, you just have to be able to deal with it and continue to move forward. This video has truly given me a different view on life. After watching the video, I knew exactly what changes I needed to make in my life in order to fulfill all my dreams. It was such an honor and a blessing to be exposed to this inspirational video. My heart truly goes out to Randy wife and kids.Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Project #13

Project based Learning Plan #1

Project Lesson Plan

Project Calender

Project Rubric

Project #7 (Part B)

Student's Video

Partent's Video

Blog Assignment #7

How do we all become learners?

As always, I learn so many new interesting things from watching the videos that Dr. Strange assign to the class. In my own personal opinion, I feel that the way to become a better learner is to be a great listener. If we are close-minded about other people views, our progress is not only limited but completely blocked. In the last video I watched titled We All Become Learners, Mrs. Bennett made an excellent point about how we all become learners. She stated that when using a device of some kind, educators have begun to notice it changes the dynamics of the learning. The teachers teach the students, students teach other students, and students also teach teachers. In other words, everybody becomes a leaner and a teacher all in one.

One new interesting tool I discovered is How to make an audio QR code. Before watching this video, I never knew how simple it was to create a QR code. Teachers use QR codes to read books to their students or record a reading story. When creating a QR code, you can record as many times as possible until you feel you have recorded it correctly. I think this tool is great to use in the classroom to get students involved and interested in reading books. I also learned that younger kids get excited about reading once they hear their actually teacher voice on the audio recorder.

The iPad Reading Center video was so much fun to watch. During the video, the entire time I was thinking, "who came up with these amazing ideas that make students want to get involved and participate in daily activities.” In the video, the teacher used an iPad to allow students to record their self while reading a book. After the students were done reading, they were able to listen to themselves read aloud as they read along to check and make sure that they did not make any mistakes. That is so awesome!! This would also be a great strategy to use to get students excited about reading as well as checking for corrections.

Popplet is an online concept mapping site that allow students and teachers to create maps using images, text, videos, drawings, and basically anything someone could possibly think of. Popplet is a great tool to use in the classroom because it can be very useful for visual learners to follow along with during the lesson. Popplet not only help students learn to read a book, but it also helps them practice typing skills. One of the best things about popplet is that it is an app that is completely free of charge.

Alabama Virtual Library provides all students, teachers, and any citizens in the State of Alabama with online access to essential library and information resources. It is primarily a group of online databases that have magazines, journals, and newspaper articles for research. What I learned from this video is that teachers have begun to incorporate AVL into their kindergarten classrooms to allow students to search a topic and learn important facts about that topic. The kids can search pictures of their topic and AVL also has an audio sound system that can read the information a loud to the students. AVL is a fun and easy project that teaches kids how to research information.