Blog Post #5 Part 2

                                                     My Personal Learning Network

At the beginning of the semester back in January, there wasn't much to my personal learning network(PLN).  EDM310 has helped my PLN grow substantially.  Once I started leaving comments for teachers, it opened my eyes to how much useful information and advice that is out there to be shared by other educators. I have all of my teachers’ links saved that I commented on so I can go back and check whats’s new. I have subscribed to a few educators from recent EDM blog post assignments, such as Paul Anderson. Another tool I added to my PLN is twitter.  I had never been on twitter before this class, but I now have an account and follow educators, mainly educators at USA.  I have not only added my educators to my PLN, but also the friends I have made in EDM310 that have helped me so much along the way.  Edutopia is another useful resource that is a part of my PLN.  I will continue adding resources to my PLN to help me on my path as a successful teacher.  I have already received useful advice from branching out with other educators and future educators.  I hope to show my students the steps to building their own PLN. I hope to use the collaboration portion of it as a method of teaching.  EDM310 has showed me how to start my PLN and I have much more insight on certain topics.  I hope to use this tool to ultimately enhance my learning experiences. 

Project 16

C4K April Summary

C4k#8

My first comment for kids this month was on Mrs. Lombard's Awesome 7th Graders blog. I was assigned Levi’s blog, in which he described what he would do if he started his own business.  His blog was well written and Levi went into detail about how his business would be an awesome restaurant.  My comment for Levi is below.

Hi Levi! 

I really enjoyed reading about what your business would be like. It sounds like a really cool place to go hangout with friends. Your writing skills are excellent. Great post!!

C4K#9

JHFI Class of 2015 - Londyn

 Londyn’s post was called “Bucket List.” In this post she described where she sees herself 5 years from now, 10 years from now, and for life! Londyn wants to have new friends and be in a great relationship. She also wants to have a business and a “happy and good life.” 

My comment for Londyn is below.

Hi Londyn! My name is Erika, and I’m a student at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading your bucket list. Those are great things to want to do in life! I’m sure you will get into a good college and have a business as long as you put in the effort and keep working towards your dreams. I hope you get to cross out all the things listed on your bucket list one day! Thanks for sharing! 

-Erika Owen

Blog Post #13

What Did I Leave Out?

Create an assignment for a Blog Post I should have created in your area of speciality (math,history, elementary ed, special ed, whatever). Write the instructions that I should have put here.Then do it.

I am going to be an elementary teacher, and one way I believe children can learn and having fun is through art.  Fortunately for teachers, technology can be incorporated into art in numerous ways! My assignment for this blog would be to list a couple of ways in which technology can be used for art education. List a resource you found interesting in music, theatre, visual art, dance,and other subjects. The example of my blog post is below.

Technology can be incorporated with art and education in so many fun and creative ways! With the internet at our fingertips, the resources are abundant, Here are a few I really enjoyed and could see myself using in my future classroom.

Music-  I would have students go to JamStudio online. This site allows students to use their creativity and create their own audio tracks.

Visual Arts - I thought Sketchup 7 was a really cool site.  This allows students to tap into their architectural skills and build 3-D designed cities, buildings, and more!

Dance- For dance, I would mainly use Youtube for my technology resource.  You can find any dance on this website and visually show your students.  You can even have them dance along.  

Theatre-  dramaresource.com is an awesome website that offers many drama games that students will love.  This website is a great way to incorporate technology with the arts. My favorite ones I found, were alphabet conversation and catch my name. 

C4T March Summary

I was assigned Dr.Joseph McCaleb’s blog to comment on this month.  He also goes by the name DocHorseTales because he is a doctor who has a passion for riding horses and storytelling.  The first blog I commented on was “The Infinite in One Step.” I believe the main point of this blog, is to take each day one step at a time. He speaks about naysayers and how they “chastises me for not setting goals, counting costs, and allocating resources.” He uses a couple of quotes from Ghalib and William Blakes. McCaleb ends his blog post with saying, “Something as small as just taking one next step can breathe with the infinite.” My comment on, “The Infinite in One Step” is below.

Dr. McCaleb, 

I agree that we should take life as it comes to us.  I also agree that as teachers, we must have courage, discipline, and dedication to be a successful teacher.  

The second comment I had to leave, was on Dr.McCaleb’s post, “On Destiny and Consciousness.” In this post, he is discussing destiny and how it plays into our lives.  He speaks about how it as taken him most of his life to create a hopeful outlook of destiny. He says that good stories speak of destiny.  McCaleb quotes James Hillman throughout this articular post.  

Below is my second comment for Dr. Joseph Mccaleb.

I really enjoyed this post and hearing about yours and James Hillmas's outlook on destiny! 

"To be mindless or to be sleep-walking tells of an absent minder. Whatever we worship names the god of the temple of our dwelling." - I love that!

Thanks for sharing!

-Erika Owen

Blog Post #12

Blog Post #11

What can we learn about teaching and learning from these teachers?

The first video assigned for this particular blog post is “TEDxDenverEd- Brian Crosby- Back to the Future.” The video starts out with Brian Crosby telling us about his fourth graders survey results.  Not even half the students knew their address or own telephone number.  Mr. Crosby  believes that the students’ results are the product of them having a narrow curriculum their entire lives. Not having a narrow curriculum can promote creativity and passion. Narrow curriculums will have a negative impact on students building a world schema.  Mr. Crosby made it obvious that we should engage and encourage our students to learn as much as possible while also making it entertaining.  All of the experiments he did with his class looked so fun!  I learned from Mr. Crosby that teachers and students, must use 21st century skills to empower learning. He makes an excellent point that we cannot race kids through school. He then brings up the importance, once again, for children to build a schema for the world.  Brian Crosby ends his lecture with a quote from David Cowen,a high school teacher in California.  It is so important to not just look at your students test scores, but make sure they are understanding the material and gaining an experience out of it.  

Paul Anderson teaches AP Biology in Bozeman, Montana. In his video, Blended Learning Cycle, we see how he uses modernized techniques in the classroom, such as a blended learning cycle.  Mr Anderson explains that blended learning is taking the compelling parts from mobile, online, and classroom learning and blending them together.  He then tells us about the five e’s in the learning cycle, which are engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate.  Paul Anderson came up with an acronym to help him remember the important points in blended learning. His acronym is “QUIVERS,” which stands for question, investigation/inquiry,video, elaboration, review, and summary quiz.    

In the video Making Thinking Visible, Mark Church discusses the importance of asking students questions before and after a project.  Mr. Church shows that we should have students talk over information in small groups to help understand what they are learning and express ideas.It is also important to have students connect with the ideas, and pick out the challenge or puzzle being presented with the project or activity. It is important for students to carry the information they are learning forward.  

Sam Pane discusses the importance of internet safety in his video,Sam Pane 4th Grade. As teachers, it is highly important that we make sure our students know how to use the internet safely.  Mr. Pane has his students discuss poor and unsafe ways to use the internet, such as giving away personal information. Enagaging students with technology in a way that they are having fun and relating it to their lives can be very successful in a classroom.  Sam Pane encourages students to always be a “digital citizen,” when using technology. 

In this video, Project Based Learning, Dean Shareski teaches us how we can combine different subjects into one Project Based Learning. He states that integrated studies using projects, increases students’ engagement and provides an opportunity for understanding.  using technology and PBL, teachers can incorporate more than one subject into one project.  

In the last video assigned, Roosevelt Elementary's PBL program,teachers and parents share the benefits of Project Based learning.  PBL  can show that students have learned something and understand concepts.  With PBL , children are taught how to begin a project and how to complete it.  Public speaking also plays a role in PBL, and can help students with their speaking skills starting at a young age.  PBL helps give children choices which can encourage  them more to learn.  PBL allows students to learn about things that they can relate to everyday life.  Students’ social skills will also improve by working in groups for projects.  This video did an excellent job on pointing out all of the benefits of PBL.