Sunday, March 29, 2015

Blog Post #10

What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy? 
https://www.google.com/search?q=education+and+technology&biw=1440&bih=735&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=4aoYVeiZEIKogwSx4YDQBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#tbm=isch&q=education+and+technology+quotes&revid=2106609317&imgdii=_&imgrc=-4AaZDb8c5KliM%253A%3BUBa98JVf_Z-EJM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimage.slidesharecdn.com%252Fquotes-090601015546-phpapp02%252F95%252Feducation-technology-quotes-3-638.jpg%253Fcb%253D1377529500%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.slideshare.net%252Ftonyvincent%252Feducation-technology-quotes%3B638%3B479
The first video assigned for blog post #10 was “First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class.” Mrs. Cassidy has her students demonstrating and showing their enthusiasm for technology in the classroom.  The students discuss all of the technological resources they us such as blogs, Skype, Wiki, and Nintendo DS.  They use all of these things to learn and collaborate in the classroom.  This video shows a great perspective from the kid’s point of view on technology in the classroom.  It seems to be a successful and fun tool to use in teaching!
The next three videos provided are conversations between Mrs. Kathy Cassidy and Dr.Strange.  In the video “Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 1”  Mrs. Cassidy discusses the start of her technology journey in her classroom.  She began with having a webpage ten years ago, then started her classroom blog five years ago. It was interesting to hear that some of the principals she worked with were not that into the idea of incorporating technology in the classroom. She explains to us how to keep classroom privacy and students identities safe. When using the web, students should only post their first names and not last, and also to post pictures, but not match the picture with a name.  I like how she has her students blog set up like a portfolio so that parents can view and see what their kids are doing.  I agree with Mrs.Cassidy that we have to change because the world has changed.  Technology creates so many opportunities for learning.  She makes an excellent point that blogs give students an audience, which can make them work harder and feel proud about their work.  Blogs also help students have more developed writing skills.  Mrs. Cassidy encourages educators to keep up and learn technology to better their classroom.  All teachers should be technologically literate because it is “not going away, its here to stay.”
The next video, “Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 2,” is another conversation between Mrs. Cassidy and Dr. Strange.  They are discussing where to start when beginning to use technology.  Mrs. Cassidy tells us to start with what we are interested in.  If we enjoy videos, then start out with something like youtube.  Blogging would be ideal for people who enjoy writing.  Once you find something that you like to use, you can begin to build a network and add to it.  For myself, I enjoy youtube and blogger.  So it definitely just depends on what you are into.  Any way that you can connect with other educators to share ideas can be beneficial for teaching.  

The last video provided is yet another conversation between Mrs. Cassidy and Dr. Strange.The video “Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 3,” starts out with students from USA asking Mrs. Cassidy questions.  She explains how she has her students post or comment on blogs almost everyday, but it depends on the year and how things are running in the classroom.  I agree that blogs are more so used for collaborating than “cheating” in the classroom. She discusses the importance of sharing safe links and showing students games that are fun and educational. Mrs. Cassidy then touches on the balance between work and family life.  As a future educator, I will take all of Mrs. Cassidy's advice and try my best to apply it in my classrooms.  All of her techniques seem to be very beneficial and fun as well!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

C4K Summary for March

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.legendsofamerica.com%2Fwe-oregontrail.html&ei=LnAUVaTyD4uSsQSj2IKgAQ&bvm=bv.89381419,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNE37MCGjQCI380StOz_Mv-8Tw6i3Q&ust=1427489150858428My first assignment for the month of March was Fransisco V’s blog post "Life on the Trails" from Mrs. Weil's fourth grade class in Kansas. Fransisco discussed what life would have been like on the Oreagon Trail. he talked about the obstacles that would come along with sickness and accidents. He also talked about how the weather conditions being an issue.  My comment on Fransisco’s post:

Fransisco, 
I agree that life on the Oregon Trail was very difficult!  I think sickness and the weather would be the biggest obstacles.  Good post!


http://www.clipartlord.com/category/people-clip-art/men-in-uniform-clip-art/nurse-clip-art/My second kid I was assigned was La Cora, from Joliet West High School- Illinois, in Mrs. Maslowski’s class.  La Cora is discussing her job shadowing assignment.  She hasn't started it yet, but she wants to pursue her dream as a nurse and possibly a doctor.  My comment on La Cora’s post:

Hi La'Cora!
I'm a student at the University Of South Alabama.  It is so great and inspirational that you have a dream to help others.  I have many peers that are studying nursing at my college and they seem to really enjoy it.  As long as you are willing to put forth an effort and do the work, you will most definitely succeed! Great post! :)
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.laurenoliverbooks.com%2Frequiem.php&ei=xXAUVazxNZbbsASM-ICQAQ&bvm=bv.89381419,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNHlcKAE62SFful42s3vDhc9O0z2Gg&ust=1427489346221321

  
For my third post, I was assigned Treasure W. from Mrs Lombard’s 7th Grade English Class.
Treasure’s post was titled “Reqiuem,” and in this post she is describing the book Requiem from the book series “Delirium.”  She also mentions why it is her favorite book and describes certain things that she really likes in it.  
My comment on Treasure’s post:

Hi Treasure! My name is Erika Owen and I attend the University of South Alabama.  I have not read any of the Delirium series, but after reading your post I am intrigued to look them up! Requiem sounds like an awesome book.  You use excellent grammar and sentence structure.  Great post!

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Blog Post #9

https://www.google.com/search?q=pbl+hectagon&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=689&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=WqwPVfaCEIbFggT0z4CYAQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#imgdii=_&imgrc=kx2iWZuBpS0O6M%253A%3BMasl3UuKiqnUVM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fk8jtechlearn.wikispaces.com%252Ffile%252Fview%252FPBL-heptagon.png%252F372169426%252F196x182%252FPBL-heptagon.png%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fk8jtechlearn.wikispaces.com%252FWikis%252B%252526%252BPBL%3B196%3B182
The videos and articles assigned for blog post 9 pretty much held the same concept on Project Based Learning. Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning is a very informative article that gives seven essentials to what every successful project needs. It also gives detailed examples which I found very helpful!  I will definitely use all of these essentials as a future teacher.  The first thing to remember when beginning a PBL lesson is to introduce your topic in an interesting way that will pull your students in.  The article referred to this as “A Need to Know.” Don't just put a stack of worksheets and paper work on your students’ desks. The goal as a teacher is to make the students want to start asking questions about whatever you just presented to them.  The article then discusses a “Driving Question.” A driving question challenges the students and gives them a clear understanding of the project. I liked how the article compared a driving question to a project and thesis statement to an essay.  There has to be one, to capture the message and meaning being portrayed.  The third essential to remember is “Student Voice and Choice.” It is very important to make the project meaningful to students.  Letting students have their on say on how they are going to do and present a certain project can not only make it mean something to them, but also doesn't set any bars.  I feel like this could challenge students and possibly lead to an better understanding of the project.  Next, the article talks about 21st century skills and how they can help students with collaboration, communication, critical thinking. Almost all projects will require the use of some technology rather it be researching facts or making an iMovie.  Students and teachers must having 21st century skills so that they can take projects so much further and allow for more creativity.  The article goes on to the fifth element of a project, which is “Inquiry and Innovation.” Having the students raise questions and then investigate them gets them even more engaged into the project. Motivate students to share new ideas and perspectives for new innovation.  Next, is “Feedback and Revision.”  Having students give feed back to one another and revise each other work can make the learning process more meaningful. By doing this, I can show my students that revision is a major part of work and help them with positive feedback.  Finally, a successful project should end with a presentation.  When students are given an audience, they are more likely to put more effort into their work.  This not only gives the project more meaning, but also gives students a feeling of pride.  

https://www.google.com/search?q=pbl&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=733&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=f6oPVduaF4HDggSN9oCoDg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#tbm=isch&q=project+based+learning&imgdii=_&imgrc=RoU8fXbARZ9IpM%253A%3BtmwlFzT6TzrpuM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fnormsteachersblog.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2014%252F04%252FMiller-PBL-Assessment-Resources-300x225.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fnormsteachersblog.com%252F%253Fp%253D7486%3B300%3B225The next resource I looked at concerning PBL was Project Based Learning For Teachers by Tony Vincent.  This video lists some of the standards for successful projects.  The video referred to PBL as getting students working over an extended period of time answering a driving question.  The driving question should be deep and sets a clear outlook on the project.  Students will present and share their work with others.  The video gave some great examples of driving questions.  As a teacher, I want my students asking “How?” instead of “What?" Project Based Learning includes some of the following elements: Inquiry based,Open-ended,Problem-solving, Personalized. During Project Based Learning students can learn Communication skills,Critical thinking skillsCareer and life skills.
Out of the seven videos, I chose to discuss What Motivates Students? This video was really awesome.  I loved hearing from the students’ point of view on what motivates them in school and in their classrooms.  The students also discussed what sort of rewards they receive for doing good in class. I liked how a variety of students were interviewed. It was interesting to see the different responses from different ages.  The first student is a male, probably in 9th grade and says that he feels good when the teacher announces to the class when he has done good.  He also gets motivation from being complimented by others, including his teacher.  The next student was a younger girl who seemed to have the same motivations to good good in school as myself. The only difference is that I didn't have these motivations until I was much older so props to her.  She said that the reason she wants to do good in school is so she can have a good house, feed her family, and she also wants to have a really good job…oh and a dog!   The next two students used their dream jobs as their main motivation.  The last student did not get to play baseball or other things he enjoyed unless he did well in class. His motivation is being able to do what he wants and is allowed to do.  The next question the kids were asked was how they were rewarded.  the answered ranged from colored pencils,pizza,browning points, and fun activities on certain days of the week.This video helped me realize that all the things these students seek can be found and gained through PBL.  PBL allows students to really get engaged with something while making it their own.  Allowing them to present their work can help them feel good about themselves and can be a rewarding process.  
Next, I chose Ten Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration in Project Based Learning.  This article provides many collaboration tools used for PBL. The article briefly discussed the standard of PBL and how using the methods listed below can provide better collaboration  and communication in the classroom.

10 Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration in Project Based Learning:




The last resource I chose from the list was Two Students Solve the problem of Watery Ketchup By Designing A New Cap .  This video showed a perfect example of two students using all of the skills from PBL.  They came up with a driving question that interested themselves, used 21st century skills, showed their voice, and publicly resented their impressive results.  




Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Project #13


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx5A-Z6ku8MWuSo2naT-hJCk626Dnit_d7KNje_ViyOPcy4ZhyphenhyphenWSk7tpaLFfr3pV6FFj5adCt2jkdyD2Ir1Frv_L1ciHBtxIrDXNY0rMHcg6qHBopLjc6TDN1YDyLUwnzY2VU9yR9H_w/s1600/Water+cycle+.gif


The Glue Group chose to do our Project Based
Learning lesson on the water cycle. Our students are to construct a group poster based on which phase of the water cycle their group was assigned. Each group will also create a video of "their version" of the water cycle. This video can be a dance, skit, or etc. Our students will present their group's poster and video. The students will choose which video they are more proud of as a whole class. This video selected will be sent to the Local News Station.


Click here to view our project site:

Water Cycle Project Group Website


Individual Links:

Lesson Plan


Lesson Plan Calendar


Project Overview


Individual Project Rubric


Group Project Rubric


Water Cycle Diagram


Example provided to the students when preparing

to make their "Own Version" video of the water cycle.



Sunday, March 15, 2015

Blog Post #8

What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From Randy Pausch? “Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” is avvery powerful and inspirational video in which Randy Pausch shares his life’s wisdom.  He is an outstandng human being that has the right outlook on life.  His words and lessons will not only benefit us in the educational world, but also in our everyday lives.  This video is titled “Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture” because he was battling cancer.  He starts his lecture by talking about his childhood dreams.  Some were realistic and some not so much (being Captain Kirk.)  Randy Pausch ended up achieving each childhood dream in some aspect.  This inspires me to never give up.  As a future elementary educator, I hope to enable my students’ dreams and inspire them to never give up.  One way to do this that Pausch lectured about is to know what a brick wall is.  He explains a brick wall as “being there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.”  We are all going to face obstacles that get in the way of our goals. As long as we push through and keep working towards what we want, we can knock them down! He mentions that  Jon Shoddy once said to him that "if you wait long enough then people will impress you”.  I believe this applies to learning and teaching in a big way.  Teachers should never put a limit on what their students are capable of; let your students surprise you with what they can do when there isn't a bar.  Randy makes the point that we should never lose our child like wonder.  I believe this is especially important for elementary educators to remember.  Your students are going to be more willing to engage and learn when you are presenting things in a fun and imaginative way.  This is compared to being a strict teacher demanding your students to work on assignments alone with absolute quiet. I feel that making your lessons fun and entertaining will show incredible results with your students. Know how to get your students excited about learning.  I’m sure this is easier said than done, but keeping your child like wonder will help with this situation.  Randy also discusses the importance of helping others. Randy says,”Loyalty is a two way street- Believe in your students and they will believe in and with you.” This is a quote that really stood out to me. Teachers must never give up on their students.  Let your students know that you believe in them and they will feel more motivation to fulfill their dreams. Teach your students that ,“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity. ”  Randy speaks about focusing on other people instead of yourself and finding the best in everybody.  This is a useful lesson as an educator and just as a human being.  Randy Pausch truly is an inspiration and a great example to never give up. 


 “It's not about how to achieve your dreams, it's about how to lead your life, ... If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you.” 

― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Saturday, March 14, 2015

C4T#3 and C4T#4 Post

I was assigned Jose Vilson’s blog “The Jose Vilson”  for blog posts #3 and #4. My first comment was left on Jose’s blog, “White Administrator’s Guilt.” In this post, Jose discusses the issue of racist behavior in school systems.  He talks about teachers and administrators who are being cruel and racist to not only their students, but also the staff. Below is my comment for “White Administrator’s Guilt."

http://thejosevilson.com/white-administrators-guilt/Jose, 
I’m a student at the University of South Alabama. I am currently seeking a degree in elementary education and I am just sickened by the type of behavior you discuss going on in the school systems. I agree with you that if someone is seeing racist behavior happening in front of them and does nothing about it, they are just as guilty.  After looking over your links, thats were just shocking to me, I did a little more research on this major problem in school systems.  Of course I knew how big an issue racism is in the world, but I had no idea the problem in schools concerning adults anyways. Teachers and principles should be the ones to rise above this behavior and focus on children’s education and well being. I mean isn’t that the point of going into education for a profession?  I found an article that talked about a white teacher asking a colored girl if she was a monkey in front of the entire class, just because the child was talking with a friend while the morning announcements were being made.   I cannot imagine the humility this little girl felt. I’m glad you made a post about this sickening issue.  It helped open my eyes to what is really going on in some schools.  Thanks for sharing.   - Erika Owen





http://thejosevilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/vilson-empowerin-educators-cultural-competeence-2-01.pngThe second post I was assigned for Jose Vilson was “Empowering Educators Through Cultural Competence.” I loved reading this post! Vilson discussed the importance of letting our students tell us what they need sometimes.  So often teachers find themselves striving for quietness in the classroom when really, they should be asking questions to form a better understanding of their students.  Jose even talks about his own experience with a student of his.  A boy kept falling asleep in class and Jose associated this with laziness. In reality, the boy was dealing with family issues which was causing him not to sleep well at night. As teachers, we need our students to feel comfortable enough to explain or talk about things. Or atleast talk to us about seeing a counselor or someone to talk to.  Vilson also lists three very beneficial strategies to help us be a successful teacher.  These steps are as follows: 
1.) Build Relationships, But as a Teacher First 
2.) Create a Fair and Equitable Environment
3.) Ask Questions as a Form of Disarming

José,
I feel like the information and advice you share is extremely beneficial for future educators like myself. The workable strategies you listed are excellent. I found each one of them helpful and also agree with them completely.  I can't tell you how many teachers I have had in the past that constantly demanded silence in the classroom. This of course did not make for a great learning environment, so I’m glad you brought that point up.  After reading your post,I feel that I will be much more aware to take my students’ cultural backgrounds into consideration. I look forward to reading more of your powerful and informal posts! 

-Erika Owen