Blog Post Assignment #16 Final Reflection

Part 1 Blog Post #16 Final Reflection

"A New Me"

I am so excited to say that I am one step closer to becoming an Elementary teacher. I have become a new me. I can truly say that EDM310 was my source of confirmation. I know now without a doubt that I want to be an educator. I admire the boost of reality I got from EDM310. While looking back at my very first blog post in EDM310 I almost started laughing. I have honestly improved as an overall student during this short Summer semester; all thanks to Dr. Strange's class. I have become a better writer, more open minded, and I love learning. Technology used to intimidate me, now I can happily say, NOT anymore. I have become very technologically literate. I am by no means at my final goal yet as far as being a successful teacher, but I am closer. 

At the beginning of the semester I wanted to teach 2nd grade. I was intimidated by the higher grades, the work load, and more intense work. Now, I really have no preference. I will be happy to teach any grade in the Elementary school. Dr. Strange has taught us to remain open minded and always be willing to LEARN. I am enthused about learning more than I am about teaching. I feel that teaching Elementary Ed I will be learning something new everyday. Especially with technology. There is always something to learn. I have learned to not be afraid of being wrong. Nothing is perfect and some things do fail at times. But it's okay. If we are never wrong and we never fail, how will we learn the right way?

I remember Dr. Strange asking us, "What do we want our students to be able to do"? I replied with a corny, general answer not giving much thought into it at all. Probably not even knowing the answer to be honest. Now I am ready to answer that question again.... I want my students to be willing to teach me just as much as I am willing to teach them. I want them to be able to enjoy a Project Based Learning classroom as I will set up for them. I want to help them successfully set up a blog so they can record their experiences, leanings, and new found resources with their peers. I want my class to be open minded and not intimidated about new things and new ways of learning. 


Another question that Dr. Strange asked is, "What will be my primary way of teaching my students what I want them to know"? Of course, my answer was foolish. I remember saying I wanted my class to use their imagination. Yes, there is nothing wrong with using your imagination. That's what I want from my class but how exactly can I teach them that? So therefore, my new method for teaching my students what I want them to know is none other than Project Based Learning. Project Based Learning leaves so many open doors for creativity. It's a learning process rather than a test at the end of a lesson. It's the answer to what so many teachers are missing in their classroom. And they wonder why grading papers is so boring!?! 

There is so much more that can not be put into words. I wish I could just take a recorder with me in the future in my classroom and let Dr. Strange see the effects that EDM310 has on future educators. But wait! I can! That's the beauty of technology in the 21st century classroom. Goodbye EDM310. It has been a blast. Good luck future students. I hope you learn as much as I did. No More Burp-Back Education!!!!

Project #16

My Prezi Project #16

Blog Post Assignment #15

What Can We Learn From Anthony Capps?

 by Amber McQueen

iCurio

During the iCurio discussion between Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps I learned many useful things. iCurio is a organized way for helping students search things on the web. The unique thing about this is that it is monitored and all of the sites have been uploaded by responsible professionals which make iCurio perfect to use inside the classroom. With Google and other search engines you are taking a risk at children having access to inappropriate things on the web. With iCurio you are almost free from that worry. iCurio was designed for all grade levels and is useful for a number of things. There is no limit. If a teacher feels that her class can handle iCurio then it can be used in any grade for any activity. iCurio is such a great resource and tool for organization. In case of an emergency, as Anthony stated, you can easily close down iCurio and all of your searches and work will still be there. This is a great time saver. iCurio is definitely a good resource that I will use in my classroom. From Anthony Capps I learned that iCurio is safe, productive, and it helps make learning fun.

Discovery Education

I love how Anthony Capps starts the video with a friendly quote that I’ve heard many times before. “A picture is worth a thousand words but a video must be worth a million.” This is so true. Discovery Ed is a great tool that carries every subject you can think of. It is a great resource for inside the classroom and is very useful for students as well as teachers. It allows students to search anything and it results with videos and other useful resources to enhance your students search experience. Anthony brings up the fact about it being able to bring experts into the classroom. I think this is awesome. With today’s technology it seems that anything is possible. With the click of a button children can learn many things and be engaged while doing their work. Videos make things much more interesting and they are more productive because they not only give information; they give you a visual of the information to enhance your learning experience. Anthony Capps uses Discovery Ed to bring different texts to life. This is something I wish to do as well.

Dr. Strange’s Tips for Teachers

In this video Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps discuss tips for being a successful teacher. He begins with by saying, “Teachers should also be learners.” I believe in this as well. If you are not willing to learn how can you expect your students to learn? A teacher must also be flexible and creative. Dr. Strange gives the example of Anthony’s class when they could not use their computers because the servers were down. So the whole was on the floor painting. Anthony had to be creative and come up with a backup lesson for that day. As a teacher you can not be committed to one way of teaching and lesson planning. Things are constantly changing. Anthony brings up the fact about teachers being able to reflect on themselves. I believe this is true and needs to be done. Self evaluation is key as well. This is something we all can never get enough of but if we do it often it’ll make our work and the way we learn so much better. I will definitely use these tips while trying to become a successful teacher.

Use Technology Don’t Teach it- by Hannah Still

The video Use Technology Don't Teach It was great! Technology is everywhere and a big part of children's daily lives. Allowing children to use technology in the classroom just enhances their learning experience. Anthony Capps introduces technology in stages. They might not get to the core of a certain piece of technology in one day but they will definitely skim the surface. Technology is an amazing way for children to express themselves and it is also green, mostly affordable, and very shareable. Anthony also emphasized that we should not expect perfection. These children are going to make mistakes because everyone makes mistakes. The most important thing is that we learn from these mistakes. It is also a good idea to try out the technology yourself first. This will make it easier to understand the questions that your students ask. Overall I thought that this a great video that helped me better understand the use of technology in the classroom.

iCurio- by Brittnee Heathcoe

In the video that we were assigned Dr. Strange had a Skype session with Anthony Capps a former EDM310 student. Now Anthony is a teacher in Baldwin County. Dr. Strange asked Anthony if he would describe what iCurio was and how it helps teachers. Anthony responds by saying that it iCurio is an online tool that helps students with four main areas while searching the web. First, it allows students to safely search websites that have been filtered. This means that students can look at different things like texts, videos, and pictures and it is all safe for them to look at. Second, it is a storage unit for kids and adults. It allows students to begin learning how to start organizing. Students can create folders and save things that they are working on. It’s more like virtual organization. What I heard that was really neat was that the kids can make timelines by searching for different things that they are learning. He describes it as a directory feature for historical figures. Anthony also mentions that iCurio can be used for any grade level if the teacher is willing to show the children how to use it. I thought that it was interesting that it has a read aloud feature for anyone that has a disability.

Discovery Education

In the video Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps have a conversation about Discovery Education. Anthony compares Discovery Education to the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” . He says that a video must be worth a million words. Anthony goes on to tell us that whatever kind of text you give a child, you can back it up with a visual. By doing this you will get back more information from the child. You can research anything that is being taught and there will be some type of video that will bring the text to life. Dr. Strange says that he thinks that there are more listeners and watchers than readers and writers. I agree with him. Anthony also informs us that kids live Discovery Education just as much as reading.

Additional Thoughts About Lessons

In the video Dr. Strange has a Skype session with Anthony Capps and they talk about how a teacher should plan their year with the standards, projects and other things that need to be done through the year. Anthony tells us the lessons should be at least four layers thick. The first layer is the Lesson. This is how it fits in with your year. Anthony mentions that you should have a plan and make sure that you fit in all of your standards that you have to teach. Most importantly is that you make sure that you make sure that they each get covered. The second layer is the Unit. You should plan on making sure that you start with a certain aspect and by the end of the unit the students should have complete mastery of the task you have given them. Units are usually 6-8 weeks long. The third layer is the Week. Divide you week up so you make sure that everything is getting done. Make sure that you have your week planned so that you can accomplish your goal that you have set. The last layer is the Daily lesson. It is just as important as the other layers. Find something that can grab a student attention and use it while you are teaching your lesson. At the end of the lesson measure what they have learned that day so you know where to start the next day. These four components make up one lesson and all have to be done to have a successful one.

C4T #4

John Spencer- Education Rethink

     For this C4T assignment I was assigned to explore the blog of Mr. John Spencer. "Education Rethink." John is a sixth grade teacher in a urban, Title One school. He uses technology in his classroom with a blended one-to-one approach of Chromebooks, Kindle Fires and iPod Touches. His desire is to engage in an authentic dialogue about meaningful learning for all students. The first post that I read from Mr. Spencer is titled, "Facebook Without The Metrics." I thought this was an interesting title and it gave me a little insight on what the post was about. He started out by saying,"What would Facebook or any social media be like without numbers"? This made me think. I begin to think that if this were so we would really be in big trouble. We never realize how much we need numbers in social media. Such as time, dates, and when things were published. John Spencer says that," I had never realized the emotional side of knowing how many minutes ago a post was or the implied sense of urgency it was creating. I had never considered how the time elements (to the minute) were working to create a gamified experience." I totally agree. I believe that the numbers almost give our brains a sense of closure. Here's my comment:

Hi, my name is Amber McQueen. I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. Wow, I must say your post really intrigued me. I have never looked at Facebook or any social media in that way. I now realize that if we take numbers away we would truly miss them. We don't realize the importance of time and amount on a daily basis. My theory is that it gives our brain a sense of closure. For me, the worse thing to do is wonder. By having that time that something was posted it lets is know the urgency of it. Now, as far as your theory on our own Demetricator in the schools; I would love for you to elaborate more! I am willing to hear more about this. It sounds very interesting. I'm almost sure I would agree with you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I really admired the second post by Mr. John Spencer. It's title is, "Sometimes the Best Tech is Low-Tech." He really showed his creativity and love for children in this post. It is about showing children that they do not have to use high end technology to get the best that technology has to offer. You can simply use things of a lesser value to have a great experience. It is important that children have a little balance in their life because high end technology will not always be available. They need to learn to explore their minds and be creative. This post by Mr. Spencer really got me thinking. I would love to use this technique not only in my future classroom but also in my future home just as he did. I replied:

 Wow! I think low-tech play is essential for children. I love that idea. You do not need expertise high-end technology to get the most out of technology. There are ways around that such as what you have showed here. As the person stated above, balance is good for a child. They do not always need high-end technology. To be honest it's not always available. So we have to know how to be creative and not be afraid to experiment. Interesting story! I must try this.

  

Blog Post Assignment #14

Create Your Own Blog Post!

For blog post #14 Dr. Strange is going to let us make our own blog post. I think that's an amazing idea. It'll really spark our creativity and give him ideas as well. I mean that's what our whole class has been about anyway; learning together. Our instructions were to make it something as if he would have and give instructions for it just as he does. So this should be interesting and fun! Here goes.....

Instructions:

• Create a Google presentation slide
• Include your likes, dislikes, and why you want to be an Elementary teacher. ( For those who want to become elementary teachers...if not make it according to what you would like to become.) I want to learn about YOU personally!
• Include visual effects BE CREATIVE! 
• Also include pictures and embed in your blog
• HAVE FUN! 

Final Report on PLN Project #9

Personal Learning Network (PLN)

Since my last report I have added another great learning source to my list of helpful things. It's called Symbaloo. I can add all of my other websites to this little tool. Symbaloo is a new way to organize my most used websites. With Symbaloo you never have to type in long web addresses again. Here is a great video to show you how to use it. Symbaloo has each of your favorite web sites that you have added organized into tiles. This is a very helpful technology tool. Especially to a teacher because you can quickly pull up a site for a part of a lesson during class. Let me share with you a few of my favorite sites I have recently added.

First up, is of course my gmail. I use this daily. It is where I can check messages, stay organized, and even create documents on my drive. I can collaborate with others using the Google plus feature as well. I also added my blogger for whenever I felt the need to post on a new experience or share with others helpful resources I have found. Along with that I added the class blog for easy access to new information Dr. Strange has posted.

I have stumbled across another great website from a fellow classmate that I also added to my Symbaloo. It is called Internet 4 Classrooms. Internet 4 Classrooms or I4C is a free website designed to assist anyone who wants to find high-quality, free Internet resources to use in classroom instruction, developing project ideas, reinforcing specific subject matter areas both in the class and at home and even for online technology tutorials. I found this site very useful. I also added my YouTube to the list. Everyone knows how useful YouTube is. I can now easily pull up education videos on the spot in no time.

Lastly, I added the TED talks website to my Symbaloo. I love TED talks because they are so informative. I usually agree with everything those people have to say. Whether they are proposing a new theory or teaching us about science. They have every subject and topic you can think of. I love how Dr. Strange has incorporated TED talks in our classroom. I watch them all the time. This is of course not my last resource I will add to Symbaloo. There will be many more. But for now, if you have never seen Symbaloo, here's what it looks like: 

Blog Post Assignment #13

Alison Gopnik: What Do Babies Think?

by Amber McQueen

This video is all about babies! It’s my favorite thing to discuss. I love children. Alison Gopnik does a great job explaining her views on how babies think. I agree with mostly everything she says in the video. She starts by saying that 18 month old babies actually learn quicker than we do. A question that she asks is “How do babies learn so much in such a short period of time”? My theory is because they have to! Right? The way they process information is just amazing to me. If we as adults think as babies then maybe we can learn more than we know. She did some tests on children and it showed that they even know how to experiment using hypothesis. They even test them. Children learn the most during childhood through different ways. From experiences and playing they can learn many basic motor and mental skills. Babies learn through all of their senses – touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell. They explore things and want to handle objects and put them in their mouths to learn about them. Babies are constantly taking in information when they are awake, which means that they are learning all the time. I learned from Alison Gopnik’s video that a baby’s brain is twice as active as an adult’s brain. The first three years are of special importance. At this time the brain has the greatest potential for learning. An infant’s brain is like a sponge soaking up everything around them.

Shane Koyczan: To This Day

-Brittnee

The video that I chose was To this day by Shane Koyczan. Wow! This is really an amazing video to watch. Shane Koyczan really had a hard childhood all the way until his late teenage years. It’s never nice to pick on people, even though it gets done on a regular basis to people around the world. He was left by his parents at a young age because he was told that he was not wanted. He was raised by his grandma and still picked on in his late teenage years for being overweight. He had to basically bribe people with his knowledge to have friends. Then one day he came to the realization the he didn't need to give people the answers on homework. He gave one boy that called him names a paper that had all the wrong answers and he was happy to outsmart the boy. What can we learn from this video? We can learn that just because you are bullied or you yourself is the bully doesn't mean that you are not worth anything. Ever hear of the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”? This statement is NOT true, words do hurt people and especially children. I work with small kids and no matter what another child has said to them they run and tell on them. Even at a small age kids know when other kids are being mean. This is something I really want to watch for in my future class. I want to be the kind of teacher that the students can trust and wouldn't mind telling me that another child is bullying them. Kids never forget just like Shane has not forgotten to this day.

Arvind Gupta: Turning Trash Into Toys for Learning - Hannah

The video I chose was called Turning Trash into Toys by Arvind Gupta. I enjoyed this speaker very much. The reason that I chose this video was because I work at a Montessori school and one of our beliefs is that we should have toys, which we call work,  made from natural materials. I know many teachers that have made tons of pieces of work out of recycled materials. Arvind Gupta is an amazing toy maker. He has been making toys for the past 30 years. I could not believe some of the toys he made out of just matchsticks, straws, and some tape. He even made an interactive model of the food chain out of just paper. One of Gupta’s goals is to incorporate this toy recycling into the classrooms. Why buy these things when you can make them for a fraction of the cost? One of the things that Gupta said that really stuck with me was, “ children want to make things, children want to do things, “ and he is exactly right. This is an amazing way for teachers to get their students involved in the lessons. Overall I found this video to be informative and inspiring. It really hit close to home. I know that I will definitely be making some of these toys in the near future.

Project #12 Part B

Part B Smartboard

Standards:

Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in two-dimensional figures. [4-G1]

Classify two-dimensional figures based on the presence or absence of parallel or perpendicular lines or the presence or absence of angles of a specified size. Recognize right triangles as a category, and identify right triangles. [4-G2]

Recognize a line of symmetry for a two-dimensional figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. Identify line-symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry. [4-G3]

Project #15

Project #14

Blog Post Assignment #12

Changing Education Paradigms

by Amber McQueen

In the video Changing Education Paradigms Ken Robinson speaks about how he would change the current standing of education. He takes every aspect of education and criticizes it. But in a good way! I must say I totally agree with him. For example, he asked why do we still put children in grades according to their age? Who made up the standard that all children of the same age think the same way? I don't think they do. You think if we put children in grades according to their intellectual progress that there will be no more “failing”? (Such a harsh word.) He brought up the issue about ADHD. Who's to say these children are hyperactive and have a problem? I mean what is normal anyway? Ken says, that we should be waking these children up instead of putting their minds to sleep with all the medicine they have to take. We should be waking them up letting them use what's inside of them. I think it’s a ridiculous situation. To me, changing education paradigms could mean no more standardized tests. As our class motto says, “No more burp-back education.” Our current education standard was designed for its day and age. We are past that now! Most children don't even think the same way as children did 50 years ago. But yet education has not changed. Here is a short question and answer I took from Ken's blog: Why don't we get the best out of people? Sir Ken Robinson argues that, “It's because we've been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers.” This is so true. We train ourselves and our children to be good workers and shun any creativity. Why? Because creative people aren't normal to us? "We are educating people out of their creativity." Ken Robinson.

The Importance of Creativity- Brittnee Heathcoe

In the video The Importance of Creativity we listen to Ken Robinson speak about why he thinks that schools kill creativity. Sir Ken Robinson keeps the audience entertained by telling stories and saying quotes that he had heard or read on somebodies shirt. He tells us that “Education is meant to take you into a future that you can’t grasp.” I think that he is trying to say that no matter how much we learn we will never catch up to all the new advancements that are being made. He even points out that in the future jobs that would normally want a regular degree will start wanting a master degree and where jobs that want a master degree will start wanting something higher. I really like that he thinks that creativity is just as important as literacy and that we should treat them with the same status. The arts are at the bottom when it comes to school, of course the main subjects are at at the top but arts should not be thrown to the side. I enjoyed the part where he said that children that have ADHD could learn through others ways like Gillian Lynne did. When she was young she turned to dance to help her so her mom put her in dance classes after going to a doctor about why she was not doing her work and paying attention in class. In today's society kids would be diagnosed with ADHD and sent home with medicine and that would be it. I really enjoyed Ken Robinson’s video and learned that the arts are really important and shouldn't be tossed aside like they do not matter because they really do.

How to Escape Education’s Death Valley- Hannah Still

I was really excited to watch this video because my friend told me about Ted Talks just two weeks ago. She kept raving about the videos and told me that I have to get on and watch some of them. Well she was right! I have loved most of the videos we have watched in EDM 310 but this one is by far my favorite. Sir Ken Robinson is an educational genius and a brilliant speaker. Robinson said that “children prosper best with a broad curriculum that celebrates their various talents, not just a small range of them.” This statement is huge! One of the reasons that our school systems are so unsuccessful is because we are limiting our curriculum. The school systems have based their curriculum on some cookie cutter imaginary child and geared that curriculum towards every student. We are doing our students a huge injustice. I also really enjoyed Robinson’s views on standardized tests. He thinks that they have a time and a place, like in a doctors office. He said that when he goes the doctor he wants his results to be compared with with everyone else but this is not always appropriate for a school setting. Robinson thinks that we have a lot to learn from other countries that actually have successful educational systems. Those schools focuses are individual teaching and learning, recognizing that it is the students who are learning, realizing that you can't improve education if you don’t get great people to teach, and delegating responsibility to a school level so that we can get the job done. Overall I thought this was an amazing video and I am excited to get more involved in Ted Talks and to see what else Sir Ken Robinson has to offer.

Project #13

Project Based Learning Lesson Plan

Blog Post Assignment #11

Mrs. Cassidy- Technology in the Classroom

After watching the video about Mrs. Cassidy's use of technology in the classroom I have become very inspired by her. Her approach to technology is a "got get it" type of approach. She is not afraid of exposing her class to new things. During center time in her class she lets her students explore the web and search things to find out what they are. Her class uses Wiki to find out new information. I must say that from the video the children enjoy using Wiki. Although their favorite thing to do is write on their blog. Mrs. Cassidy requires her students to create a blog and write on it everyday. Some of the students confessed to their blog helping with them with their writing. I think this is an amazing idea. These students are so young but they are so technology savvy. I think that is so cool. While watching her video, I noticed the students were saying "the people from Alabama." This was the most adorable thing ever! They were talking about EDM310 students. Dr. Strange requires his students to participate in C4Ks during the semester. C4Ks are comments for kids. 

In my future classroom I think I will enjoy trying out the blog idea. I really think it will improve students writing. I can't imagine any problems that might occur using Mrs. Cassidy's approach to technology in the classroom. Lastly, the benefits of this approach is that students can rely on technology to easily and quickly learn all types of things. By using blogs they can connect with people and build relationships around the world. 

C4T Assignment #3

Ms. Diane Krause

For this C4T I was assigned to view Ms. Diane Krause's blog. Her blog is titled,"Daily Digital Discoveries." She is a teacher who is concerned with constantly finding new tools and objects to better her classroom. I think the name of her blog is so cool and clever. It's like her little journal of discoveries. On the first post I read by Ms. Krause, she found a list of technology tools that she thinks is useful. She put them up on her blog for everyone to explore. As a future educator I found this very exciting. I can tell by reading her blog that she is very intrigued by technology in the 21st century classroom. The list of technology tools that she gave were actually eight education technology books. Here is the link to the website to find the books. Ms. Krause inspires me to become more in-tune to technology in the classroom. Also to go out and find things that'll help improve myself. There are many opportunities and resources out there you just have to find them! Here is the comment I left on her post:

Hello, my name is Amber McQueen. I am an EDM 310 student at the University of South Alabama. My major is Elementary Education. This semester I have been enlightened on many uses of technology and have become very excited about using it in my future classroom. The last thing I want to become is a mediocre educator. I find that this list of tools you have given will be very helpful. I am grateful to have some new tools and ideas. I can’t wait to dig into these books!

The second post I read by Ms. Krause is titled,"The world's largest repository for free online learning tutorials." In this post Ms. Krause listed every blog post that has a video tutorial that shows how to create something related to online learning. Here is the link for that. I found this very useful. The second part of her post is titled,"How to address negative student behavior in the one to one classroom." I have never heard of this topic before but I found it interesting. I am ready to learn more about it. Here is the comment I left on this post: 

Hello again,

I must say I found this post interesting. I admire how you post all sorts of useful things for teachers and future teachers like myself. Tutorials have become so popular around the web. Especially on YouTube which are my favorites. These educational tutorials will become very useful. Secondly, I also feel that technology is going to revolutionize the classroom. To be honest it already has. I am very interested to read more about your views on the negative aspects of the one to one classroom. Thanks for sharing.