Blog Post 11

After watching Back to the Future I was flabbergasted that Brian Crosby's students had no idea what city, state, and country they lived in or their phone numbers or addresses. Children should know these kinds of things, it is important in every day life. However, I do like that Brian let his students do hands on activities. I also like how each students has their own blog. The science project he talked about in this video amazed me. Brian's students were engaged in this project and it did not just stop when they released the balloon into the air. They wrote stories as if they were the balloon. I really liked that idea. It lets the students use their imagination, be creative, and think outside the box. The class then shared their ideas around the world. Brian's students learned how to collaborate with other students and they were also motivated to learn. I also like how Brian got a new student who had leukemia and she could not come to school, and he and his students still included her in class everyday via Skype. I assume not many teachers would have done that. I hope to get my students motivated and involved like Brian did.

After watching Blended Learning Cycle I learned more about what blended learning is. In the video Paul talked about the 5 e's: engage, explore, experiment, explain, and evaluate. His students do the 5 e's online, mobile, and in the classroom. Students need to be "hooked" by a good question to get their minds wondering and it will help them want to learn. It is amazing to see what students can come up with.

Making Thinking Visible it shows how students not only working in small groups but also using their imagination to come up with a headline. The students have to come up with a headline about a video they watched in class Early Human Beginnings. The students were able to use their creativity to come up with something. The headlines were then displayed on the class bulletin board. After a couple weeks into the lesson, students will be asked "What is the headline now?". I believe this is great!

I loved watching Sam Pane 4th Grade Super Digital Citizen. In the video Sam is talking to his students about how to be safe online. The students create a superhero and they make a comic story up with different examples of how to be safe while on the internet. After the students were done with their stories they got to read the other students stories and get feedback. For example, one of the students superheros stopped gossiping online. This was a great way of blending writing, reading, creativity, and how to stay safe.

After watching Project Based Learning I was kind of amazed how the teachers were blending different subjects. I have never heard of that before. I am interested to see if teachers will do this in the near future, as it will help students learn.

After watching Roosevelt Elementary PBL Program I learned that it is a great way to get the students involved and it is a great way to learn. PBL allows students think on their own and make decisions. They learn how to solve real world problems, which is wonderful. It also teaches students how to work in groups. In the video it talked about students learning public speaking in kindergarten. I think that is awesome because I know I was not taught that growing up and when I got to college I was terrified to take it. I have heard of a lot of people not going to college because they are scared of that class. So it is great children are learning about it at a young age, so they will not be scared in the future.

Project 14

As a group, we decided to have our students create a project on the founding fathers. Each group will be assigned to a founding father, and the students will collaboratively research and create a Board Builder project that they will present in class. The students will be given the option to dress up as their founding father for bonus points.

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C4K October Summary

Jikerius's Blog
School Improvements
I commented:
Jikerius,
I am a college student from the University of South Alabama. You have some great ideas on how to improve your school. I enjoyed reading your post. My favorite idea you had was about the takeout for lunch. I myself love Chinese food and you are right nobody would go hungry if they got to eat what they wanted for lunch.

Xavier's Blog
Grandfather
I commented:
Hi Xavier,
I am a student from the University of South Alabama. It is interesting that your grandfather is from Puerto Rico. I like how you call your grandfather Welo. I call my grandfather Pop.

Aleigha M.'s Blog
Dot Day with Prk
I commented:
Aleigha,
My name is Jerica Baker. I am a student at The University of South Alabama. It sounds like you had a blast celebrating Dot Day. I celebrated Dot Day at school too.

Maysun's Blog
Reading about Michel Tuffery
I commented:
Maysun,
I am a student from the University of South Alabama. Great post! I love the drawing that you did! Keep up the good work.

Blog Post 10

Ms. Cassidy's first video First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class showed how smart her first graders are. Her students know how to use technology and are proud of it. They use different websites to make connections such as: blogs, wiki, videos, and Skype. This was a great video to show just how smart children are becoming.

When I watched the interviews with Kathy Cassidy Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, I learned to not be afraid to use technology in my future classroom. In part 1 she talks about how she has a class blog that she and her students use. I really like that idea and I would use a blog in my classroom to connect with students and professionals around the world. The parents also like the blogs because they can see what their child is doing at school and how they are improving on their writing skills and other improvements in their school work. Students like it as well because it makes them proud and feel confident. They are learning while having fun. Ms. Cassidy's students have "blogger buddies", who they Skype with. I believe that Ms. Cassidy made a valid point when she said, "Technology is here to stay". In part 2 the question, "Where to start?" was asked and she responded with, "What you're interested in?". I agree teachers need to start with what they are interested in. Whether it be doing videos on YouTube, or taking pictures and loading them on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Personal Networks are used to connect with people around the world, so why not use a personal network that one is interested in, that makes learning memorable. In part 3 students from Edm310 were able to ask Ms. Cassidy questions. The one question that stood out to me and I agreed with was "How do we protect our students?". I myself have wondered the same thing. Ms. Cassidy's response hit the nail on the head. We as teachers have to tell our students not to post their last names or pictures of themselves. We then have to explain to them on what to and what not to click on while they are surfing the internet.

Project 12A

Blog Post 9

When I read Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning it reminded me of being in high school and doing projects. However, a statement stuck out to me, "A project is meaningful if it fulfills two criteria. First, students must perceive the work as personally meaningful, as a task that matters and that they want to do well. Second, a meaningful project fulfills an educational purpose. Well-designed and well-implemented project-based learning is meaningful in both ways." That basically means that the students need to be interested in the project they are doing. The students will retain more information if they are interested in the topic. Students need to be able to explore and have no limits.

In the video, Project Based Learning For Teachers it explains how project based learning works and what it is. Project based learning engages students. "It has students working over a period of time answering a driving question, which is deep and requires students to complete an end product to share their learning with others." Project Based Learning allows students to take charge of their learning and allows the to have the "voice and choice". The students feel like they have a purpose and it makes learning meaningful and memorable. While meeting certain standards, students are still learning: collaborative skills, communication skills, critical thinking skills, and career and life skills. Technology is involved in this learning process.

What Motivates Students:
-Teachers acknowledging students work
-Do well in school
-Making good grades
-Parents
-Extracurricular activities
Rewards such as:
-Candy
-Being able to go outside
-Brownie points

By watching and reading The two Students Solve the Case of the Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap it showed how project based learning works. The two students were inspired because they simply do not like runny, wet ketchup. One of the students said, "Wet bread is gross". Since the two students were inspired and wanted to fix the problem they came up with a solution. They worked together to create a new cap. They sketched for weeks and then designed the cap and put it into effect and it worked. It is amazing what students can do if they are engaged on the project.

The video below, Tour the States, is a great example of project based learning. The students were learning and having fun at the same time. The students learned the capitals of the states of the United States of America, while learning where they are located. They also drew pictures on each cut out of the states that go a long with the state. This is a great way to engage students and help them learn. The teachers did a great job in this video and the students look happy and like they are having a blast.

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

Part A
Zogby and EDM310 show percentages of smartphone usage in this generation. EDM310 posted, 18-24 years of age:
1. 87% say their smartphone never leaves their side.
2. 80% say the very first thing they do in the morning is reach for their smartphone.
3. 78% say they spend 2 or more hours per day using their smartphone.
4. 68% say they would prefer to use their smartphone instead of their laptop or personal computer for personal use.
5. 91% say that having a camera on their smartphone is important (61% very important)
6. 87% say they use their smartphone camera at least weekly. 59% use their smartphone camera at least every other day. 44% use their smartphone camera for still or motion picture taking every day.
Smartphones are part of everyday life. I know for myself I fall into all of those percentages listed above. I also believe that majority of the population fall into those percentages as well. Zogby said, "It makes life easy", I agree, we have everything at our fingertips. We can access anything and everything we want from our smartphones. On the iPhones we can talk to Siri and she will find it for us, so yes it does make life a bit easier.
Everyone with a smartphone stores various types of information on the hard drive. Smartphones are like our "Life Lines". For example: if something was to happen to someones smartphone he or she might feel like their life was spiraling downward. It is very common to see everyone with a smartphone these days, including young children.

Part B
By the time I become a teacher most of my students will have some kind of smartphone or tablet. I would use that in my classroom to my full advantage. I would have my students create various blogs. This would help them with their writing and spelling skills. I would also have them create iMovies, book trailers on their favorite books, and record themselves reading the book or sentences. The students could also do research on their smartphone or tablet. Technology is a great way to engage students and let them have fun and explore while learning. I myself, am learning so many different things, in EDM310, that I will be able to do with my future students.

Blog Post 8

After watching Randy Pausch's Last Lecture I was amazed. Randy is brilliant and passionate about everything he does. He is a prime example of no matter what our circumstance are we should never give up. He talks about his childhood dreams and how he achieved them because he did not give up when "brick walls" were in his way. Brick walls are there for a reason. He said, "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." I agree with him. Sometimes we do not get what we want so we learn from it and keep pushing on to do better so we can achieve that goal. I learned more about project based learning and how students' are having fun while learning. We all need to leave our mark when we move on through different parts of life, "Live on in something". He will live on through his program Alice. Not one single person can achieve their goals or childhood dreams alone. So who can help us? Parents, mentors, teachers, friends, and students. Randy asks a question that stood out, "Are you the Tigger or Eeyore?".

He listed tips to help people succeed:
Have fun!
Never lose childlike wonder
Help Others
Get people to help you
Be honest
Apologize
Focus on others, not yourself
Do the right thing, good things will happen
Show gratitude
Don't complain
Find the best in everyone
Be prepared

This video made me open my eyes and had me thinking about what my childhood dreams were and am I doing what I should be to achieve those dreams. I learned that life is never too bad to where we cannot achieve what we want. Randy seems to be amazing man and teacher, this video just shows how strong willed he is. He has inspired me to live my life and to go above and beyond, no matter how many "brick walls" I run into. He also inspired me to be the best teacher I can possibly be.

C4T #2 (Post 1 and 2)

I was assigned Sandi's Blog Rubberboots and Elf Shoes.

The first post I read and responded to of Sandi's was, The Book Whisperer: Chapter 1. She summarized chapter 1 and stated, "A book by a self avowed book nerd." She goes into detail about how "book nerds" are about reading. Teachers who are book nerds are at risk when it comes to teaching, because of how passionate they are. But the secret to teaching is to let it go. Sandi then tells about how in a kindergarten class students choose a book of their liking, the student then reads the book, and responds to the book. They will re-tell the story however they choose whether it be acting it out, comparing authors, and some may do yoga. Students need to see teachers reading as well, and also hear teachers read out loud or in silly voices. Students need to see other students and possibly teachers learning from reading. Sandi said, "Part of the master reader's responsibility is to present reading material in an accessible and inviting way." Students need to be interested in what they are reading.
I commented:
Sandi,
I am a student at The University of South Alabama. I enjoyed reading your post! I cannot wait until I am a teacher so I can read books to my class. Reading can be fun and entertaining for the students. You provided some good ideas and tips in your post. I love that students will read in groups or alone and come up with different ways to express the book. Children are very creative and smart, they can also help us, as teachers, learn.

The second post I read and responded to of Sandi's was,The Book Whisperer: Chapter 3. She again summarized the chapter of the book. She posted a picture of a quote from the book, that summarizes the entire post.

She explains what she does in her kindergarten class. She mentioned that the students read everyday and she either reads to them or they read to themselves. She explains what she and her students do if they are in line. They might sing an alphabet song or play a rhyming game. She has books all over her classroom, and they will read where the mood strikes. That might be outside, in a house area she has set up in her room. In the book it states that "reading time is kept very quiet", Sandi and her students call their reading time "quiet reading time."
I commented:
I enjoyed reading your post! I like how you incorporated what you do with your students with each chapter of the book. You have provided some wonderful ideas when it comes to reading with students. I will keep these ideas in mind and use them when I become a teacher!

Project 9

Blog Post 7

In How to Make An Audio QR Code, I learned it is very easy to access, not only for teachers but also for students. Students will enjoy making recordings and making a code that someone can scan and hear them. Not only can their teachers and classmates can hear them read, their parents can too. It is a simple process first go to Record MP3 and record, then save the URL that was created. After that, go to qr code-monkey and copy and paste the URL, hit the create code, copy that bar code. Open up a word document and paste it there. Once it is printed, the code can be scanned by an app on the iPhone and the recording will be heard. This is a great way for students to feel good about themselves and boost their confidence.

In iPad Center, the teachers explains the iPad center she has setup in her room. She has the iPad sat up in front of the student. The student hits record and reads out loud and when the student is finished reading they stop the recording. The student then listens to the recording that was made and follows along with what they read to make sure no mistakes were made. This is a great activity and I would use this in my future classroom.

In Poplet as a Center, the teacher shows her students how to use an app, Poplet, on their iPads. The teacher had an assortment of books the students could choose from. The students had to pick one book and take pictures from the book and write about the pictures. This helps with the students sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and typing skills. When the students are done they have created a web. The teacher screen shots the end product.

In Alabama Virtual Library as a Kindergarten Center, the teacher explains how the students use a virtual library app to search. The teacher has a list of words the students search from. The students type the word they are researching in the search engine and examples of the word come up. There are pictures, videos, and even audio recordings the student listens to. Once the student is done researching the word, she has them draw a picture of the word. After that the students will draw a picture of the word and write a sentence. This is a great way to help students understand the meaning of words.

In How to use and build a Board in DE for a Project Based Learning Lesson, the teacher and student explains how to make a board on Discovery Education. First, a topic is chose, then a board is created. Once a board is created a title, pictures, and videos can be added to the board, along with facts. Once the board is made, it can be shared with the teacher and other classmates. In the videos Students Sharing Board Builders 1 and Students Sharing Board Builders 2 the students shared the boards they created. The students seemed proud and excited about the board they had created. I have never heard of boards until I watched these three videos. Honestly, I think it is an awesome way to get students involved and engaged.

In Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten, Dr.Strange, Michelle, and Elizabeth discuss how kindergartners use iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in a kindergarten classroom. Michelle talks about how kindergartners use iMovie and make trailers. Elizabeth talks about how kindergarteners use the Alabama Virtual Library to do basic research. This video blew my mind hearing how kindergartners can use this stuff and I am new to all of this. This video proves that we as teachers, do not know everything and will never know everything.

In We All Become Learners, Dr.Strange, Michelle, and Elizabeth talk about how we are all learners. Teachers teach students, students teach teachers, everyone becomes a learner. Michelle talked about how she was using Padlet and a student taught her how to take a picture the correct way. I thought that was awesome! Everyone needs to be open and ready to learn, because not everyone knows everything.

Project 7 Part B

Meet the Parents


Meet the Students

Project 13

As a group we decided to have our students complete a project on the solar system. The students will be separated into groups and assigned a planet. The students will be researching their planet and required to do an iMovie.

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