Project 8

Blog Post 5 Part B

This is a follow up post about my Personal Learning Network (PLN). Due to the convenience, I do most of my networking on my smart phone. I always have it with me no matter where I go. Some of the apps I use frequently are Skype, Google Drive, Playground, and even Facebook.

I use Skype and Google Drive to keep in contact with my EDM310 Group. We tend to have varying schedules, so meeting in person can become a huge hassle. Skype allows use to video-conference one another. We can, then, discuss ideas for upcoming assignments.

Google drive allows us to share files with each other. We can all access them at the same time and see real-time revisions. It's instant, there is no delay, and only one central file.

Playground is an app that I've been using in the classroom that I do my field experience hours in. Mrs. Malone allows me to implement projects and activities when we have extra time. The app has video resources for activities to do with your students. The teacher has their own account, and each student has an individual account. The teacher can post a challenge for the students to do in teams. Their progress is charted through the app as a map. Each team is represented by a color. The students watch an instructional video on how to play the game before it begins. The first team to get to the finish line wins. The kids really enjoy playing these games and learn a lot from them.

As odd as it may seem, Facebook is a great tool for networking. I use it to keep in contact with my old teachers. Anytime I have a question about something, all I have to do is send them a message. They give me advice based on their experiences. It is extremely helpful to be able to connect with someone experienced in your future career that you already have a relationship. I keep in touch with my old high school counselor through Facebook. She told me that if I ever need her help with anything to call her. She now works in Mobile's school system. That works out in my favor if I ever need to visit a school or do a project in a school. She'd be able to set that up for me.

My PLN is small but strong. It's definitely something that require a lot of time and attention to be useful. I hope to continue building onto it throughout the years. It will be very beneficial to me as a teacher.

C4T 4

This C4T has been my favorite by far. In his first post, Arvind S. Grover uploaded a video of a math app. You take a picture of the equation you are trying to solve. The app gives you the answer and shows you the steps of how to solve the equation. Grover said, " This app, without overstating it, is a game changer to me. It is a game changer because students will inevitably use it. The challenge for teachers becomes that knowing that, how will we assign work accordingly?" He suggested to have the students develop an app with the same functionality as the one shown in the video. In my comment, I said that I thought having the students develop an app would be a good idea. It would give the students a sense of meaning behind doing the work because they could see a use for it. 

This is the first time I received a reply to my comments! Mr. Grover responded to my comment by pointing out that math is a really hard subject to keep students engaged in. He believes that making the math curriculum relevant makes it easier for students to stay engaged. "If they're motivated, they'll struggle through it; if they're not, well, as a teacher, that's on you." He makes a very good point here. Some students are naturally motivated. Others, not so much. Teachers have to find a way to keep them motivated to do well in their education. 


In the second post Mr. Grover made, he talked about Jodi Gold. She spoke at his school's Parents Association meeting about balancing children's use of technology. She wrote a book on the subject called Screen-Smart Parenting. Mr. Grover said that she made some very good, practical points. So good, in fact, that he bought the book on the spot. In my comment, I told Mr. Grover that this has been a concern of mine as a future teacher. We can show our students countless technologies to use, but how do we teach them to be responsible with them? I plan on buying the book myself. I think it would be beneficial to anyone that has or works with children. 

C4K November

My first student for November was Umair. He wrote a story about Superman. Superman used his laser-vision to save the city from being destroyed by a ghost. I commented, "I loved your story. You have quite an imagination. Maybe you’ll grow up to become a writer!" on his story. This time, I even received a "Thank you!" comment from Umair.


Paris wrote her typical schedule. She started from the time she woke up until the time she came back home from school. This week they discussed plans for a field trip. I commented, "Wow! Sounds like a busy day. I hope you have fun on your field trip!"

Amira wrote about the puppy her dad got her from a co-worker. He surprised her with it after they came home from dinner one night. I told her about the first puppy my parents bought me. Her name was Pepper and we rescued her. She was dislocated from her shelter after Hurricane Katrina because of the water damage the shelter received.

Blog Post 14

Teaching Our Children Can Be a Profession

Problem: Teaching needs to be professionalized.
Solution: Better academic training for prospective teachers needs to be implemented.

I agree that teaching needs to be professionalized. However, better academic training, alone, is not enough to do so. Learning how to do something and actually doing it are two completely different experiences. I think teachers need more in-classroom experience before they have a class to themselves. Early exposure to in-classroom teaching would be more beneficial to students and to prospective teachers. This gives teachers a better idea of what to expect and how to handle certain situations.

Problem: We need better recruiting techniques for new teachers.
Solution: We need to recruit new teachers from the top third of graduating classes.

I fully agree with this solution. I feel like anyone can become a teacher. The classes and state-mandated tests aren't very rigorous. They do not prove anyone's desire to become a teacher. Too many people come into this profession not truly wanting to be here. I've met people in my education classes that don't seem to be cut out for teaching, but they pass their classes regardless. I think a great way to add to this solution would be to have an in-class evaluation of one's teaching methods/practices by a state board member. This could be done before degrees are rewarded to help weed-out people that don't seem quite like teacher material.

Problem: Awards are based on seniority rather than merit.
Solution: Teachers are treated as interchangeable. There needs to be a system that tests teachers on their knowledge of teaching, which can lead to pay raises and various other perks.

I've always thought that there should be a way to reward teachers for high performance. The way I see it is that if you aren't recognized/rewarded for doing a job, you will lose your motivation to do so. It's the same way for the children we work with. Everyone wants to know that they are doing a good job. It will get to the point where people will think, "What's the point in doing all this extra work if s/he does way less than I do but still gets paid just as much as I do?" It's frustrating not to be recognized for a job well done.

Blog Post 13

Prompt:

What can you learn about working with children that have Down Syndrome or children that are on the Autism Spectrum from these videos?

Preventing Problem Behaviors at School for Autism Spectrum Children

Down Syndrome and Autism: Behavior and Aggression

"DON'T LIMIT ME!"- Powerful message from Megan with Down Syndrome 

Post:

Autism Spectrum 

Children on the Autism Spectrum tend to have periods of bad behavior. They can become over-stimulated by too much noise, social stress, or high work demands. Teachers, often, inadvertently reward bad behavior. The student will have an outburst due to frustration, so the teacher will send them out of the class. This shows the student that they can get out of doing their work by acting out. 

You should try to build in breaks before they are needed. Award  behaviors such as, staying on task or getting a certain amount of work done. Build in scheduled breaks designed to meet each child's needs. Have them walk around the school with another teacher, sit in the library to read, or go see the counselor depending on what is best for them. Some students benefit from quiet meditation or breathing techniques. Another way to help keep their behavior in check is to keep their days predictable. Have their schedule in their binder or on their desk, so they know what to expect. Give them something to fidget with-- a stress ball, manipulative, fabric swatches, Velcro, etc. Children on the Autism Spectrum take things literally, so what could be harmless teasing to other children could really upset them emotionally. Some students benefit from listening to music or using noise cancelling headphones.

Parent Speaks on Autism

Her child, CJ, displays some very aggressive behaviors. He bites, pulls hair, pulls earrings, head-butts, and scratches. Some of his triggers include loud noises and frustration. He would attack his little sister, Taylor, while his mom was driving. She had to buy a new car to enable CJ to have his own space in the car. He shares a room with Taylor. While she is asleep, CJ will come to her bed and bite her. Their mother had to move Taylor into her room. CJ is very aggressive towards the youngest child, Christian. Taylor tries to protect him, so then, CJ attacks her. Their mom has to step in. She sends the other children to a room away from CJ while she tries to talk him down. You have to be calm and soothing. If his behavior is too aggressive, she gives him time to calm down before she tries talking to him. She said the best way to deal with these behaviors is to have a strategy. You have to know what to do given a certain situation. As teachers, we are not immune to their attacks. We have to be prepared and  know what to do if these kinds of situations arise in our classroom.

Megan

This is a very impacting video. Often times, we like to limit people that have a disability because we thing they can't do something. The truth is that they can do everything we do. It may be in a different way, or it may take them longer. Either way, they can accomplish the same tasks that we can. Megan is a perfect example of this. She doesn't let her disability stop her from doing anything that she wants to do. We need to stop telling our children that they can't and show them that they can. We are the most influential people in a child's life. What gives us the right to tell them that they can't do something? Who are we to crush a child's dreams?

Project 12

Blog Post 12

Project 10

Mrs. Malone did not want to appear on camera.

C4T 3

John Burke is a high school physics teacher. In his post Best Class Ever-- when I leave the room, he explains how he had a meeting to go to one day. He left his students a complex question to work on together. He told the class that they would be recorded, and he would watch the video to view their progress. He posted the video on his blog. He was bragging about how well the students worked together and questioned how he could continue this quality of work. In my comment, I told him how this was an example of project based learning and how we've been discussing this in my class for the past few weeks. I told him that it is more enjoyable for the students, and that if he continues to have classes like set up like this, his students will continue to do well.

In his post A Solution to Comment Writing Dread: Video Reflections, Burke explains a new strategy he wants to implement for giving feedback to students. He is contemplating requiring each student to make a 5 minute video with the following criteria:

• Show me an example from your work that shows strong understanding of a physics concept.
• Show me an example from your work that shows improvement in your understanding of physics.
• Show me an example from your work that shows a concept that you are still working to improve your understanding.               

In my comment, I told Burke that I thought this would be a great idea. It gives the students a chance to explain why they think they have improved or how they have improved. It would take less time to watch the videos than to hand-write comments on paper. The feedback would be more meaningful to the student because they would have a chance to explain themselves. Overall, it would be more beneficial to the students and the teacher.