Blog Post 10

Little Kids...Big Potential

Cassidy uses technology in her classroom in a wide variety of ways. She uses blogs, Wikis, webpages, videos, Skype, and even Nintendo DS. My personal favorite was the classroom webpage. It has an abundant amount of resources for the students to utilize. It's a great way to incorporate extra help for struggling students. It would be easy for the parents to access at home, so they can help their child with the things they may be struggling with. I would also incorporate blogging in my class. I like how Cassidy put it. You can see the child's writing develop throughout the year. It's like keeping a digital running record of the child's progress. They get excited because people other than their teacher see their work. Nothing is more exciting to a child than to have people from all over the world to comment on their work. It makes them feel important.

Some of the problems I would expect to encounter would be the parental concerns about their child's work being online. I would send a letter home the first day of school explaining to the parents what I plan to do in the classroom with technology. I would explain to the parents why I think it would be so beneficial to their child to do the online work. I believe that once the parents see how enthusiastic the children are about learning, they will be more accepting of the use of technology. I think the parents would also appreciate the fact that they have access to their child's work anywhere, anytime. I think it would take awhile to get the parents on board with these techniques, but it will be worth the struggle in the end. The children deserve a learning environment that they will enjoy being a part of, a learning process that they are excited about, and a teacher that is willing to spend the time to make it all possible. Real world connections mean more to a student than memorizing facts out of a book.

Project 12 Part A

C4K October

The first blog I commented on was by Christian. He posted this picture titled Just Peachy-ish.
This was the comment I left. "I really enjoyed this picture. The title made me smile. The color is sort of peach-ish, isn't it? Great job. Keep painting. "

For my second blog, I received Thor. He posted about how student should have more of a say in how their day is spent at school. Some of his ideas were that students should be able to choose what they want for lunch, recess should be 15 minutes longer, and that there should be no homework on Fridays. In my comment, I told him how I remember feeling the same way when I was in grade school. I also told him that his teachers are trying to help him through all the work they assign. As final words of advice, I said that he should try to enjoy school while he can because he will miss it one day.

The third child I received for this month was Phoenix. In her post she said, "I like school." I told her that I'm going to school to become a teacher. It's a wonderful thing to hear that students still enjoy going to school. I told her that I enjoy school too and that I've been in it for 16 years.

The fourth child I received for the month of October was Izac. He posted a picture showing how to use a compass. In my comment, I told Izac that learning your cardinal directions is a very important skill. Not only can it help you when you are lost, but it can help you find your way around a place that you are not familiar with.

Blog Post 9

Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning
This article outlines the criteria for a successful project. 1) Establish a need to know. Don't turn students off by handing out a packet that looks like busy-work. Excite them with a video, discussion, guest speaker, or something of the like. Their interest will follow. 2) Ask a driving question. You can think of this as a thesis for the project. Ask a question that is going to focus the students. It should be a complex, open-ended question that links to the core  of what you want the students to learn. 3) Give the students a voice and a choice. This makes the project meaningful to the students. Whether choice is limited or not, the students still feel like they had a say in what to learn about. This was always something I had an issue with in school, especially with essays. I didn't mind writing them-- I even liked writing. However, I hated writing on the provided topics. I found them boring, stupid, or a waste of time. Being given the opportunity to choice my own topic actually made me want to write the essay. This same concept can be applied to project based learning. 4) Implement 21st Century Skills. The use of these skills gives the project a sense of necessity. The students will learn skills or collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and the use of technology. All of these are important aspects of the workplace and life. 5) Encourage Inquiry and Innovation. Have the students write a list of questions. In their search to find the answers, they will most likely have new questions. They will become interested in the topic and keep searching for more information. This will lead to them answering the driving question, a new product, or a new solution to a problem. 6) Provide feedback and time for revision. Having a process for feedback and revision is another way to add meaning to a project. It teaches students that first attempts aren't always successful. Real-world work has to be revised to make it better or to fit new situations. 7) Have public presentations. Students will provide higher quality work if they know that someone other than the teacher is going to see it. This could also lead to the use of student projects outside of school.

Project Based Learning For Teachers
In this video, Tony Vincent explains what project based learning (PBL) is. It is a teaching style, in which, teachers have students work over an extended period of time to answer a complex driving question. The students share their learning experience with others by creating an end product. Through the project, students learn collaboration, communication, critical thinking, career, and life skills. PBL includes having a purpose, addressing an audience, crafting a driving question, identifying learning standards, creating a rubric, grouping students, brainstorming, branching questions, meeting deadlines, focusing the process, and refining the end product. PBL accomplishes all this while giving the students a say so in their learning. It is a new way to reach our students and keep them interested in school.

Two Students Solve the problem of Watery Ketchup By Designing A New Cap 
This was a really interesting video. It shows a potential outcome of PBL. The students came up with a driving question to solve a problem that they were having. They didn't like their ketchup to come out of the bottle watery. They did a lot of research to see if there were any existing solutions to the problem. They didn't find any patents pertaining to their issue, so they began planning. Each student came up with 30 ideas for a design. From there, they narrowed it down to five design and then, chose the one shown in the video. They used a 3D printer to make the prototype. After completion of the new ketchup cap, they conducted market research to see their potential profits. Each cap would cost roughly 22.6 cents to make, and consumers would be willing to pay up to $3.00 for the solution to watery ketchup. This is just one of many examples of the results of PBL. The students in this video used research to answer a driving question that they came up with on their own. They solved their own problem. This is the ultimate goal of PBL-- to help students develop ingenuity.

Project Based Learning in PE 
This article describes a PBL project in which high school students design a physical fitness program for middle school students. Having the students create these programs gives them a better understanding of how physical fitness is achieved. These skills will be useful to them throughout their entire life. They will be able to adjust the programs to fit their needs as they age and their fitness levels change. Having the younger students work with the older students would get the younger students more motivated to do well with the physical fitness program. Since the high-schoolers would have someone actually using their program, they would feel the need to do their best. This is another great example of PBL in action.

What Motivates Students?
In this video, several students were interviewed about what motivates them to do well in school and what reward system works for them. Some of the things they listed as motivation were:

• Student recognition for a job well done
• Financial stability in the future
• Accomplishment of career goals
• Disapproval of parents
• Punishment by parents

Some of the things they listed as rewards that they liked were:

• Going outside to do their work
• Getting school supplies
• Food
• Classroom monetary system; The students are rewarded for good behavior by gaining money and punished for bad behavior by losing money. On Fridays, they could use their money to buy things from the classroom store.
• Having themed days of the week

As teachers, we need to take the time to listen to our students to see what works for them. No child sets out to do bad in school. They get bored, frustrated, tired, etc. It's up to us to figure out ways to keep their attention and keep them motivated. We have to break up the monotony of school-- for them and for us!  I mean do you really want to spend your weekend grading a bunch of papers? Or would you rather have the students present a project that you, as well as they, can be proud of? It's just something to think about. After all, kids will be kids. Put all that excess energy and ambition to good use! MAKE THEM THINK!

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

Part A

Just about everyone has a smartphone these days. That means that we have access to unlimited amounts of information at the tips of our fingers. With all the potential we have for using that technology, why do many teachers ban phones in the classroom? I, personally, use my phone to take notes, set reminders, and Google search concepts that I don't understand. I think that phones could play a big role in the classroom.

The camera function, alone, could revolutionize education. In class, I use my camera to take pictures of notes posted on the board. I've used it to take pictures of someone else's notes from classes that I've missed. I've even used it to take pictures of quizzes I've missed, so I would have the information for the final exam. I set reminders through Cortana. (She's the Window's phone's version of Siri.) If I say, "Remind me to do my homework when I get home," as soon as I pull into my driveway, my reminder will pop up on my screen. My phone is an essential part of keeping me organized for school.

Part B
Looking at it from the viewpoint of a teacher, cameras would be very useful in art. Using the filter functions could teach students about concepts like value, color, and shade. There are several apps that I have downloaded for my niece and nephews. Connect the Dots teaches kids how to count and to recognize the numeral that goes along with the number. My favorite one for them to play is Preschool Essentials. It teaches them letter sounds through matching letters to pictures of words that start with the sound, colors by matching splotches of paint to objects of the same color, and quantities by matching numerals to objects. It even keeps a progress  report for the students. If this was used in a center, the students could play the games and keep track of  how much they are improving.

C4T #2

I received Michael Gorman. In his post, he discussed how PBL, STEM, and Tech Integration all work together. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This covers the new common core standards teachers are supposed to cover. PBL and tech integration are the ways to achieve these standards. Through tech integration, PBL is achieved. A teacher plans a project around one of the components of STEM. They introduce the students to new technologies that will aid them in their project. Think of it as going on a trip. Technology is the vehicle, PBL is the journey, and STEM is the destination. In my comment, I told Gorman that we just learned about PBL in EDM310, so I particularly enjoyed his post. I didn't fully experience PBL until taking this class. It has been a great learning experience and has better prepared me for being a future educator.

His second post was about using technology to create a blended learning experience. Gorman wanted to point out that integrating technology into the classroom doesn't automatically mean that the

students will have a blended learning experience. There needs to be a follow up session after the technology is used for students to reflect on. Gorman includes 10 ways technology should be used:

1. Reach beyond the classroom walls for learning opportunities, collaboration, and audience
2. Create a student driven/centered learning environment
3. Allow for collaborative experiences in and out of the classroom
4. Permit student control over learning, allowing for important voice and choice
5. Provide opportunities for remixing of information leading to innovation and creativity
6. Give opportunities for personalized and differentiated learning
7. Promote convergent and divergent thinking  in order to promote inquiry and critical thinking 
8. Encourage student invention of new products and possibilities to demonstrate learning
9. Exploring authentic and real learning experiences.
10. Establishing opportunities for anytime/anywhere learning.

In my comment, I told Gorman about my old high school. We received several technology grants. Our school had the newest/best technologies out of all the surrounding districts. However, the students didn't benefit from it because the teachers didn't know how to implement it properly. Having technology available is good, but you have to know how to make using it meaningful.

Project 9

Project 7 Part B

Meet the Students:

Meet the Parents:

Blog Post 7

1.How to Make an Audio QR-Code
This video shows the process of making a QR-Code. A QR-Code is a machine-readable code that is usually used to store URLs. The codes can be scanned using a smartphone's camera. This will take you to the website. I think this would be a great way to add something extra to the projects that the students have been doing in class. It would be a wonderful idea for open house. You can have each child make their own QR-Code explaining what each project is, why they did it the way they did, and what they liked about it. Then, print the codes out and have them displayed next to the students work.

2. iPad Reading Center
In this video, the teacher created a center where the students record themselves reading. I think this could be very beneficial to the students. They record themselves  reading the book, and then, they listen to make sure they read everything correctly. It gives them the opportunity to see what words they missed.

3. Poplet
This video talked about an app called Poplet. Poplet lets you create text/picture boxes. When the students read a book, they put the title in the middle and surround it with details from the book. It's a wonderful way to map stories. When the students finish their map, they can screencap a picture of it so that they can hold on to the information. This helps students remember more of what they read because they actually have to do something with the information.

4. Alabama Virtual Library as a Kindergarten Center
This video describes the Alabama Virtual Library. It is an app that the students can download for research. The students search a word. The app will bring up a picture of whatever they search, give information about the item, and sometimes, have a video that accompanies it. This is a great way to introduce students to the process of researching. The teacher in the video had the students look up four words. For each word, they had to glue a picture on a piece of paper and write a sentence describing the item. This becomes a meaningful experience for the child because they found the information themselves. It teaches them how to use search engines for information.

5. Discovery Education Board Builder
This video is about Discovery Education's Board Builder. The students watched a video about the moon and then made a board about it. This app is similar to Poplet. The students create a title for the board. Then, they can add facts to the board via the text box. To finish the board, the can add either a picture or a video to tell more about the subject. This is like a new way to make PowerPoint Presentations.

6.Board Builder Project
In this video, the students presented a Board Builder project they did in class. I think Board Builder would be a good way to get students to learn how to pull together information. The students in this video made their board about whales. You could assign other students things like krill, kale, and plankton. When each student presents their project, they will see how ecosystems work together. It's a good app to use for collaboration.

7. Board Builder Project #2
In this video, the students made a board about an animal shelter. They are collecting money to donate to the shelter. They gave reasons as to how the money will be used to help provide the animals with the things they need. This is a good way to show the students how to reach out to the community. If they were to post the girls' project on the school's website, parents might donate to the shelter.

8. iMovie and AVL
In this video, two librarians were interviewed about the usage of iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) in Kindergarten. This video changed my mind about using technology in schools for the younger kids. I thought it would be too hard for the students to learn how to use the technologies properly. After hearing about how the students made iMovie book trailers, I realized that the students can use these programs better than me. If you introduce students to technology early, they will learn how to use it better sooner. AVL is used to teach the students how to begin researching. The students type in words or phrases, and the app will bring up picture and information about what they searched.

9. We all Become Learners
This video talks about how you should introduce new technologies to students. You should teach the basics about how to use the new programs. Let the students explore and learn on how to fully use them on their own. Mrs. Bennett told a story about how she was trying to show her students how to upload a picture to a program. One of her students took the iPad from her and showed her how to do it. As teachers, we don't need to underestimate our students' abilities. We can learn just as much from them as they can from us.


Overall, I think I learn how to use technology quickly. However, a weakness I have when it comes to implementing technology into teaching is that I try to limit what I think the students can do. I need to get out of this mind-set that it's too hard for them to do or that they are too young to learn how to do it. Watching these videos made me realize that the younger students can use these programs better than I can. Another challenge I will face is that I don't know about the technologies that are out there. I've learned about some really neat ones through this blog post assignment. Between now and graduation, I need to surf the Internet and search for programs that I can implement in my future classroom.