Project #16- Important Technology Tools

Blog Post Assignment #5 Part 2

Before being introduced in EDM 310, I had no idea what a Personal Learning Network was. Now that the end of the semester is near, I have come to realize that I have had a Personal Learning Network all along and have developed some new ones. A Personal Learning Network or PLN is a network used to help you continue to learn and connect with others about information you are interested in. My Personal Learning Networks include Blogger, Facebook, Google Docs, Twitter, and Youtube. Before taking EDM 310, I did not know anything about Blogger and Google Docs. I thought I would never get the hang of using these tools and that after completing this class I would never want to use them again, but I was wrong. Now that I am almost finished with EDM 310, I have grown to love Blogger and Google Docs. With blogging I have learned so much from reading various posts to connecting and commenting with teachers and students from around the world. Blogging has introduced me to a new world in technology and I will continue to use it throughout my career.

 

Technology and Teaching: My Philosophy

My philosophy of technology and teaching has changed so much because of EDM 310. Before beginning this class, I believed that technology should be included in the classroom but with limitations. I believed that technology would be a great thing to include in the classroom but that it would also be a distraction. Now that I am reaching the end of the semester in EDM 310, my philosophy of technology in the classroom has totally changed. Technology is becoming apart of everyone's daily lives and I believe that we should educate our children on how to properly use it. Throughout this semester I have learned so many ways in how I can incorporate technology in the classroom and also make it fun for the students. My favorite technology tool is blogging. Blogging helps students improve their writing, teaches them how to be safe on the internet, and it is like an online progress report for their parents. I also like how students are able to take a virtual field trip without leaving their classroom and can connect with other students around the world. With technology the opportunities are endless! The students are learning, having fun, and being prepared for the real world.

Blog Post Assignment #14

For this assignment I read Teaching Our Children can be a Profession by Joel Klein. In this article Mr. Klein discusses professionalizing teaching and making it more respected like law and medicine. Throughout this article, Klein states problems and gives solutions for these problems.

First problem: Lack of academic training for prospective teachers.
Solution: Recruit teachers from the top third of graduates.

I agree with this problem. If future educators are not properly trained, how can they teach children? I believe that education programs need to strengthen their requirements for teachers in math and reading. With this idea, future educators will be more capable of teaching math and reading to their students. I also agree with the solution to this problem. Recruiting teachers from the top third of graduating classes would ensure that schools will have the best educators possible.

Second problem: Seniority.
Solution: Letting the teachers success in the classroom decide their fate.

I agree with the problem about seniority. I believe that if a new teacher comes to a school and is more successful in the classroom than the teacher that has seniority, the teacher that is not as successful should be replaced. Teachers should be rewarded for their success, not rewarded because they have been in the field longer than another teacher. I agree with Mr. Klein that this solution would not only be beneficial for students but also teachers.

Third problem: Incompetent teachers.
Solution: Establishing a board.

Lastly, I agree with this problem also. Teacher Education should have a board that establishes standards for teachers. I like the idea of teachers being promoted based on specialty exams. I believe that teachers who pass this exam should be rewarded and those who do not, should not be.

In conclusion, Klein had some great ideas for teachers and the education program. I agree with all of the problems and his solutions. I hope that some time in the near future there will be a major improvement in the Teacher Education field.

 

Project #16 Team Blog Post

C4T #4

For comment for teacher I was assigned Mrs. Hadley. Mrs. Hadley's post was titled Starting with Student Superpowers. This post was by far my favorite post to read out of all of my comment for teacher posts. Mrs. Hadley discussed a project she had her students to do on the first day of class that served as something like an icebreaker. She wanted her students to identify what could be a challenge for them in their upcoming school year. She then had her students to imagine that they were going to be given superpowers that would help them defeat the challenges. Lastly, she gave each student three post-it notes to write each power on and asked them to put them up on the bulletin board.

My comment to Mrs. Hadley was:

Hi Mrs. Hadley,

I enjoyed reading your post! I love your idea of letting the students chose a superpower. That seems like a great way to start the year off with your students! I would definitely like to use this idea in my future classroom.

-Heather

Project #6 C4K April

In my first comment for kids in April I was assigned Jack G.  The post I commented on was Goal Keeper and Jack discussed his favorite sport, soccer. Jack stated that he is a goal keeper and he is sometimes referred to as Scott Sterling because he is so good at it. Jack also said that if he could, he would like to be a professional goal keeper.

My comment to Jack G was:

 Hi Jack,

I enjoyed reading your post about soccer. I hope you are able to become a professional goal keeper one day. If you continue to play and practice I am sure your dream will come true. Good Luck!

-Heather


My second comment for kids for the month of April was Owen. Owen's post was titled Lunch for my Teacher. Owen gave a list of foods for his teacher which included: brain salad as the main course, ant blood as the soup, mushed up bugs as the drink, and bug cake for dessert.

My comment for Owen was:

 Hi Owen,

This sounds like a really interesting meal. I like how you made up a meal with an entree, appetizer, and dessert. What was your assignment for this post? I would really like to know more about it.

-Heather


For my last comment for kids in April, I was assigned Jack G again. His post was titled The Helicopter Business. In this post Jack stated that if he had a choice in a business he could own it would be a helicopter business. His plans are to start a pilot and mechanic school for helicopters which one be named after him. He wants to teach people in classrooms the parts of a helicopter and what each part does. He would also like to sell the parts.

My comment to Jack G was:

 Hi Jack,
That's a really great idea. I think people would be interested in taking classes to learn about helicopters. Don't give up on your dream, it could happen one day. Good luck!

-Heather

Blog Post Assignment #13

20th Century Classroom vs. 21st Century Classroom, which do you prefer?

I believe this assignment should be done at the beginning of the semester before the students have done any research on the 21st century classroom.

For this assignment the students will research the 20th century classroom and the 21st century classroom. After researching, the students will decide which classroom would be the best to use for their future classroom. Here's a site to get you started: 21st Century Schools

There have been many debates about which type of classroom is the best and I would have to say the 21st century classroom. Growing up I was mostly in the 20th century classroom. We focused on the teacher, textbooks, and used little to not any technology at all. I like the 21st century classroom because it is more focused on the students and making sure they are learning instead of just memorizing. I love the idea of project based learning and researching to find answers. Another great idea from the 21st century is blogging and being able to take a field trip around the world while just using your smartboard in the classroom. The 21st century classroom is so much more hands-on than the 20th century so I believe it would be the best to use for my future classroom.

C4T #3

Cathy Jo Nelson's first post was titled  SCASL15 Day One’s Memorable.
She discussed the first day of South Carolina's annual library conference. Her part in the conference was to lead a "flipped library" session and introduce it to other librarians. She also attended a session called Project Connect and during the conference there was the grand opening of a new exhibit hall. My comment to Mrs. Nelson was that I enjoyed reading her post about the first day of the conference. I also told her that it sounds like a busy yet exciting time for librarians. I can't wait to read her post about day two.

In her second post titled Common Craft Does Libraries, Cathy Jo Nelson discussed libraries being common crafted. Being common crafted explains to people what librarians do. Mrs. Nelson stated that she does not know if she should be happy or sad about libraries being common crafted but she is glad they are being represented. I told Mrs. Nelson I understood why she doesn't know how she should feel. I also told her that I believe in this case she should feel happy because the video will bring more people to the library to get better research instead of relying on the internet.

Blog Post Assignment #12

Project #14 Project Based Learning Plan

This project is a lesson plan for teaching about African culture and making masks. It includes a lesson plan, color worksheet, and rubric.

Blog Post Assignment #11

What can we learn about teaching and learning from these teachers?

In the video Back to the Future by Brian Crosby, I learned new technology tools I can use in my future classroom. My favorite was allowing the class to make a Wiki page. This idea was exciting for me because it goes beyond just having a class blog. I believe the students would really like this idea because Wiki pages are viewed by so many people around the world.

In Paul Andersen's Blended Learning Cycle video, he discussed blended learning and the learning cycle. Blended learning includes online, classroom, and mobile learning. The learning cycle includes the five E's: engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate. When you combine blended learning and the learning cycle you get the Blended Learning Cycle. The steps of the Blended Learning Cycle are questioning, investigating and inquiring, giving video instruction, elaborating on the instruction, reviewing the subject, and giving a summary quiz. The Blended Learning Cycle is definitely something I want to use in my future classroom. This technique would be a way to get the students more involved and also a way to see if they are actually learning.

Mark Church's Making Thinking Visible discussed looking at things differently. Church encourages teachers to teach for understanding and to think about their student’s culture while they are teaching.

Super Digital Citizen by Sam Pane was one of my favorite videos in this assignment. Pane let his students create comics in order to teach them how to use the internet safely. He stated that the comics are a visual presentation of learning and teaches dialogue. I think this way of teaching internet safety would be very effective and would show the teacher if their students know what not to do on the internet. It would also be a fun and enjoyable project for the students to do.

The last two videos were Project Based Learning and Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program. Project Based Learning is in depth learning based on real world problems. With Project Based Learning students learn how to work independently and in groups which helps them with communication. They also learn how to solve problems and the students get engaged in learning. At Roosevelt Elementary the teachers also got the community involved in their projects. Some Project Based Learning classrooms includes combining English, History, and Technology into one. I think inclusion of other subjects is a great idea for Project Based Learning.