Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
C4K Summary for April
My C4K #9 was a student from New Zealand named Trinity. Her blog post was about fiafia night at their school. It is when the parents come to school and watch the students perform a dance. It sounded like a lot of fun and Trinity liked performing for everyone.
My C4K #10 was also a student from New Zealand named Mitchell. In his blog post, he answered questions about his class. He has enjoyed working hard on Google Drive. By what I read, I think he has done a great job so far this semester and has a very bright future ahead of him.
My C4K #10 was also a student from New Zealand named Mitchell. In his blog post, he answered questions about his class. He has enjoyed working hard on Google Drive. By what I read, I think he has done a great job so far this semester and has a very bright future ahead of him.
C4T #4 Summary
For my C4T #4 I was assigned to arvind grover. He is the dean of faculty at the Grace Church School in New York City and his blog is called 21apples. The two blog post's I commented on were called "Showing all kinds of loving families" and "Amazing young girls getting toys they actually want".
C4T #4 comment #1
arvind's first post I commented on was called "Showing all kinds of loving families". The post was about two men that have been together for almost 50 years but just recently became married in New York City. The post talks about different kinds of families and lifestyles. I think students need to know about diversity among families because so many are taught with one image in their mind. Our world is changing drastically and our children need to be aware of these changes.
C4T comment #2
arvind's second post I commented on was called "Amazing young girls getting toys they actually want". The post talks about the Goldieblox comercial showing little girls creating and engineering things throughout the entire house. I love this commercial because it is not black or white. It is in the gray area because it does not show the girls playing with barbies or dress-up yet it does not show them wrestling in the mud. It shows these young girls creating and building these amazing things with their girly toys around their home.
C4T #4 comment #1
C4T comment #2
arvind's second post I commented on was called "Amazing young girls getting toys they actually want". The post talks about the Goldieblox comercial showing little girls creating and engineering things throughout the entire house. I love this commercial because it is not black or white. It is in the gray area because it does not show the girls playing with barbies or dress-up yet it does not show them wrestling in the mud. It shows these young girls creating and building these amazing things with their girly toys around their home.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Blog Post #13
The rate of technology being used in today's society and inside the classroom is constantly growing. If you as the teacher, had the opportunity to go paperless and use only technology in your classroom, would you? Why or why not?
As someone who has grown up in one of the first major technology generations I have never known what life would be like if technology was never available. However, I have always had books and paper along with the growing technology in my learning process. I think technology in the classroom is a must if we want our children to one day be able to function and thrive in our world. If they did not learn and evolve along with the growth of technology, we would be hindering them in so many ways because technology is becoming so prominent.
I think if students use the resources they are given, they could soar and learn so much they could not learn or did not have the time to learn during designated school hours. I also think that students should have the opportunity to hold the book while reading, not holding an iPad or reading from a computer screen. I think they should have to take notes and complete homework with pen and paper. Yes, technology is a great resource for students but if they learn everything from a computer screen, how are they supposed to learn how to write? How are they supposed to write anything without spell check or auto-correct? There is an endless amount of pros and cons of going paperless but if I had the option, I would not. The students need to learn how to answer a math problem with the steps and formulas before they can use a calculator. They need to know how it feels to flip a page of their favorite book. Yes, becoming a paperless classroom is possible and many teachers would probably do it in a heartbeat but as for me, I will stick to paper and pencils as long as I can.
I think if students use the resources they are given, they could soar and learn so much they could not learn or did not have the time to learn during designated school hours. I also think that students should have the opportunity to hold the book while reading, not holding an iPad or reading from a computer screen. I think they should have to take notes and complete homework with pen and paper. Yes, technology is a great resource for students but if they learn everything from a computer screen, how are they supposed to learn how to write? How are they supposed to write anything without spell check or auto-correct? There is an endless amount of pros and cons of going paperless but if I had the option, I would not. The students need to learn how to answer a math problem with the steps and formulas before they can use a calculator. They need to know how it feels to flip a page of their favorite book. Yes, becoming a paperless classroom is possible and many teachers would probably do it in a heartbeat but as for me, I will stick to paper and pencils as long as I can.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Blog Post #12
Learning Disabilities Association of America defines a learning disability as a "neurological condition that interferes with an individual's ability to store, process, or produce information." In today's society, there are so many tools and assistive technology that allows students with learning disabilities to be almost, if not completely, included in every aspect of the learning process and the classroom in general. The types of assistive technology varies from hi-tech to low-tech depending on the student's disability. Every disability case is different so an assistive tool that worked well for one student might not work at all for another, you just have to keep trying.
While doing some research, I found a great website called, greatschools.org. This website has so much information about learning disabilities and assistive technologies. One assistive technology that I found interesting was an information/data manager. It helps people that struggle with organization and memory. They can plan, store checklists, keep a calendar and much more on this device. Some are portable and hand-held devices that can be taken home with the student each day. I think that would be great for any student, especially one's that struggle with memory and organization. Depending on the grade level, either myself or the student with my assistance, would write down things they need to bring to class each day or homework for the night. We could store it in the data manager at the beginning of the week so they can be prepared for what is coming up.
Another tool I found that would be useful in the classroom is called a Variable Speed Tape Recorder. It helps student's that struggle with listening and reading skills. The recorder allows them to record a lecture during class or instructions for a project so they can play it back later. It also allows them to slow down the speed of the voice that is recorded with out distorting the recording.
While doing some research, I found a great website called, greatschools.org. This website has so much information about learning disabilities and assistive technologies. One assistive technology that I found interesting was an information/data manager. It helps people that struggle with organization and memory. They can plan, store checklists, keep a calendar and much more on this device. Some are portable and hand-held devices that can be taken home with the student each day. I think that would be great for any student, especially one's that struggle with memory and organization. Depending on the grade level, either myself or the student with my assistance, would write down things they need to bring to class each day or homework for the night. We could store it in the data manager at the beginning of the week so they can be prepared for what is coming up.
Another tool I found that would be useful in the classroom is called a Variable Speed Tape Recorder. It helps student's that struggle with listening and reading skills. The recorder allows them to record a lecture during class or instructions for a project so they can play it back later. It also allows them to slow down the speed of the voice that is recorded with out distorting the recording.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Sunday, April 6, 2014
C4K Summary for March
My C4K #6 was a student from New Zealand named Punaiuru. In her blog post she had a video of herself talking about her swimming story. The post was called Punaiuru's Swimming Story. She talked about when her class went swimming. They blew bubbles and it was a lot of fun! The purpose of the blog post and video was for her to practice creating simple sentences and I think she did a great job.
My C4K #7 was a student from New Zealand as well. Her name T.A. and her post was about Mazes. She gave a few questions and answers about mazes. She knew a lot about them and they seem like a lot of fun. Maybe I can go through a maze one day.
My C4K #8 was also a student from New Zealand. His name is Jayden and his post was about dividing in math. He gave some of his strategies when dividing three digit numbers by one digit numbers. His favorite subject is math and I know why. He is great at math and his strategies are great ways to divide larger numbers.
My C4K #7 was a student from New Zealand as well. Her name T.A. and her post was about Mazes. She gave a few questions and answers about mazes. She knew a lot about them and they seem like a lot of fun. Maybe I can go through a maze one day.
My C4K #8 was also a student from New Zealand. His name is Jayden and his post was about dividing in math. He gave some of his strategies when dividing three digit numbers by one digit numbers. His favorite subject is math and I know why. He is great at math and his strategies are great ways to divide larger numbers.
Blog Post #11
By: Sarah Carl
The video of Roosevelt Elementary School's PBL program is proof of how project-based learning is so great for students. The Roosevelt teachers teach their students skills necessary for the real world such as public speaking. So many adults go through school and enter the real world never being able to properly give a speech or how to interview and that is a major reason why our society is the way it is today. Project-based learning not only teaches the students public speaking skills at an early age, it also teaches them self-motivation. They need to know that sometimes the only way to keep moving forward in life is to be able to motivate yourself to do things because they will not always have someone to hold their hand through everything. The students learn to work independently and cooperatively. By working together in PBL, the students practice social skills and how to work together which is also very necessary for the real world. Project-based learning does not use just one way of learning, it incorporates multiple intelligences so each child receives the most information from each lesson. By using multiple intelligences, it makes the students much more engaged and interactive. It makes them curious and wanting to learn. As the teacher's at Roosevelt Elementary School said "It's not easy. It's a lot of work for teachers." But I think to see the students so engaged and excited about learning makes it completely worth it.
By: Ashley Howell
In the video, Super Digital Citizen, Mr. Pane, who is a fourth grade teacher, teaches his students about Internet safety. I feel like in today’s society kids are constantly learning how to use the Internet and technology, but they don’t really learn much about how to be safe. Mr. Pane wanted his students to learn how to be good digital citizens, which meant knowing how to act safely, respectfully, and responsibly on the Internet. He decided to teach his kids about Internet safety in a really neat, fun way. He had his students use a website to create their own Digital Superhero, as well as their own imagined situation in which the superhero would save the day when it came to Internet safety. The students basically wrote their own narrative, like a comic. Not only were the students learning about how to use technology and Internet safety, but they were also learning more about their English and writing skills. You could tell by the video just how much fun these students were having with this project. In the video, Mr. Pane mentions how it’s important to create some projects that are about the students because it makes them more meaningful. As teachers, it’s important to remember that the students are exposed to so much online and they need to know how to make good choices.
We have been learning a lot lately about Project Based Learning and how great it really is. In the Youtube video titled, Project Based Learning, we learn how three teachers in Canada restructured their day to use Project Based Learning. In this particular classroom, students don’t learn in segmented subjects. Instead, the teachers integrate subjects like History and English coupled with technology. In the video, we learn that research shows that integrated learning through projects allows the students to be more engaged and provides an opportunity for deeper understanding. The three teachers in this video realized how beneficial Project Based Learning can be, but all they needed was more time. The teachers decided to restructure their day to make time to blend ideas and content, go deeper into learning, and provide feedback. It’s hard to do a good, thorough project when the students are limited. With Project Based Learning, teachers are allowed to teach things beyond the curriculum. It gives the students a chance to create something great on their own and be proud of the process, as well as the outcome.
By:Holly Shaw
Brian Crosby is an innovative, exciting fourth grade teacher who does not take the easy route in teaching his students. While most teachers are satisfied with high test scores and multiple choice tests, Crosby is not. In this video, he talks about a particular project dealing with atmospheric pressure and the levels of the atmosphere. Rather than just teaching his students verbatim what their textbook claims, Crosby used the book, charts and had the students complete various exciting activities. The students videoed their experiments and embed them to their personal blogs. In Crosby’s class, the students are doing more than learning meaningless facts, they are getting hands-on experience. By the students blogging they are getting to reinforce what they learn. The students are also exposed to flicker, wikipages, and other 21st century tools. Brian Crosby-Back To the Future
The most rewarding part of Crosby’s class is that his students are getting more out each lesson rather than just a simple science lesson. Students are learning to read and write to learn content, to write for the purpose of clarifying and sharing, and to give an receive feedback along with many other language intense skills. Brian Crosby believes in active learning where students are being empowered to learn and to learn on their own using 21st century tools. Students are also encouraged to collaborate in and outside the classroom. Students are motivated because they are able to connect with people all over the world.
By: Caitlyn Barton
Paul Anderson teaches AP Biology in Bozeman, Montana. This past year he turned his classroom into a video game. He thought it was a great year but a little too different. So this year he wanted to do a blended classroom. He talks about it in this video. His idea for blended learning is combining mobile, online, and classroom learning. For biology, he teaches his students by using the 5 E's: engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate. His idea of blended learning combined with the 5 E's makes his blended learning cycle. Mr. Anderson likes to start a lesson with a big question that catches the students' attention. Next, he lets the student investigate to try and answer the questions they all have. Once his students have more answers, they get to watch a video that goes along with the topic. He ends his lesson with a review and testing. I think his way of teaching is something that every teacher should try in their classroom. The class does not all move along at one time. He makes sure each student is ready to move on to the next part of his blended learning cycle. Mr. Anderson says all of his students have responded positively to this method of teaching!
March Church's Making Thinking Visible video gives us a look into his classroom. Mr. Church likes to break his students into small groups. While in their groups he gives them questions to elaborate on with the other members of the group. Each group comes up with a headline that captures the essence of their topic. He then asks the groups to present their headline and explain why they chose it. To finish the project all of the headlines are joined together to make a bulletin board!
By: Ashley Howell
In the video, Super Digital Citizen, Mr. Pane, who is a fourth grade teacher, teaches his students about Internet safety. I feel like in today’s society kids are constantly learning how to use the Internet and technology, but they don’t really learn much about how to be safe. Mr. Pane wanted his students to learn how to be good digital citizens, which meant knowing how to act safely, respectfully, and responsibly on the Internet. He decided to teach his kids about Internet safety in a really neat, fun way. He had his students use a website to create their own Digital Superhero, as well as their own imagined situation in which the superhero would save the day when it came to Internet safety. The students basically wrote their own narrative, like a comic. Not only were the students learning about how to use technology and Internet safety, but they were also learning more about their English and writing skills. You could tell by the video just how much fun these students were having with this project. In the video, Mr. Pane mentions how it’s important to create some projects that are about the students because it makes them more meaningful. As teachers, it’s important to remember that the students are exposed to so much online and they need to know how to make good choices.
We have been learning a lot lately about Project Based Learning and how great it really is. In the Youtube video titled, Project Based Learning, we learn how three teachers in Canada restructured their day to use Project Based Learning. In this particular classroom, students don’t learn in segmented subjects. Instead, the teachers integrate subjects like History and English coupled with technology. In the video, we learn that research shows that integrated learning through projects allows the students to be more engaged and provides an opportunity for deeper understanding. The three teachers in this video realized how beneficial Project Based Learning can be, but all they needed was more time. The teachers decided to restructure their day to make time to blend ideas and content, go deeper into learning, and provide feedback. It’s hard to do a good, thorough project when the students are limited. With Project Based Learning, teachers are allowed to teach things beyond the curriculum. It gives the students a chance to create something great on their own and be proud of the process, as well as the outcome.
By:Holly Shaw
Brian Crosby is an innovative, exciting fourth grade teacher who does not take the easy route in teaching his students. While most teachers are satisfied with high test scores and multiple choice tests, Crosby is not. In this video, he talks about a particular project dealing with atmospheric pressure and the levels of the atmosphere. Rather than just teaching his students verbatim what their textbook claims, Crosby used the book, charts and had the students complete various exciting activities. The students videoed their experiments and embed them to their personal blogs. In Crosby’s class, the students are doing more than learning meaningless facts, they are getting hands-on experience. By the students blogging they are getting to reinforce what they learn. The students are also exposed to flicker, wikipages, and other 21st century tools. Brian Crosby-Back To the Future
By: Caitlyn Barton
Paul Anderson teaches AP Biology in Bozeman, Montana. This past year he turned his classroom into a video game. He thought it was a great year but a little too different. So this year he wanted to do a blended classroom. He talks about it in this video. His idea for blended learning is combining mobile, online, and classroom learning. For biology, he teaches his students by using the 5 E's: engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate. His idea of blended learning combined with the 5 E's makes his blended learning cycle. Mr. Anderson likes to start a lesson with a big question that catches the students' attention. Next, he lets the student investigate to try and answer the questions they all have. Once his students have more answers, they get to watch a video that goes along with the topic. He ends his lesson with a review and testing. I think his way of teaching is something that every teacher should try in their classroom. The class does not all move along at one time. He makes sure each student is ready to move on to the next part of his blended learning cycle. Mr. Anderson says all of his students have responded positively to this method of teaching!
March Church's Making Thinking Visible video gives us a look into his classroom. Mr. Church likes to break his students into small groups. While in their groups he gives them questions to elaborate on with the other members of the group. Each group comes up with a headline that captures the essence of their topic. He then asks the groups to present their headline and explain why they chose it. To finish the project all of the headlines are joined together to make a bulletin board!
C4T #3 Summary
For my C4T #3 I was assigned to an english teacher named Eva Buyuksimkesyan. Her blog is called A Journey in TEFL. The two blog post's I commented on were called "5 fun activities for the Monday morning" and "Virtual Tourists".
C4T #3 comment #1
Eva's first post I commented on was called 5 Fun Activities For the Monday Morning. The post was about different activities to do with the students on monday mornings so they wake up and get excited for the week. I think anybody could say monday mornings are usually the hardest part of the week to get excited for school or work. These activities are a great way to get the students engaged and ready for the week.
C4T #3 comment #2
Eva's second post I commented on was called Virtual Tourists. She was teaching her class about the pyramids and pharaohs and one of her students asked if they could go see them so she said they could. She used many different websites that allowed them to do virtual field trips. I think cites such as these are great for the students learning process because it gives them a major visual experience to help them learn and remember the information.
C4T #3 comment #1
Eva's first post I commented on was called 5 Fun Activities For the Monday Morning. The post was about different activities to do with the students on monday mornings so they wake up and get excited for the week. I think anybody could say monday mornings are usually the hardest part of the week to get excited for school or work. These activities are a great way to get the students engaged and ready for the week.
C4T #3 comment #2
Eva's second post I commented on was called Virtual Tourists. She was teaching her class about the pyramids and pharaohs and one of her students asked if they could go see them so she said they could. She used many different websites that allowed them to do virtual field trips. I think cites such as these are great for the students learning process because it gives them a major visual experience to help them learn and remember the information.
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