I am amazed at how much my mind has changed since this class started. I thought technology was important but I didn't think it should be the most important part of the classroom. In my first blog post I wrote that I wanted my children to learn the hard way, with pen and paper. However, now I feel like technology should be the most important part in a classroom. Technology helps teachers create engaging assignments and teach children without them realizing they are learning. Technology also makes learning fun for children.
I still feel that my school should be fun and exciting for children. It should feel like school to them. I would add a lot more technology tools though, like the smartboard use and blogging. I still stand firm in my no test policy, so I will encourage project based learning in my classroom.
I want my students to enjoy learning, so I plan on creating assignments that they enjoy doing. It will be a learning process for me as well so it will take time for me to learn how to create those assignments but I am up for the challenge. want to teach either fourth of fifth grade because I feel that is the age students are most easily influenced. If I can create a learning environment that is engaging for this age group I could possibly give them an excitement for learning in the future.
I can not wait to put to use what I have learned in EDM 310 this semester.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Blog Post #15
ICurio
In EDM 310, one of our assignments was to research ICurio. I was able to access limited information about ICurio due to not having a sign in. This limited access provided me with a limited understanding of what exactly ICurio is. However, after watching the ICurio video made by Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps I gained a better understanding. ICurio is a curated search engine specifically designed to provide safe research for students. There are so many things on the internet these days that are inappropriate for children so having a site that is screened by professionals is very important. ICurio is also designed to help students begin developing their online organization skills. As Anthony points out this skill is important because people seem to be naturally unorganized. Another interesting thing about ICurio is that it has a read aloud option for accessibility. This allows children with special needs to get the same information as other students. I thought it was cool how Anthony says his students all wanted to try this option the first few times but then realized that they could read the material faster. After viewing this video I now have a better understanding, enough of one that I look forward to having my students use it in the future.
Discovery ED
I enjoyed learning about Discovery Ed from Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps. Discovery Ed is a tool that allows students to get a better understanding of a subject by allowing them to view images and videos that are associated with what they are learning. Anthony says this is important because children obtain more information when there is a visual associated with text. Another important aspect of Discovery Ed is that is allows teachers to bring professionals into the classroom through video. Anthony said that this is important because students can see that the information they are being taught is not just the teachers opinion but is fact. Dr. Stange points out in the video that students are now what he calls “listener watchers”, meaning that because of our technology advanced world students watch and listen far more than than read and write. I think Discovery Ed is a good tool to use especially in the elementary classroom because a teacher can describe a subject all day long to their students, but until the student can place a visual to the subject they will never fully understand what they are being taught.
The Anthony-Strange Tips for Teachers Part 1
As an education major I find myself wondering if I will know what to do on my first day in the classroom. I am beginning to realize that I will not, nobody does. However thanks the Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps I understand why. In their video, The Anthony-Strange Tips for Teachers Part 1, Anthony and Dr. Strange give tips to future educators. They start by saying that the most important thing to remember as a teacher, is that in order to be a good teacher you must also be a good learner. Along with that Anthony adds that being a teacher is hard work but if you make it a part of your life, instead of keeping work and play separate, it is very rewarding. Another tip mentioned is that teachers need to be flexible because the unexpected happens, and it is the teacher’s job to keep the classroom running smoothly. Teachers should also think of ways to keep their students engaged. Anthony says that this is a goal of 100 percent student engagement and good ways to accomplish this are to make the content something they care about, make it a process they want to use, and to make it shareable. He also says to always start an assignment with the end in mind. Lastly, he says to allow for reflection and self evaluation because it is key to improvement. I really look forward to the day when I can apply these tips in my future classroom.
Brittany Allemand
ICurio
Anthony Capps explains how iCurio is used and its benefits really well in this video. I thought it was great that it has folders to organize all of the students work and things they have on the website. I think that is a good way to teach them how to be technology organized and even a good way to show them organization in other parts of school and life.Another thing that i really like about iCurio is how Anthony describes that it has a timeline and a directory. The students can just type in something as simple as a woman who went to space in 1970 and it will show up every woman that meets that criteria. It can take you to anything that will be useful with just a little bit of detail provided. I think this is great too because it is safe and can pull up appropriate things for students. I think iCurio would make web searching a little more safe for students, especially younger children. I think iCurio is great for students. Anthony says it is used a lot in high schools, but it can be used with any age group allowed to get on the web.
Discovery Ed
Discovery Ed is another program besides iCurio that is offered in Baldwin County where Anthony Capps works. I like how Anthony introduces it by saying “A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a million words”. Discovery Ed combines both pictures and videos so it’s great. I like how he said he is not a plant expert so discovery ed shows the students videos about all kinds of plants and pictures. I think this is a great tool to use for students. It is useful for the teacher too because they can view videos and get a better understanding for teaching their students about a subject. I would definitely be interested in using this in my future classroom.
Additional Thoughts about Lessons
This video is very helpful for our EDM 310 class to view. When projects 13,14, and 15 came up, we were all a little confused. Many of us did not do the first lessons plans correctly. We need to get a lot better on how to set up lesson plans and how to create them. This video gave me a good insight into how to do lesson plans. Anthony says there are 4 layers to a lesson plan. The first thing to think about is the year, meaning how the lesson plans cover the yearly standards and content to be taught.Do all the lesson plans cover the standards expected from the grade for the whole year? It needs to. Next is unit, which refers to the unit of teaching and the length and the time allotted. The unit will be like a 6-8 week thing, but within that will be a daily and weekly plan. The weekly plan will be about setting a goal and achieving it by the end of the week. Then within that is the daily plan, what you want to have accomplished within a days time. Anthony said he believes these make up the four layers of a lesson plan and are completely necessary for a well written one.
Grace Hofer
iCurio
Anthony Capps teaches over in Baldwin County where iCurio is used. He describes one of the aspects of it in that students can safely search websites that have been filtered for educational purposes. iCurio also lets students create folders inside their iCurio accounts to help organization. These folders, students can add things that they chose to help them stay organized. One thing I liked mentioned in this video was that things are saved in iCurio. When this was said, I thought of Google drive. In Google drive, everything done in it will save automatically. I love this because of past experiences working on assignments for school, something has been closed out unsaved or the internet cuts out loosing my work. It is great that iCurio works the same as Google drive in saving work automatically. Anthony also mentions about a timeline. The timeline is a great tool where students can enter keywords that helps find historical figures. I think this tool would be great for students because it is a search engine but is filtered so students will not accidently pull up something they did not mean to while searching. iCurio also has a read out loud accessibility which is great for students with disabilities to be able to use. I like this because it is user friendly to every student. I think many times, students with disabilities are limited unlike people without disabilities because people do not know the best way to meet their needs. iCurio has made it easier to meet the needs of every student. I liked watching this video because it allowed the viewers an insight of what iCurio contains. I know for EDM 310 we were going to try to get an access code to learn about it but were unable to. After watching the video I now have a better understanding of what iCurio is and how it works.
Discovery Education.
Discovery Ed is a great research tool for both students and teachers. It contains almost everything social studies and science related. Besides just general information and a picture, Discovery Ed includes videos to help learning. Anthony describes it as “It brings experts into the classroom via video.” I like that Discovery Ed includes videos along with pictures and text because it is offering different ways of learning. Some may learn by just reading a text while others may learn by watching a video with information. I think Discovery Ed is making it easier to meet the needs of students with different learning abilities.
Don't Teach Tech - Use It!
Anthony Capps says that technology is natural for kids now days. I agree with this simple statement. Capps includes “They’re [students] are really going to enjoy the opportunity to use technology to improve their learning or to learn.” I am a middle child, so when I heard this I was reminded of the time I was finally able to use a calculator in math like my older brother. I agree with what Anthony said that it makes the learning opportunity more enjoyable with technology because I was like that myself. One thing that really stood out was when Anthony said that teachers should not teach technology. But instead, technology should be a tool to teach. Using tools one at a time for assignments will allow the students to use it, but also overtime they will build up knowledge about many different technological tools. I liked that Anthony included that if you, as a teacher, are worried about a technological tool your students are going to learn about, to try it out before. By trying it out before, you could be asked questions by the students about the tool that you may of had but were able to figure it out.
In EDM 310, one of our assignments was to research ICurio. I was able to access limited information about ICurio due to not having a sign in. This limited access provided me with a limited understanding of what exactly ICurio is. However, after watching the ICurio video made by Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps I gained a better understanding. ICurio is a curated search engine specifically designed to provide safe research for students. There are so many things on the internet these days that are inappropriate for children so having a site that is screened by professionals is very important. ICurio is also designed to help students begin developing their online organization skills. As Anthony points out this skill is important because people seem to be naturally unorganized. Another interesting thing about ICurio is that it has a read aloud option for accessibility. This allows children with special needs to get the same information as other students. I thought it was cool how Anthony says his students all wanted to try this option the first few times but then realized that they could read the material faster. After viewing this video I now have a better understanding, enough of one that I look forward to having my students use it in the future.
Discovery ED
I enjoyed learning about Discovery Ed from Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps. Discovery Ed is a tool that allows students to get a better understanding of a subject by allowing them to view images and videos that are associated with what they are learning. Anthony says this is important because children obtain more information when there is a visual associated with text. Another important aspect of Discovery Ed is that is allows teachers to bring professionals into the classroom through video. Anthony said that this is important because students can see that the information they are being taught is not just the teachers opinion but is fact. Dr. Stange points out in the video that students are now what he calls “listener watchers”, meaning that because of our technology advanced world students watch and listen far more than than read and write. I think Discovery Ed is a good tool to use especially in the elementary classroom because a teacher can describe a subject all day long to their students, but until the student can place a visual to the subject they will never fully understand what they are being taught.
The Anthony-Strange Tips for Teachers Part 1
As an education major I find myself wondering if I will know what to do on my first day in the classroom. I am beginning to realize that I will not, nobody does. However thanks the Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps I understand why. In their video, The Anthony-Strange Tips for Teachers Part 1, Anthony and Dr. Strange give tips to future educators. They start by saying that the most important thing to remember as a teacher, is that in order to be a good teacher you must also be a good learner. Along with that Anthony adds that being a teacher is hard work but if you make it a part of your life, instead of keeping work and play separate, it is very rewarding. Another tip mentioned is that teachers need to be flexible because the unexpected happens, and it is the teacher’s job to keep the classroom running smoothly. Teachers should also think of ways to keep their students engaged. Anthony says that this is a goal of 100 percent student engagement and good ways to accomplish this are to make the content something they care about, make it a process they want to use, and to make it shareable. He also says to always start an assignment with the end in mind. Lastly, he says to allow for reflection and self evaluation because it is key to improvement. I really look forward to the day when I can apply these tips in my future classroom.
Brittany Allemand
ICurio
Anthony Capps explains how iCurio is used and its benefits really well in this video. I thought it was great that it has folders to organize all of the students work and things they have on the website. I think that is a good way to teach them how to be technology organized and even a good way to show them organization in other parts of school and life.Another thing that i really like about iCurio is how Anthony describes that it has a timeline and a directory. The students can just type in something as simple as a woman who went to space in 1970 and it will show up every woman that meets that criteria. It can take you to anything that will be useful with just a little bit of detail provided. I think this is great too because it is safe and can pull up appropriate things for students. I think iCurio would make web searching a little more safe for students, especially younger children. I think iCurio is great for students. Anthony says it is used a lot in high schools, but it can be used with any age group allowed to get on the web.
Discovery Ed
Discovery Ed is another program besides iCurio that is offered in Baldwin County where Anthony Capps works. I like how Anthony introduces it by saying “A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a million words”. Discovery Ed combines both pictures and videos so it’s great. I like how he said he is not a plant expert so discovery ed shows the students videos about all kinds of plants and pictures. I think this is a great tool to use for students. It is useful for the teacher too because they can view videos and get a better understanding for teaching their students about a subject. I would definitely be interested in using this in my future classroom.
Additional Thoughts about Lessons
This video is very helpful for our EDM 310 class to view. When projects 13,14, and 15 came up, we were all a little confused. Many of us did not do the first lessons plans correctly. We need to get a lot better on how to set up lesson plans and how to create them. This video gave me a good insight into how to do lesson plans. Anthony says there are 4 layers to a lesson plan. The first thing to think about is the year, meaning how the lesson plans cover the yearly standards and content to be taught.Do all the lesson plans cover the standards expected from the grade for the whole year? It needs to. Next is unit, which refers to the unit of teaching and the length and the time allotted. The unit will be like a 6-8 week thing, but within that will be a daily and weekly plan. The weekly plan will be about setting a goal and achieving it by the end of the week. Then within that is the daily plan, what you want to have accomplished within a days time. Anthony said he believes these make up the four layers of a lesson plan and are completely necessary for a well written one.
Grace Hofer
iCurio
Anthony Capps teaches over in Baldwin County where iCurio is used. He describes one of the aspects of it in that students can safely search websites that have been filtered for educational purposes. iCurio also lets students create folders inside their iCurio accounts to help organization. These folders, students can add things that they chose to help them stay organized. One thing I liked mentioned in this video was that things are saved in iCurio. When this was said, I thought of Google drive. In Google drive, everything done in it will save automatically. I love this because of past experiences working on assignments for school, something has been closed out unsaved or the internet cuts out loosing my work. It is great that iCurio works the same as Google drive in saving work automatically. Anthony also mentions about a timeline. The timeline is a great tool where students can enter keywords that helps find historical figures. I think this tool would be great for students because it is a search engine but is filtered so students will not accidently pull up something they did not mean to while searching. iCurio also has a read out loud accessibility which is great for students with disabilities to be able to use. I like this because it is user friendly to every student. I think many times, students with disabilities are limited unlike people without disabilities because people do not know the best way to meet their needs. iCurio has made it easier to meet the needs of every student. I liked watching this video because it allowed the viewers an insight of what iCurio contains. I know for EDM 310 we were going to try to get an access code to learn about it but were unable to. After watching the video I now have a better understanding of what iCurio is and how it works.
Discovery Education.
Discovery Ed is a great research tool for both students and teachers. It contains almost everything social studies and science related. Besides just general information and a picture, Discovery Ed includes videos to help learning. Anthony describes it as “It brings experts into the classroom via video.” I like that Discovery Ed includes videos along with pictures and text because it is offering different ways of learning. Some may learn by just reading a text while others may learn by watching a video with information. I think Discovery Ed is making it easier to meet the needs of students with different learning abilities.
Don't Teach Tech - Use It!
Anthony Capps says that technology is natural for kids now days. I agree with this simple statement. Capps includes “They’re [students] are really going to enjoy the opportunity to use technology to improve their learning or to learn.” I am a middle child, so when I heard this I was reminded of the time I was finally able to use a calculator in math like my older brother. I agree with what Anthony said that it makes the learning opportunity more enjoyable with technology because I was like that myself. One thing that really stood out was when Anthony said that teachers should not teach technology. But instead, technology should be a tool to teach. Using tools one at a time for assignments will allow the students to use it, but also overtime they will build up knowledge about many different technological tools. I liked that Anthony included that if you, as a teacher, are worried about a technological tool your students are going to learn about, to try it out before. By trying it out before, you could be asked questions by the students about the tool that you may of had but were able to figure it out.
Monday, July 15, 2013
C4T # 4
I have had the pleasure of visiting some really interesting teacher blogs during this summer semester in EDM 310. Jabiz Raisdana's blog is no different. The first post I read by Jabiz was entitled,"I Wanna Rock", posted on May 29, 2013. In this post he talks about his idea of teaching the history of Rock and Roll. Unfortunately because he teaches middle school he began to feel that he would never get the opportunity to teach this course. However, he oversees an after school program that meets for a hour a week and he decided that instead of teaching his idea as a course, he could teach it as an activity. So he presented his idea to the activities director. At first it seemed as though the director was not on board with the idea, primarily because he worried about the time issue. But after some convincing Jabiz convinced the director that it was a good idea and that he would work hard to make sure it was successful. So he set his idea into action.
In my comment I introduced myself and explained that EDM 310 was a project based learning course. I also told him what he was doing was great because it could possibly open students up to interest they would have otherwise been unaware of.
The next post I had the pleasure of reading was entitled,Formula for Engagement, posted on April 17, 2013. In this post Jabiz talks about successful ways to motivate children. He begins be saying he has his eighth grade students who are completely engaged in his assignment. Even his students he has trouble keeping on track have fully thrown themselves into the task at hand. He says that they are so engaged he doesn't need to worry about social media distractions. As he stands watching his students work, he gives them the motivation they need to push forward. "You can either think of yourself as thirteen year olds writing for a teacher in English class, or you can think of yourselves as writers who demand to tell a story. There is a difference." He then explains that technology should not be used to engage students, it should be used whenever possible. He says, "Engagement is about passion and love for what we do." He says that engagement is about giving students one on one time to discuss their work and that its the teacher's love for the material that engages them. He ends by saying that the formula for engagement is simple, all that is needed is for students is high expectations and challenges.
I began my comment again by introducing myself.I then told him that his classroom seems fun and engaging. I also told him that the best way to motivate students is to give them that feeling of importance. I told him that I remember as a child how proud I felt when my parents displayed my art work, and that for some reason we think that once children reach a certain age, they no longer need that recognition. I then thanked him for sharing his experiences.
In my comment I introduced myself and explained that EDM 310 was a project based learning course. I also told him what he was doing was great because it could possibly open students up to interest they would have otherwise been unaware of.
The next post I had the pleasure of reading was entitled,Formula for Engagement, posted on April 17, 2013. In this post Jabiz talks about successful ways to motivate children. He begins be saying he has his eighth grade students who are completely engaged in his assignment. Even his students he has trouble keeping on track have fully thrown themselves into the task at hand. He says that they are so engaged he doesn't need to worry about social media distractions. As he stands watching his students work, he gives them the motivation they need to push forward. "You can either think of yourself as thirteen year olds writing for a teacher in English class, or you can think of yourselves as writers who demand to tell a story. There is a difference." He then explains that technology should not be used to engage students, it should be used whenever possible. He says, "Engagement is about passion and love for what we do." He says that engagement is about giving students one on one time to discuss their work and that its the teacher's love for the material that engages them. He ends by saying that the formula for engagement is simple, all that is needed is for students is high expectations and challenges.
I began my comment again by introducing myself.I then told him that his classroom seems fun and engaging. I also told him that the best way to motivate students is to give them that feeling of importance. I told him that I remember as a child how proud I felt when my parents displayed my art work, and that for some reason we think that once children reach a certain age, they no longer need that recognition. I then thanked him for sharing his experiences.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Blog Post # 14
EDM 310 has presented its share of challenges. Many of them I have overcome with a little guidance. However, there is one assignment that still haunts me. Lesson planning. People keep saying that it will take having my first real life classroom to get the hang of it. Now I know that practice is key to success but why do we have to go into a classroom blind when it comes to lesson planning. Dr. Strange has given assignments where we try to create our own lesson plans. I suggest that there be as assignment that lets us learn go about the lesson planning process. The students will not actually be making a lesson plan. They will view the resources provided and write a blog post about what they found useful in creating their own lesson plans.
First the students should be assigned to watch a video...
Here is a list of some I found
Making a Lesson Plan
Writing a Lesson Plan: Objectives and Goals
Lesson Planning
Then have the students view the Wiki...
How to Make a Lesson Plan
Finally have the students write a blog about what they felt would be useful in making a lesson.
I feel that this will be helpful because it will give the students an idea of where to start before being asked to make one of their own. I understand that this will not give them the ability to make a perfect lesson plan the first time, but I know from experience it would have been helpful for me to see a how to so I would not be so lost. I spent more time trying to figure out the first step I should take than I did actually making the lesson.
First the students should be assigned to watch a video...
Here is a list of some I found
Making a Lesson Plan
Writing a Lesson Plan: Objectives and Goals
Lesson Planning
Then have the students view the Wiki...
How to Make a Lesson Plan
Finally have the students write a blog about what they felt would be useful in making a lesson.
I feel that this will be helpful because it will give the students an idea of where to start before being asked to make one of their own. I understand that this will not give them the ability to make a perfect lesson plan the first time, but I know from experience it would have been helpful for me to see a how to so I would not be so lost. I spent more time trying to figure out the first step I should take than I did actually making the lesson.
PLN Project # 9 Final Report
I have really enjoyed using Symbaloo to keep track of the applications I have been using. It will be something that I will continue and hope to add to as an educator.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Blog Post #13
I found myself captivated by Shane Koyczan's TED talk entitled, "To This Day"... for the bullied and beautiful. His lecture started with him describing his life as a child who was bullied. My heart hurt for him as he listed the names he was called and how he was used by people who called themselves friends. When he told others what he wanted to be, he was told to be something different. He wanted to be a writer but that wasn't good enough. He gave me the feeling that to him nothing he ever did was good enough. He was a child forced to endure things that no child should ever have to face. He lists stages of his life, where he went from hating himself, to wanting to kill himself and others. Then he admits to becoming something worse than himself, he became a bully. He talks of how words hurt as much as broken bones. He ends with poetry of how people have been hurt but they persevered. He says "If you can't see anything beautiful about yourself, get a better mirror, look a little closer, stare a little longer, because there is something inside you that made you keep trying despite everyone who told you to quite... you have to believe they were wrong, they had to be wrong...our lives will only ever continue to be a balancing act that has less to do with pain and more to do with beauty."
Shane Koyczan should be an inspiration to everyone, to speak out and to speak up. Bullying continues in schools today and needs to be stopped. The most important thing I learned from his lecture is to never trample on the dreams of anyone, especially children. They will believe in themselves as long as we continue to believe in them. They can be whatever they choose to be as long as they set their minds to it. The life lesson I learned is to love others regardless of our differences and to stick up for the weak, because everyone matters.
Also take a look at Sir Ken Robinson's Favorite TED Talks viewed by my peers...
Grace Hofer
While looking through Ken Robinson: 10 talks on education, I came across a talk that really stood out to me. The second talk, Arvind Gupta: Turning trash into toys for learning. The thing that grabbed my attention was the "turning trash into toys" words. I grew up with a father who always had creative ideas. From these ideas, my siblings and I learned how to make things out of almost anything. While watching the video, I was surprised of all the creations Gupta had made. I think that creating is a great way of teaching and learning. I remember in school, when we were able to create something, it became more interesting and therefore I learned easier. Creativity is something everyone has. Although they may express it in different ways, it is there. Arvind Gupta expressed his creativity by making things out of simple supplies like newspapers and straws. One creation I thought that was really cool was a drawing slate for blind students. This slate was made out of Velcro with a pen that poured out yarn instead of ink. While drawing, the yarn would stick to the Velcro that would make it a 3D feel for the students. That us something I would have never thought of. Gupta mentions of a slogan, in this slogan was the phrase "build from what they have", I like this phrase because it can be a foundation for teaching. I think teachers are to teach from something students already know, to build on. While many of the toys Gupta showed in the video, I was curious on how he could use them in a teaching atmosphere. But from what I gathered, that wasn't the main point of the lecture. I think he was showing the audience and viewers not that every creation can be used for learning in the school. But rather, the limits of creations can be close to non-existent. Creativity more than likely makes things more interesting. Isn't that what teachers want in their classroom? For students to be interested in what is going on.
Brittany Allemand
Ken Robinson:10 Talks on Education was a good resource to explore. One video that really stood out to me was Kakenya Ntaiya: A Girl Who Demanded School. It was such an inspiration to watch. Kakenya is a woman who was born and raised in Kenya,Africa. She tells a lot about her village, family, and how things are so different in her country. It made me very thankful to live in America after I heard her story. She tells of how her mother farms, owns animals, and takes care of the whole family. Her father is hardly ever around because of work, and is gone for years at a time. When he does come home though, he sells all of their animals and goods and goes to the bar and spends the money. She tells of how women can not go against anything their husband or a man does, and how women are not allowed to own property anyways. Her mother tries to stand up and question as to why he sells their animals and goods, and she is beaten for even questioning her husband. At age 12, she and other girls are to become married and be the perfect house wife. They get up at 5 am and clean, take care of their houses, and train to become a perfect wife. Kakenya never wanted this for herself. She tells of how she always loved school and wanted to become a teacher. However, the girls and women in Kenya are not expected to go back to school after getting married at 12. She is very brave and tells her dad the only way she will go through with the celebrations and marriage is if she gets to return to high school afterwards. He rewards her with his because if not the village will look down on their family if she does not go through with the marriage. One shocking and sad thing that I learned was about the mutilation of the young girls before marriage. She tells of how they cut their private parts before the marriage. This was horrible to hear and to imagine so many young girls going through. Many girls even died from this. After going through high school, she still wants to further her education. She meets a young man who has left and went to a university in America. She sees his nice clothes and shoes and how educated and happy he is. She asks the man to help her apply to a university, and she gets into a ladies university in Virginia. No woman from her village or country had ever left to go to a university or even further their education through high school like her.She is so strong willed and determined to receive an education, and it's inspiring. She talks to the head male of the village, and to other high up men, and tells them of how if they support her trip to America and the university that she will return to Kenya and give back to everyone. She holds true to her promise. While in America, she learns of how it is illegal the way her mother and other women there are being treated. She returns to Kenya and builds a school for the girls in her village, 125 young girls. They are no longer being mutilated or injured or having to become married at age 12. She makes such a difference in her village and in Africa just by going and getting an education. It was so great to hear about how one woman fought for her education and made such a difference in her country. If it was not for her going to get an education and then returning to Kenya, who would have know how long it would have been before those young girls got a school and ended the mutilation and young marriage.
Shane Koyczan should be an inspiration to everyone, to speak out and to speak up. Bullying continues in schools today and needs to be stopped. The most important thing I learned from his lecture is to never trample on the dreams of anyone, especially children. They will believe in themselves as long as we continue to believe in them. They can be whatever they choose to be as long as they set their minds to it. The life lesson I learned is to love others regardless of our differences and to stick up for the weak, because everyone matters.
Also take a look at Sir Ken Robinson's Favorite TED Talks viewed by my peers...
Grace Hofer
While looking through Ken Robinson: 10 talks on education, I came across a talk that really stood out to me. The second talk, Arvind Gupta: Turning trash into toys for learning. The thing that grabbed my attention was the "turning trash into toys" words. I grew up with a father who always had creative ideas. From these ideas, my siblings and I learned how to make things out of almost anything. While watching the video, I was surprised of all the creations Gupta had made. I think that creating is a great way of teaching and learning. I remember in school, when we were able to create something, it became more interesting and therefore I learned easier. Creativity is something everyone has. Although they may express it in different ways, it is there. Arvind Gupta expressed his creativity by making things out of simple supplies like newspapers and straws. One creation I thought that was really cool was a drawing slate for blind students. This slate was made out of Velcro with a pen that poured out yarn instead of ink. While drawing, the yarn would stick to the Velcro that would make it a 3D feel for the students. That us something I would have never thought of. Gupta mentions of a slogan, in this slogan was the phrase "build from what they have", I like this phrase because it can be a foundation for teaching. I think teachers are to teach from something students already know, to build on. While many of the toys Gupta showed in the video, I was curious on how he could use them in a teaching atmosphere. But from what I gathered, that wasn't the main point of the lecture. I think he was showing the audience and viewers not that every creation can be used for learning in the school. But rather, the limits of creations can be close to non-existent. Creativity more than likely makes things more interesting. Isn't that what teachers want in their classroom? For students to be interested in what is going on.
Brittany Allemand
Ken Robinson:10 Talks on Education was a good resource to explore. One video that really stood out to me was Kakenya Ntaiya: A Girl Who Demanded School. It was such an inspiration to watch. Kakenya is a woman who was born and raised in Kenya,Africa. She tells a lot about her village, family, and how things are so different in her country. It made me very thankful to live in America after I heard her story. She tells of how her mother farms, owns animals, and takes care of the whole family. Her father is hardly ever around because of work, and is gone for years at a time. When he does come home though, he sells all of their animals and goods and goes to the bar and spends the money. She tells of how women can not go against anything their husband or a man does, and how women are not allowed to own property anyways. Her mother tries to stand up and question as to why he sells their animals and goods, and she is beaten for even questioning her husband. At age 12, she and other girls are to become married and be the perfect house wife. They get up at 5 am and clean, take care of their houses, and train to become a perfect wife. Kakenya never wanted this for herself. She tells of how she always loved school and wanted to become a teacher. However, the girls and women in Kenya are not expected to go back to school after getting married at 12. She is very brave and tells her dad the only way she will go through with the celebrations and marriage is if she gets to return to high school afterwards. He rewards her with his because if not the village will look down on their family if she does not go through with the marriage. One shocking and sad thing that I learned was about the mutilation of the young girls before marriage. She tells of how they cut their private parts before the marriage. This was horrible to hear and to imagine so many young girls going through. Many girls even died from this. After going through high school, she still wants to further her education. She meets a young man who has left and went to a university in America. She sees his nice clothes and shoes and how educated and happy he is. She asks the man to help her apply to a university, and she gets into a ladies university in Virginia. No woman from her village or country had ever left to go to a university or even further their education through high school like her.She is so strong willed and determined to receive an education, and it's inspiring. She talks to the head male of the village, and to other high up men, and tells them of how if they support her trip to America and the university that she will return to Kenya and give back to everyone. She holds true to her promise. While in America, she learns of how it is illegal the way her mother and other women there are being treated. She returns to Kenya and builds a school for the girls in her village, 125 young girls. They are no longer being mutilated or injured or having to become married at age 12. She makes such a difference in her village and in Africa just by going and getting an education. It was so great to hear about how one woman fought for her education and made such a difference in her country. If it was not for her going to get an education and then returning to Kenya, who would have know how long it would have been before those young girls got a school and ended the mutilation and young marriage.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Blog Post #12
I really enjoyed watching Ken Robinson's TED talk entitled, How to Escape Education's Death Valley. In his lecture Mr. Robinson discusses the problems America is facing with its "No Child Left Behind" program. He starts by saying that he moved to America 12 years ago. He says that when he arrived he was informed that Americans don't get irony. He said that when he came across "No Child Left Behind", he knew that what he was told wasn't true. The irony of "No Child Left Behind" is that it, in fact, leaves millions of children behind. He says that in some parts of the country 60 percent of students drop out of high school. He claims that if America were to half that number it would create a net gain of nearly a trillion dollars, however, it would cost a large amount to mop up the drop out crisis. He says that it is true that America spends more on education than any other country, the problem is that it is all going in the wrong direction. Mr. Robinson says that there are three principals in which human life flourishes and it is being contradicted by the culture of education.
1. Human beings are naturally different and diverse. He asks his audience how many of them have children. He then makes a bet, one in which he claims he knows he will win. He bets that those who have two or more children will agree that their children are all completely different. He says that education, under "No Child Left Behind", is based on conformity, not diversity. American education focuses on the S.T.E.M disciplines, which he states is very important but it is not sufficient. He states that good education needs to equal focus on the arts, humanities, and physical education. He then points out that ten percent of kids are now being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. He says that he believes the condition exists but that he doesn't think it is an epidemic. "If you sit kids down hour after hour doing low grade clerical work," says Mr. Robinson, "don't be surprised if they fidget." He says that children aren't suffering from a psychological disorder but instead they are suffering merely from childhood.
2. He says the next principal is curiosity. "If you light the spark of curiosity in a child they will learn without any further assistance," says Robinson. Children are natural learners and curiosity is the engine of achievement. He goes on to say that teachers are the lifeboat of success in schools and great teachers mentor, stimulate, provoke and engage their students. He says most importantly a teachers job is to facilitate learning and if their is no learning their is no education. The problem, he says, with Americas education system is that its focuses not on teaching and learning, but on testing. He feels that standardized testing has it place, but should not be the dominant culture of education.
3. He says that it is human nature to be creative. "We create our own lives and we can recreate our lives as we go through them,"he says. He also says that we create our lives by imagining different possibilities and the role of education is to awaken that imagination. He refers to the education system in Finland, and says its schools system is very successful in math and science mainly because it also focuses on arts and humanities. He says there is also no standardized testing and they help students before its to late, resulting in a no drop out rate.
He goes on to say that education takes place in the classrooms, not government offices, so the responsibilities should be handled at the school level to get the job done. He says there is wonderful work happening in America but it is dspite educational culture , not because of it. He then says, that not far from his house there is a place known as "Death Valley". In winter of 2004 it rained there, in Spring of 2005 the whole floor of "Death Valley" flowers grew. This proved that "Death Valley" was not dead, but dormant. He says the same is true for our schools system.
I learned a lot from listening to Ken Robinson's TED talk. I would have to say of all the tools I have learned would be helpful in the classroom, I would have to say Mr. Robinson discussed the most important tool for every classroom. That tool, is to inspire imagination and creativity. I learned to focus less on testing and more on learning. By that I mean standardized testing has its place, but if we don't teach children how to learn they are pointless.
Grace Hofer
Changing Education Paradigms by Sir Ken Robinson, I came across several things I learned while watching the 11 minute video. Robinson starts the video by mentioning two reasons that every country is reforming public education. One being economically, wondering how will we be able to educate students for the economic world if we don't know what the economic future will hold. The second reason being cultural, wondering how will they have an identity in culture. Robinson continues by saying that people are trying to meet the future by the ways they have in the past. In a time when everyone went to college to have a good career, now days an education is not needed. It can help, but it does not guarantee a good career. This is very true. I know people who did not attend college after high school graduation who are maintaining steady jobs. Robinson says that "The current system was designed and conceived for a different age..." I agree with this as well. This EDM 310 class has taught me this in just the past several months I've been in it. Technology is becoming rapidly involved in our school system. Students are learning by these tools, not the tools my generation and the ones before me learned by. To be teachers to these students, we need to be not only aware of these tools, but how to properly use them. Mentioned in the video is the subject of ADHD in schools. I had not put much thought into this issue in my classroom before watching the video. But now, I think it is great that schools are involving technology in the classroom. Robinson says that students who have ADHD are being distracted by computers, phones, gaming devices, and such and are being penalized for not paying attention to things the teacher is teaching on. This is where technology comes in great in the classroom. Students who have ADHD and students who do not, have grown up with technology. Growing up this way, lets them learn better by using devices. In return, the student does not spend the whole time in class being lectured, but being involved in their learning experience. The video also mentions of people who have either aesthetic or anesthetic experiences. Aesthetic is when you are when senses are at their peak. Anesthetic is when your senses are shut off and are deadened with what is going on. Too many times in classrooms I feel that many are having anesthetic experiences because they are being lectured at to learn instead of being involved. Near the end of Changing Education Paradigms, Robinson says that most great learning comes from groups. I wonder if that is why we are put in groups in EDM 310. I feel as if it is true though. Working in a group seems to benefit everyone involved, not just a single person.
Brittany Allemand
Ken Robinson's video Schools Kill Creativity was a pleasure to watch. He had such a humorous and charming personality. It was never a bore to watch. It really supported the fact that schools do kill creativity. I never realized how much that this statement was true, until I seen this video. I really liked a lot of quotes that he brought about in his speech. They were short, powerful, meaningful, and to the point. The first quote I liked was “Creativity now is as important in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status.” A lot of teachers just want the student to get the work done,pass a test, or do a project;This shouldn't be the main objective. Creativity should be encouraged in everything you do in the classroom. For example, Ken mentioned the girl whose parents were called in for a meeting in the classroom because she could not sit still. They thought she had a learning problem. However, they figured out she was a dancer, and she just needed to move to learn. Every student learns different, so why not put on music to learn to. Why not dance around or work hands on? I think the big picture is that as a teacher you can be creative with your assignments and you should promote creativity from your students. What better way then to show creativity yourself.I liked how he quoted from Picasso that every person is born an artist. Every kid has creativity in them. As teachers, we should promote activities that encourage an bring out the creative side.
1. Human beings are naturally different and diverse. He asks his audience how many of them have children. He then makes a bet, one in which he claims he knows he will win. He bets that those who have two or more children will agree that their children are all completely different. He says that education, under "No Child Left Behind", is based on conformity, not diversity. American education focuses on the S.T.E.M disciplines, which he states is very important but it is not sufficient. He states that good education needs to equal focus on the arts, humanities, and physical education. He then points out that ten percent of kids are now being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. He says that he believes the condition exists but that he doesn't think it is an epidemic. "If you sit kids down hour after hour doing low grade clerical work," says Mr. Robinson, "don't be surprised if they fidget." He says that children aren't suffering from a psychological disorder but instead they are suffering merely from childhood.
2. He says the next principal is curiosity. "If you light the spark of curiosity in a child they will learn without any further assistance," says Robinson. Children are natural learners and curiosity is the engine of achievement. He goes on to say that teachers are the lifeboat of success in schools and great teachers mentor, stimulate, provoke and engage their students. He says most importantly a teachers job is to facilitate learning and if their is no learning their is no education. The problem, he says, with Americas education system is that its focuses not on teaching and learning, but on testing. He feels that standardized testing has it place, but should not be the dominant culture of education.
3. He says that it is human nature to be creative. "We create our own lives and we can recreate our lives as we go through them,"he says. He also says that we create our lives by imagining different possibilities and the role of education is to awaken that imagination. He refers to the education system in Finland, and says its schools system is very successful in math and science mainly because it also focuses on arts and humanities. He says there is also no standardized testing and they help students before its to late, resulting in a no drop out rate.
He goes on to say that education takes place in the classrooms, not government offices, so the responsibilities should be handled at the school level to get the job done. He says there is wonderful work happening in America but it is dspite educational culture , not because of it. He then says, that not far from his house there is a place known as "Death Valley". In winter of 2004 it rained there, in Spring of 2005 the whole floor of "Death Valley" flowers grew. This proved that "Death Valley" was not dead, but dormant. He says the same is true for our schools system.
I learned a lot from listening to Ken Robinson's TED talk. I would have to say of all the tools I have learned would be helpful in the classroom, I would have to say Mr. Robinson discussed the most important tool for every classroom. That tool, is to inspire imagination and creativity. I learned to focus less on testing and more on learning. By that I mean standardized testing has its place, but if we don't teach children how to learn they are pointless.
Grace Hofer
Changing Education Paradigms by Sir Ken Robinson, I came across several things I learned while watching the 11 minute video. Robinson starts the video by mentioning two reasons that every country is reforming public education. One being economically, wondering how will we be able to educate students for the economic world if we don't know what the economic future will hold. The second reason being cultural, wondering how will they have an identity in culture. Robinson continues by saying that people are trying to meet the future by the ways they have in the past. In a time when everyone went to college to have a good career, now days an education is not needed. It can help, but it does not guarantee a good career. This is very true. I know people who did not attend college after high school graduation who are maintaining steady jobs. Robinson says that "The current system was designed and conceived for a different age..." I agree with this as well. This EDM 310 class has taught me this in just the past several months I've been in it. Technology is becoming rapidly involved in our school system. Students are learning by these tools, not the tools my generation and the ones before me learned by. To be teachers to these students, we need to be not only aware of these tools, but how to properly use them. Mentioned in the video is the subject of ADHD in schools. I had not put much thought into this issue in my classroom before watching the video. But now, I think it is great that schools are involving technology in the classroom. Robinson says that students who have ADHD are being distracted by computers, phones, gaming devices, and such and are being penalized for not paying attention to things the teacher is teaching on. This is where technology comes in great in the classroom. Students who have ADHD and students who do not, have grown up with technology. Growing up this way, lets them learn better by using devices. In return, the student does not spend the whole time in class being lectured, but being involved in their learning experience. The video also mentions of people who have either aesthetic or anesthetic experiences. Aesthetic is when you are when senses are at their peak. Anesthetic is when your senses are shut off and are deadened with what is going on. Too many times in classrooms I feel that many are having anesthetic experiences because they are being lectured at to learn instead of being involved. Near the end of Changing Education Paradigms, Robinson says that most great learning comes from groups. I wonder if that is why we are put in groups in EDM 310. I feel as if it is true though. Working in a group seems to benefit everyone involved, not just a single person.
Brittany Allemand
Ken Robinson's video Schools Kill Creativity was a pleasure to watch. He had such a humorous and charming personality. It was never a bore to watch. It really supported the fact that schools do kill creativity. I never realized how much that this statement was true, until I seen this video. I really liked a lot of quotes that he brought about in his speech. They were short, powerful, meaningful, and to the point. The first quote I liked was “Creativity now is as important in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status.” A lot of teachers just want the student to get the work done,pass a test, or do a project;This shouldn't be the main objective. Creativity should be encouraged in everything you do in the classroom. For example, Ken mentioned the girl whose parents were called in for a meeting in the classroom because she could not sit still. They thought she had a learning problem. However, they figured out she was a dancer, and she just needed to move to learn. Every student learns different, so why not put on music to learn to. Why not dance around or work hands on? I think the big picture is that as a teacher you can be creative with your assignments and you should promote creativity from your students. What better way then to show creativity yourself.I liked how he quoted from Picasso that every person is born an artist. Every kid has creativity in them. As teachers, we should promote activities that encourage an bring out the creative side.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Blog Post #11
The most impressive thing about Little Kids...Big Potential video is that Ms. Cassidy said nothing. Her students, from her first grade class, explained what they do in their class. She had given her students the tools they needed to explore and learn for themselves. I thought it was great that she allowed them to use their Nintendo DS, because it made learning fun for the children. What was surprising about that is the students knew that they were learning while playing. This is something I would try in my classroom because it makes learning fun and students can take their work home. However, some children come from financially unstable homes and may not be able to afford a DS. This would be something I would have to consider. It was exciting to hear that the children wrote in notebooks and on their blogs, but that they liked writing on their blogs more because other people can see what they do and can comment. It was great to see the excitement and enthusiasm the children had for learning. I loved how they explain how someone should comments on someone else's blog. You should never say anything mean because it might hurt their feelings. So cute and innocent, yet smart and informative.
While watching the Skype Interview with Mrs Cassidy, it was amazing to hear that Ms. Cassidy had been given five computers and then had to research how to make them useful in the classroom. I find this impressive because she took on the challenge of teaching herself new technology so that she could teach her students. It goes back to the idea of learning to you can help others learn how to learn. I feel that Ms. Cassidy did a great job on this task. Like she says "technology isn't going away", so we need to embrace it so we don't fall behind the rest of the world.
While watching the Skype Interview with Mrs Cassidy, it was amazing to hear that Ms. Cassidy had been given five computers and then had to research how to make them useful in the classroom. I find this impressive because she took on the challenge of teaching herself new technology so that she could teach her students. It goes back to the idea of learning to you can help others learn how to learn. I feel that Ms. Cassidy did a great job on this task. Like she says "technology isn't going away", so we need to embrace it so we don't fall behind the rest of the world.
Project # 13
Brittany Allemand, Grace Hofer, Chasity Heubach
Some of the ACCRS reading standards for second grade are
- "Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges"
- "Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action"
Technologic tools used for this project include
- Word Processor
- Blogger
- iMovie if using a Mac
Below is a picture of a weekly lesson plan for meeting these standards. It could be spread out to multiple weeks by letting the student read the book individually. However, we used an example of this standard in a weekly lesson plan.
We chose Blogger for the students to upload their book report to because it is public. Using Blogger could let people from around the world, other students in the classroom, and teachers to be able to read it and comment their thoughts. The lesson plan we chose included different ways of learning. Reading the book was a way that did not involve any technology. Writing the book report on Word Processor would let the students use the computer to make their project. Uploading it to Blogger would allow the students learn how blogging works, as well as how to present their writing.
In the reading standard, the students would learn how to describe characters and how they respond to events through writing. Another option that the students could do, is make their report into a podcast by using iMovie if working on a Mac. Doing this they would then upload their podcast to Blogger.
Some of the ACCRS reading standards for second grade are
- "Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges"
- "Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action"
Technologic tools used for this project include
- Word Processor
- Blogger
- iMovie if using a Mac
Below is a picture of a weekly lesson plan for meeting these standards. It could be spread out to multiple weeks by letting the student read the book individually. However, we used an example of this standard in a weekly lesson plan.
We chose Blogger for the students to upload their book report to because it is public. Using Blogger could let people from around the world, other students in the classroom, and teachers to be able to read it and comment their thoughts. The lesson plan we chose included different ways of learning. Reading the book was a way that did not involve any technology. Writing the book report on Word Processor would let the students use the computer to make their project. Uploading it to Blogger would allow the students learn how blogging works, as well as how to present their writing.
In the reading standard, the students would learn how to describe characters and how they respond to events through writing. Another option that the students could do, is make their report into a podcast by using iMovie if working on a Mac. Doing this they would then upload their podcast to Blogger.
C4T #3
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to read Angela Maiers' Blog. Angela championed the idea "choose2matter", and has been inspiring people throughout the country.
The first post I read was entitled "Two Day I'll Never Forget", was posted on June 7, 2013. In this post Angela, discussed a presentation she gave at Downingtown S.T.E.M Academy. She say that when she arrived to the auditorium of Justin Staub's sophomore class, she found students scattered towards the back. She began her presentation by asking the students if they believed that they could change the world. She says that six of the 300 students believed this fact. She then explained that if she had asked that same question to a group of first graders the answer would be an unanimous "yes". She then told the student that they mattered and that they were geniuses. She also told them their contributions to the world were important. She says that after making these claims she began to see their demeanor change. She then read them some inspiring quotes and separated them into groups to begin their world changing projects. She said two hours later the students were already presenting their ideas. She said the students stayed up late working on their projects and were up early, eager to begin day two. She says that by the end of the second day the students had companies equipped with; names, logos, mission statements, websites and launch videos. They had also been connected with mentors who were experts in the areas they had chosen. She said that by the end of her two day presentation, the once two percent of students who believed they could change the world, had increased to 98 percent.
I started my comment by introducing myself. I told her that I felt that what she is doing is great. I also told her that I felt as though teachers have dropped the ball when it came to inspiring students. I said that it was nice to know that their are educators out there who want to do more than simply teach their students. I thanked her for her inspiration.
In the second post, "Sharing the Message of You Matter with the Bedley Bros" posted on July 1, 2013, Angela tells about a interview she had with Tim and Scott Bedley. She even posts the video onto her blog post. In the video she explains the importance of giving everyone, regardless of their age the opportunity to change the world. She says that educators should stop teaching to prepare students for college and career readiness, but instead prepare them for life ready skills. Even at young ages children are member of society and Angela feels that as an educator it is important to help children become better members of society. She says we should stop viewing them as children and start viewing them as contributing citizens. She gave examples, including the presentation she gave at Downingtown S.T.E.M Academy. The video was full of passion and enthusiasm for how to better educate and inspire children.
The first post I read was entitled "Two Day I'll Never Forget", was posted on June 7, 2013. In this post Angela, discussed a presentation she gave at Downingtown S.T.E.M Academy. She say that when she arrived to the auditorium of Justin Staub's sophomore class, she found students scattered towards the back. She began her presentation by asking the students if they believed that they could change the world. She says that six of the 300 students believed this fact. She then explained that if she had asked that same question to a group of first graders the answer would be an unanimous "yes". She then told the student that they mattered and that they were geniuses. She also told them their contributions to the world were important. She says that after making these claims she began to see their demeanor change. She then read them some inspiring quotes and separated them into groups to begin their world changing projects. She said two hours later the students were already presenting their ideas. She said the students stayed up late working on their projects and were up early, eager to begin day two. She says that by the end of the second day the students had companies equipped with; names, logos, mission statements, websites and launch videos. They had also been connected with mentors who were experts in the areas they had chosen. She said that by the end of her two day presentation, the once two percent of students who believed they could change the world, had increased to 98 percent.
I started my comment by introducing myself. I told her that I felt that what she is doing is great. I also told her that I felt as though teachers have dropped the ball when it came to inspiring students. I said that it was nice to know that their are educators out there who want to do more than simply teach their students. I thanked her for her inspiration.
In the second post, "Sharing the Message of You Matter with the Bedley Bros" posted on July 1, 2013, Angela tells about a interview she had with Tim and Scott Bedley. She even posts the video onto her blog post. In the video she explains the importance of giving everyone, regardless of their age the opportunity to change the world. She says that educators should stop teaching to prepare students for college and career readiness, but instead prepare them for life ready skills. Even at young ages children are member of society and Angela feels that as an educator it is important to help children become better members of society. She says we should stop viewing them as children and start viewing them as contributing citizens. She gave examples, including the presentation she gave at Downingtown S.T.E.M Academy. The video was full of passion and enthusiasm for how to better educate and inspire children.
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