plog post 8

Pausch an excellent educator, he was a amazing person with wonderfully optimistic outlook on life. In the video, Randy Pausch's Last Lecture Mr. Pausch was given the devistating news that he only had three to six months to live. Mr. Pausch decided he would live life to the fullest and was positive about how he lived his life even though he did not have much time left. In the video you can see how much Mr. Pausch enjoys teaching and helping others learn. He gives some examples of his childhood that I think help the audience connect with him as a speaker. Mr. Pausch's main focus was that learning should be a fun experience for children. If learning is a fun experience children are more likely to want to learn what you are teaching them. We must make learning fun for our students. Hard work can actually be enjoyable with the right kind of teaching, group work, and assignments. Group work is also valuable because it allows students to connect with and help each other. I agree with Pausch in that we as humans are meant to help each other. We are not meant to live this life alone.  Two of the things he focused on were PBL and Technology. Project Based Learning and Technology can be used as a creative way for children to express themselves and as a tool to make learning fun. Mr. Pausch said that you should strive to be the best you can be. He gives some advice; 1. Give feedback and listen to your students. 2. Work harder and dont complain. 3. Find the best in every person. This advice was very helpful for me as a future teacher. When I am with my students I know to look for the best in each one of my children, and when I give my students feedback to listen to what they have to say. I really enjoyed this blog post.

Not only was the most important thing I learned from his lecture is that a career in teaching will never be easy. There will always be complications, setbacks, and injustice. However, teaching is a learning process. We must learn to adapt and realize there is an always an opportunity to better ourselves. Sometimes a "brick wall" is necessary for us to realize what we are actually capable of. Once we do this, we can accomplish things bigger than our dreams thought possible. 

project 14 part a

W6 Lesson Plan

Blog post 7

Preparing Myself for Project Based Learning

Strengths:

Ø  Familiar with Apple, iPads, etc.

Ø  Familiar with PC computers, Google slides.

Ø  I have worked with children in summer camps.

Weaknesses:

Ø  Never practiced this kind of learning as an elementary school student

Ø  Unfamiliar with Discovery Education Board Builder

Ø  Slightly unfamiliar with Alabama Virtual Library

Ø  Unfamiliar with Poplet

Ø  Slightly unfamiliar with QR codes



In "How to Make an Audio QR Code," Michele Bennett demonstrates how teachers can record files and transfer them into a QR code. Students can use it when reading a pre-recorded book, or when listening to a recorded story out of their reading book of the teacher’s voice. Michelle Bennett says that "Children listen to the story three or four times", and think of their teachers voice as a tutor that is helping them learn how to read. It is a great way to get children reading.
 This could be useful for many events such as Meet the Teacher Night, when parents can scan the code to find an introduction video by the teacher. These could also be used by students in their projects and they could also make their own recording for a code. "iPad Reading Center" and "Poplet with Ginger Tuck" both showcase ideas for kindergarten reading centers using iPads. In the first video, teacher Ginger Tuck shows how her students can record themselves reading and playback the recording to better student’s fluency and other reading skills. Tuck uses the application Popplet in the second video for her students to make visual web maps of books. Alabama Virtual Library is a resource that students can use to research and organize information, as shown in "AVL and Kindergarten Students." Another great online resource for project based learning is Discovery Education Board Builder, which allows students to create virtual bulletin boards of information. In "Tammy Shirley Discovery Education Moon Builder Project," Tammy Shirley's first grade student showcased her Moon Project Board she created. In "Mrs. Tassin 2nd Grade Students Share Board Builder Project" and "Mrs. Tassin students share Board Builder Project," Mrs. Tassin's second graders presented their project based learning group assignments using Board Builder. Imovie and Alabama Virtual Library, Dr. Strange asks Michelle Bennett and Elizabeth Davis to share about Imovie and AVL and how children in kindergarten are using these programs. The students use Imovie to make book trailers just like students in EDM310. Teachers in these schools use these programs as a means to help children learn. We All Become Learners, Dr. Strange again asks Michelle Bennett and Elizabeth to share with everyone that we all become learners. Michelle Bennett shares that a student in Kindergarten showed her how to do something on and his or her Ipad. Dr. Strange sums it all up when he says that we are all "teachers and learners," teachers as well as students learn something new every day. 

Blog post 6

1. Project Based Learning Part 1: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher
2. Project Based Learning Part 2: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher
3. iCurio
4. Discovery Education
5. The Anthony - Strange list of Tips for Teachers Part 1
6. Don't Teach Tech - Use It
7. Additional Thought about Lessons

Anthony Capps is a former EDM310 student, who now teaches third grade in Baldwin County. He uses what he learned in EDM310 with his students in his classroom. In the video Project Based Learning Part 1 and Project Based Learning Part 2, Project Based Learning is an actual learning process and not students taking tests on what they have learned. Mr. Capps mentions that the projects have to meet the common core standards for the state. PBL lets students be creative with their school work, and also lets students ask their peers questions if they do not understand the assignment. So, PBL allows more student-students and teacher-student interaction. Mr. Capps mentions that he records feedback from his students so that he can continue to do things that interest them. It is important as a teacher if you are using PBL to create projects or assignments that interested them. 

Project 12 Part A

Project #9

Blog post 5

What is Personal Learning Networks (PLN)?  -  Personal Learning Networks (PLN's) are money-making resources for teachers to grow skillfully. Individually PLN is created and personalized based on the professional interests and goals of an individual educator. This is a free means of professional development available 24/7 from anywhere.

How can they help us as teachers? As we carry on into 21st century education system, teachers must acquire new techniques and practices to better ourselves and to prepare our students for our constantly evolving world.  One way to do this is through a Personal Learning Network (PLN), a network of people, websites, blogs, and other resources. Vicki Davis best explains how PLNs can work in the classroom in her article "Personal Learning Networks Are Virtual Lockers for School kids": "A PLN becomes a student's virtual locker, and its content changes based on the student's current course work. When I assign them a term paper, the students comb the Web to sign up for information that will feed into their personalized Web page to construct a PLN for that topic. When they get a new project, they assemble another page."

How are they made? How can you create your own PLN?

Dr. Strange has stated before that Twitter is best way for him to connect with other educators and resources. He has also provided a list of many educators in Project 6 Fall of 2009. Once you discover new resources to include in your PLN, you can use websites like Symbaloo or Netvibes to form and keep track of your PLN resources. Symbaloo organizes different website icons by tile blocks, while Netvibes organizes RSS feeds of sites into block arrangements. Both are effective tools and easy to use.

Who will be the first additions to your PLN?

 I have little to have begin to build my own PLN, but I have planned to add Dr. Strange, friends and classmates to my network through Twitter when i do.