Brain Crosby is an enthusiastic teacher and a fan of technology in the classroom. His projects get the attention from students and teachers from all around the world! Students found Mr. Crosby's projects so intriguing that they asked their teacher if they could do the same. In order to do this the teacher had to connect to Mr. Crosby to inquire how to do it. Technology gives children of any background to have equal educational opportunities. To be more productive and manage time well a teacher should create a project that will cover multiple state standards. Brain Crosby's balloon project covered everything below and much more: What a magnificent idea for a project!
The Blended Learning Cycle is an informative video on how to be proactive with your students. In the beginning of the video Paul Anderson thanks everyone that was of influence to his video and I am again reminded of how important collaboration is in the education field. Anderson creates his own acronym for his blended learning formula. He calls it QUIVERS. QU-question. This is for the driving question. This is what prompts the children for what they are expected to learn from a project. It also keeps their focus on the right track. I-investigation. This is the process in which the students can experiment to find the initial question. The investigation portion should be fun and interactive. V-video. This can be how students record their findings or view how others came to their own conclusions. E-elaboration. Students must elaborate further on their findings. R-review. This is where the class may get together and discuss. S-summary quiz. This is where the teacher personally talks with each student to make sure they gained their own understanding of the assignment. A student must be able to explain for themselves rather than give a dictionary definition. I especially like that he suggests meeting with each student personally. That is crucial. Students want to see that the teacher is engaged as much as they are. They want to see that the teacher actually cares. If a teacher can make the students see those things then it can make a world of a difference. Sam Pane uses super heroes to show the dangers of internet usage and how to avoid those dangers. The students are over enthusiastic about their assignment to develop a comic strip on their computers. Pane's move to use an element that is of common interest to his 4th grade students is a key factor that I find essential. Some major tips from Mr. Pane include: write narratives to develop imagined experiences or events, analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to text, and ask and answer questions. Another video on project based learning demonstrates the importance of time management. Three teachers, three subjects blended together to create one well oiled educational machine. By doing this it allows students to have a sufficient amount of time to have a final product that they are proud of. This also provides students with information that is beyond the curriculum. This collaboration would not have happened if the teachers were not proactive about this idea. So, manage time well in order for students to produce their best work, work to teach beyond the curriculum, and more importantly be proactive about your ideas. There were various parts to this project and this is the end product.
Mrs. Cassidy is making large advances in her first grade classroom. All thanks to five computers and her progressive attitude. She uses bogs to track the progress of her students writing skills throughout the year. Using a blog as a writing portfolio is an amazing idea. Trying to keep up with a jumble of papers just adds to the cluttered chaos of everyday life. Blogs are also a great way to keep work organized and get feedback from a variety of other people. Skype is another tool that Mrs. Cassidy uses in her classroom. I would love to give Skype a try for educational purposes. It is wonderful how she has college students read her students blogs and then get on Skype to give the first graders tips on how to improve their writing. Because I will be teaching English to high school students the use of technology will definitely be of interest. I am hoping that integrating the luminescence of computer screens to the classroom will add some excitement. Especially, since the sight of textbooks usually puts a damper on any students mood. Hopefully the high school students will not ignore the task at hand while on the computers. I suppose one way to deal with the misuse of time and technology can be deterred by strict deadlines. Students respond better to assignments that would be considered off the beaten path. Upon entering an English class a student may already have a good idea of what the assignments will consist of. Probably, a few papers, a few poems, a few novels. One may not even entertain the thought of making a video to explain a poem analysis or posting in a forum with their peers to discuss a new chapter. Humans are meant to be progressive, not static, and technology is our present and future. Therefore, the use of technology in the classroom is extremely important. The more I research project based learning the more excited I get about teaching. I am a firm believer that a teachers direction should stem from the motivation of the students. So, one must find what captivates the attention of the given grade level and combine it with the common core state standards. Ask yourself, What where do my students interests lie? What can I do in order for them to have fun and learn at the same time? What more can I do? A great deal of teacher collaboration is important as well. While in the process of creating classroom projects, bouncing ideas off another educator can prove to be a more productive brainstorming method rather than being held up in your office racking your own tired mind. Watching YouTube videos and reading blogs on how other teachers have managed are also great ways to get ideas on PBL for the classroom when face to face contact is just not in your schedule. A blog that I read for my EDM310 class is entitled The Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning . It provides seven basis that a teacher should resonate on while coming up with a new project. The given essentials include: a need to know, a driving question, student voice an choice, 21 century skills, inquiry and innovation, feedback and revision, and a publicly presented project. From this blog I learned that PBL education is a constant collaboration of teacher and student. The teacher must always take into account the students reaction to an assignment. Teachers must also make sure the standards they are trying to get across are embedded into the minds of their children, not just residing there until a test and then moving out. Getting the students involved in a project on more than just an educational level works wonders in the department of getting students to retain information. For additional information on Project based learning I, as well as my EDM310 instructors, suggest watching Project Based Learning for Teachers. The Gender Project: Crafting a Driving Question is a great video to see how teachers collaborate in order to settle on a high quality driving question to present to their classes. To start the driving question began as one thing and transformed to a more developed question at the end of the video. Perspective is everything. So, just because you perceive the driving question one way it does not mean another perceives it in entirely different light. This is one way we can learn from other teacher about PBL. Conversing with other teachers can open a whole world of opportunities for you and your students. The Boss Level Challenge: Designing and Doing is another amazing video to see how we can learn from both teachers and students. Teacher interaction is highly important in a students life, but peer interaction can be just as important. In the boss level challenge kids get the opportunity to learn through all of their sense and develop skills they would miss out on doing desk work. We can learn more about PBL through the reactions of students. How well did they respond to the project that was given? Did they learn what you had intended? By asking the students how they feel about projects a teacher can figure out what areas they need to improve on or keep the same. In the video students really grab the reigns of PBL and it is clear they are enjoying every second. Another way to learn more about PBL through our students is to directly ask them what motivates them in school. What Motivates Kids is a quirky video to watch on how to motivate your students. Most of the motivation does not fall to far from where most of us stand still today in college. What blows me away is how simple it can be to please them. Positive feedback is a one simple reward mentioned that we can all start doing more of now. Teachers and students are on the same team! If you want to create something extraordinary through your teaching you cannot be boring. Correctly using Project based learning being boring is almost impossible. Here is a little pep talk for you and yours students to get active! A Pep Talk to You from Kid President. Rebbecca Rufo-Tepper posted about the interesting idea of assessing students through games. It is amazing when a teacher can get through to their students in a fun way. Using games as an assessment tool is brilliant. Definitely not a way I ever thought to assess students. One game that caught my eye in the example video was a game that involved cards. Each card that is dealt has a word on it or phrase. The students are ask to comprise a story with the cards they were dealt. This game is one I could definitely use in the classroom. Finding inventive ways to teach and assess children is extremely important. Getting students to create their own games is a great way to get kids to be creative and allows them to develop an understanding of assignments.
Dr. Pausch mentioned that his mother introduced him as her son the doctor, but not the kind that helps people. I have to wholeheartedly disagree. Randy Pausch's last lecture was only 1 hour and 16 minutes long and I foresee the information I gathered from this short lecture helping me tremendously in the future. A few loose bolts have already been tightened in the inner workings of my mind. It is crystal clear that Randy Pausch had a zest for life like no other, especially given his circumstances. Throughout the lecture you could guarantee periodic comedic relief. He made it entertaining in every way possible. Also in the lecture, I witnessed how heavily visual aids can improve teaching. Three parts to Dr. Pausch's lecture: My childhood dreams Enabling the dreams of others Lessons learned: How can you achieve your dreams and enable the dreams of others. There are many crucial points made in this lecture. The first that stood out to me is ALWAYS allow permission to dream. Yes, as a parent. Yes, as an educator, Yes, as a friend. But do not forget to give yourself permission to dream. Life would be awfully dull without any dreams to reach for. Even if those dreams are deemed insane. Here is a side note for all of you: there will be people who look at you crazy for attempting to reach your outlandish dreams. So, you might as well put on a show and prove them wrong and always push your students to reach their dreams no matter what. Another key point is always bring something to the table. People will respect you for the fact that you actually have something to offer rather than just asking for help. Asking for help is never, ever frowned upon. Also, take kindly to criticism. Dr. Pausch talks about his football coach riding him every practice and that it was hell, but also a great thing. It is great because if someone witnesses you doing something poorly and does not say anything about it that means that person has given up on you. Now I understand why my soccer coach made us do all those suicides when we did something incorrectly. It was not just torture after all. That leads us to the point of fundamentals. You must get the fundamentals down pat or else nothing else will work. You cannot run a marathon without tying your shoes first. Randy Pausch also discusses how most of what we learn we learn indirectly. Which I find more and more relevant the further I get into college. Actually, the deeper I get into this EDM 310 class I realize that statement holds so much weight. I thought I was going to be learning about technology, but "head fake" I am learning an immense amount about the extensiveness of the teaching feild as well as many, many life lessons. Dr. Pausch uses a quote that reads, "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." He says that brick walls are mere obstacles in our lives to let us prove how badly we want something and it also separates us from those who were not willing to try hard enough to get over that wall. Personally, I have a special place in my heart for every brick wall I have scaled in my life. Just proof that I can and will conquer and endure. DON'T BAIL! "Don't complain. Just work harder." Another marvelous point is that there is always a good way and a bad way to say something. In other words, choose your words and tones carefully! Especially when in a position when young impressionable minds hang on your every word. Randy says that the best gift an educator can give is to get students to be self-reflective. Just be careful because over analyzing may become toxic. Focus on healthy self-reflections. Dr. Pausch's advice for getting people to help you includes telling the truth, being earnest, apologizing when you screw up (this is a biggie), and focusing on others not yourself. Excellent advice, if I do say so myself. I fully enjoyed every minute of this lecture and intend on taking his key points and applying them in all aspects of my life and instilling these tips in my students. "Never lose your childlike wonder. " -Randy Pausch ENGAGE! ENGAGE! ENGAGE! Engaging students is the most important job a teacher can have, at least according to Mr. Capps and Dr. Strange. The first video I watched was on Project based learning, which I have already taken to kindly. Capps presses that teachers should not use projects as a a tool to show what the students have learned, but rather use projects as a means of learning. He goes on to explain what should be included in PBL. Teachers should include relevance (bring in news articles), involve the community, and always make sure projects are driven by state standard content. News articles should relate to educational content. Applying relevant information to teach state standard content will have students more willing to participate in assignments. Offer creativity as a reward for laborious work. After projects are completed allow peer critiques and time for class reflection. This will give students opportunities to learn how to appreciate instructional criticism and use it to their advantage. Periodically ask students which projects they favored more and why. This will give the teacher direct feedback on PBL and what they should or should not improve on. Students will thrive from challenge, never underestimate their intelligence. "You are going to get more than you expect. So, never limit your students by giving them exactly what you want them to do. Create an opportunity for them to go beyond what you want them to do. They will." -Anthony Capps The next video is on the internet tool "iCurio". iCurio is a student safe search engine that supplies curated sources. Information sources vary from texts, images, videos, and much more. It is also a great tool for students to learn how to organize electronic information. The following video was surprisingly short on a tech tool by the name of "Discovery Ed". I did not feel thoroughly informed on this teaching tool by the end of the video. So, I intend to do some more research and do another post in the near future. What I did understand from the video is that this tool brings texts to life. It is an excellent way to couple text with a visual aid. Just by this short description I can tell that Discovery Ed is something I wold have benefited from in my learning experiences. More on Discovery Ed coming soon... Video number 5 was a process. A process of how two professionals would throw together, very quickly, a list of teaching tips. The first tip is you as a teacher must be interested in learning yourself. You must let work become a fun experience, because it is a constant process. Teachers in their free time studying teaching as a craft. There is much, much more work outside the classroom than one normally anticipates. I was actually just having a conversation with a good friend of mine and the basis of this conversation was that as a teacher you MUST love your job, if you do not absolutely adore it find something else. Teaching takes dedication. I already see exactly how much time and effort goes into the entire process and I have not even began yet. Tip number two is to remain flexible. As a teacher you must readily respond to any surprise that presents itself. This trend of engaging students rears it's head again in tip number three. Tip number three is engage students 100%! Yes, 100% like the best anyone can ever do. The last tip goes along the lines of sharing is caring. Allot time for students to share/elaborate on their work and for peers to reflect. Sharing is something that was not required much in my secondary schooling and I desperately wish it had been. Presenting is definitely one of my weaker points. The last video was on how teacher should use technology to enhance learning not teach technology. Integrate technology into projects to ease students into what may or may not be fresh complexities. Capps suggests teachers do an assignment before the students. That way if any glitches come up the teacher can figure out how to solve them for when the students run into similar complications. Dr. Strange made the intriguing comment, "Sometimes questions are more important than the answers." As a teacher you should make the classroom feel like a safe place for any question. Asking questions is the best way to gain a multitude of knowledge. Not to mention it will keep your students from doing or saying things inappropriately. The EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama is the perfect example of how to use technology to enhance learning rather than strictly teach it. This class is keeping me well engaged and I feel as if I am gaining knowledge in technology without even realizing it at times. I am overly grateful for Mr. Capps and Dr. Strange for sharing their extraordinarily informative video meetings as an educational tool. Today, I read a piece of information that was very enlightening from the Ytravel blog. The text read, "It's easy, you learn from those who have what you want. That's why I'm always elbow deep in courses and my nose buried in books." This is a philosophy that I will be teaching in my classroom. A person can only blossom by surrounding themselves with others who are also trying to reach their full potential. Teaching abroad is my ultimate goal, but leaving everything you have ever known is an enormous step. Sometimes educators need a push in the right direction just like the students. Following the blogs of those who have actually gone to teach abroad inspires me to keep striving for my goal. After reading this I will no longer hesitate to pick the brains of those I admire about teaching abroad. Travel will be a huge part of my teaching career. This is only the beginning of all the wonderfully fruitful information I will come across. The Ytravel blog is all about taking risks and putting yourself out there in order to obtain what you want out of life and that is something I have not been doing enough of lately. Time to make some changes! I plan on leeching everything I possibly can from these blogs. |