Sunday, November 30, 2014
Blog Post #5 part 2
My Personal Learning Network has helped me grow trememdously over the course of this semester. The most useful resources I have grown fond of are TeacherTube and Twitter. TeacherTube is a useful resource of online instructional videos for students, teachers, and parents to learn about anything educational. This site contains videos, docs, audio, and photos that all center around educational content. Twitter has become my most useful over the course of this semester. At first I was reluctant to create a twitter account however, I've found it useful for keeping me informed about events happening on campus. Twitter has shown me how important it is to be connected to the people around me. Furthermore, it has taught me how useful it is to make new connections.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
C4K Comment for November
For my first comment for kids post I was assigned to comment of Maddy's blog. She had an interesting blog post about homework. She developed a homework declaration of independence declaring that teachers ban homework for their students. The reason behind this declaration is that homework causes unnecessary stress and it takes away students' freedom because they already attend school five out of seven days at week, for eight hours a day. Furthermore, she persuaded other students to sign this petition and they did. I commented on her post letting her know that homework is meant to be helpful. On one hand I agreed with her declaration. Too much homework can be stressful and overwhelming. I believe teachers should carefully consider how much homework to give each night. However, I let her know that the teachers care genuinely about her and want her to succeed so they assign homework so students understand what is being taught in the classroom. I let her know practice make perfect and this is why her teachers assign homework each night. They want their students to earn A’s in their class and be successful in life.
For my second comment for kids post I was assigned to comment on Marilyn's blog. She wrote an innovative blog point on how to make homemade strawberry jelly. I commented on her blog letting her know this was a very informative post. I told her I love your simple and effective recipe to make homemade strawberry jelly. I have never thought about this method. I see your very creative and willing to experiment with different things in order to make strawberry jelly. This is good because one day you could be a famous chief, or with your experimental habits you may become a famous scientists. Keep up the good work!!
Lastly, I was assigned to comment on Isaac's blog. He wrote about designing a suit for the future and the gadgets it would include. The suit would be called the Cyborg 2000. It would be made of metal, include a gun, and a microwave. However, the gun could not be used for evil, and if it was used for this purpose it would fall apart and be unfixable. I commented on his blog by complimenting him on his creativity. He also told his commenters to let him know what he could add to the suit to make it better. I told him that this is a cool, futuristic suit. I like how he mentioned the gun can never be used for evil and if someone tried to use it for that purpose it would fall apart. It seems he is advocating for a peaceful world, which is awesome. The camera on the suit is useful because it alerts you when unknown danger is near by an alarm going off. It seems this suit could be very useful for soldiers at war. The metal would serve as body armor so it would protect the soldiers from enemy fire. Another gadget you could add to the suit is insulated cotton. This cotton would automatically adjust to the body temperature of the person and warm them up if they were cold.
For my second comment for kids post I was assigned to comment on Marilyn's blog. She wrote an innovative blog point on how to make homemade strawberry jelly. I commented on her blog letting her know this was a very informative post. I told her I love your simple and effective recipe to make homemade strawberry jelly. I have never thought about this method. I see your very creative and willing to experiment with different things in order to make strawberry jelly. This is good because one day you could be a famous chief, or with your experimental habits you may become a famous scientists. Keep up the good work!!
Lastly, I was assigned to comment on Isaac's blog. He wrote about designing a suit for the future and the gadgets it would include. The suit would be called the Cyborg 2000. It would be made of metal, include a gun, and a microwave. However, the gun could not be used for evil, and if it was used for this purpose it would fall apart and be unfixable. I commented on his blog by complimenting him on his creativity. He also told his commenters to let him know what he could add to the suit to make it better. I told him that this is a cool, futuristic suit. I like how he mentioned the gun can never be used for evil and if someone tried to use it for that purpose it would fall apart. It seems he is advocating for a peaceful world, which is awesome. The camera on the suit is useful because it alerts you when unknown danger is near by an alarm going off. It seems this suit could be very useful for soldiers at war. The metal would serve as body armor so it would protect the soldiers from enemy fire. Another gadget you could add to the suit is insulated cotton. This cotton would automatically adjust to the body temperature of the person and warm them up if they were cold.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Blog Post 14
Joel Klein served as the Superintendent for New York City's Public School System. In a article published by USA today he was asked if there was one thing he could change about the educational system what would it be? He responded by mentioning that their are a lot of thing that need fixing. The following are a list of problems and solutions that he and Albert Shanker came up with to fix the school system.
Problems
1. Anyone with a college degree can become a teacher.
2. Teachers are rewarded based on seniority.
3. Their hasn't been a solid educational program developed that is compatible to other high-performing nations.
Solutions
1. Pick from the best(recruit from the top third of graduates)
2. Job security should be based on performance not seniority.
3. Their should be national teacher examination test compatible to entry exams for doctors and lawyers.
First, the qualifications to become a teacher are too lenient. I agree with his first problem on teacher inflation. Just because you have a college degree does not make you qualified to become an educator. The school system is filled with unqualified teachers who have not been trained properly. Therefore, our students suffer academically from the broken pipeline of teacher inflation. In order to fix this problem we should adhere to the advice of Mr. Klein. We should recruit from the top college graduates to ensure our students are receiving the best education possible. This will produce more productive students and prepare them for the future workforce.
Secondly, we should change how we reward teachers. The current reward system should be discarded and a new one should be implemented. I agree with Mr. Klein's suggestion. We should reward teachers based on performance, rather than seniority. As he mentioned just because a teacher is experienced doesn't mean their effective. Furthermore, our best teachers should be going to the low-performing schools in order to help close the performance gap between at-risk kids and high-performing students.
Lastly, universities should change their teacher education programs. According to the National Center on Teacher Quality their hasn't been a program developed that is compatible to other high-performing nations. To solve this we should adhere to the advice of Albert Shanker. He suggest teachers establish their own board to monitor the profession and weed out ineffective teachers. Furthermore, the school system should develop national teacher examinations compatible to doctor and lawyer entry exams. These test will be administered to consider which teachers deserve promotions and rewards. This incentive will ensure the very best teachers enjoy the fruit of their labor.
In conclusion, I believe that Mr. Klein and Mr. Shanker has provided American education will a blueprint for radical change. In my opinion, these changes should be implemented promptly so we can ensure our students have the best educators teaching them. Additionally, technology will play a huge role in this process. Teachers should be technologically literature in order to be an educator since their are so many ways technology is influencing education in a positive way. If we implement these strategies we will be on our way to becoming an educational superpower again.
Problems
1. Anyone with a college degree can become a teacher.
2. Teachers are rewarded based on seniority.
3. Their hasn't been a solid educational program developed that is compatible to other high-performing nations.
Solutions
1. Pick from the best(recruit from the top third of graduates)
2. Job security should be based on performance not seniority.
3. Their should be national teacher examination test compatible to entry exams for doctors and lawyers.
First, the qualifications to become a teacher are too lenient. I agree with his first problem on teacher inflation. Just because you have a college degree does not make you qualified to become an educator. The school system is filled with unqualified teachers who have not been trained properly. Therefore, our students suffer academically from the broken pipeline of teacher inflation. In order to fix this problem we should adhere to the advice of Mr. Klein. We should recruit from the top college graduates to ensure our students are receiving the best education possible. This will produce more productive students and prepare them for the future workforce.
Secondly, we should change how we reward teachers. The current reward system should be discarded and a new one should be implemented. I agree with Mr. Klein's suggestion. We should reward teachers based on performance, rather than seniority. As he mentioned just because a teacher is experienced doesn't mean their effective. Furthermore, our best teachers should be going to the low-performing schools in order to help close the performance gap between at-risk kids and high-performing students.
Lastly, universities should change their teacher education programs. According to the National Center on Teacher Quality their hasn't been a program developed that is compatible to other high-performing nations. To solve this we should adhere to the advice of Albert Shanker. He suggest teachers establish their own board to monitor the profession and weed out ineffective teachers. Furthermore, the school system should develop national teacher examinations compatible to doctor and lawyer entry exams. These test will be administered to consider which teachers deserve promotions and rewards. This incentive will ensure the very best teachers enjoy the fruit of their labor.
In conclusion, I believe that Mr. Klein and Mr. Shanker has provided American education will a blueprint for radical change. In my opinion, these changes should be implemented promptly so we can ensure our students have the best educators teaching them. Additionally, technology will play a huge role in this process. Teachers should be technologically literature in order to be an educator since their are so many ways technology is influencing education in a positive way. If we implement these strategies we will be on our way to becoming an educational superpower again.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
C4T #4
Post #1
The first teacher I commented on during this C4T cycle was Mrs. Annie Palmer. She blogged about why we should motivate our students to read books. The moment educators accomplish this could be the pivotal turning point in their students' education. I agree with her. When students fall in love with reading books it makes them lifelong learners because they enjoy seeking knowledge. Furthermore, it improves their comprehension, literacy, and vocabulary. As a future educator I will seek to motivate all my students to love reading.
Post #2
My second comment for Mrs. Palmer revolved around the lessons she learned from the softball field that she applied in the classroom. Mrs. Palmer stated that she learned how to give correct feedback through her softball experience. She used the term specific feedback to instruct her students on the importance of striving to do their best. My response to this blog post was
"Good blog post Mrs. Palmer. We should always seek to provide meaningful feedback to our students. This is the best way to ensure they learn the material. Feedback should be instructive, specific, and encouraging. Good feedback will help students become better lifelong learners. It will teach students to evaluate themselves and push them to work harder in the classroom to achieve good grades."
The first teacher I commented on during this C4T cycle was Mrs. Annie Palmer. She blogged about why we should motivate our students to read books. The moment educators accomplish this could be the pivotal turning point in their students' education. I agree with her. When students fall in love with reading books it makes them lifelong learners because they enjoy seeking knowledge. Furthermore, it improves their comprehension, literacy, and vocabulary. As a future educator I will seek to motivate all my students to love reading.
Post #2
My second comment for Mrs. Palmer revolved around the lessons she learned from the softball field that she applied in the classroom. Mrs. Palmer stated that she learned how to give correct feedback through her softball experience. She used the term specific feedback to instruct her students on the importance of striving to do their best. My response to this blog post was
"Good blog post Mrs. Palmer. We should always seek to provide meaningful feedback to our students. This is the best way to ensure they learn the material. Feedback should be instructive, specific, and encouraging. Good feedback will help students become better lifelong learners. It will teach students to evaluate themselves and push them to work harder in the classroom to achieve good grades."
Blog Post 13 What Did I Leave Out?
Instructions: Watch the video "Why schools need technology to teach writing" by Jeff Scheur at TEDx Gunn High School and list the ways he suggest that technology can improve writing
Answer the question in a post that adheres to the standards found in the ACCRS and in writing a quality blog post.
Mr. Scheur opens up this TEDx session by mentioning that he almost destroyed a students' confidence. Tony, a student in his class, turned in a one sentence, three page paper. The paper had no commas or periods. Mr. Scheur asked Tony, "When you turned this paper in how did you feel about it, Tony replied, "He felt proud." This was because he had never turned in a paper before. Mr. Scheur decided if a student could slip through the cracks that much something needed to be done. Statistics show that 73% of American students are below proficient in writing. While the government has spent millions of dollars to improve math and science skills, little to no money has been put towards improving writing and grammar skills. Students are constantly given writing assignments from teachers who try to educate students in over crowded classrooms. For example, Mr. Scheur mentions that if a teacher has 170 students and does 15 minutes of grading it would take 42 hours of grading after school to grade everyone's paper. To combat this problem he came up with an innovation solution to help students gain writing and grammatical skills.
First, he utilized Google Forms when it first launched to create a fun assignment. He called it "cutting the fluff". Basically, students were given a wordy or grammatically incorrect sentence and required to correct it or "cut the fluff". Google forms showed Mr. Scheur what the students were able to fix and it showed data so he could see where his students were falling short. This led to his next idea.
Secondly, Mr. Scheur hired a computer engineer to develop a program that would help his students develop grammar skills. The program created a random incorrect sentence based on the students' interest such as celebrities, friends, and personal attractions. The students were required to fix it by capitalizing letters and dragging periods or commas from the punctuation box. If the student didn't correct the sentence the first time it would highlight the part of the incorrect sentence helping the student focus on the specific problem. If they got it wrong the second time the program would give them a hint. If they got it wrong the third time the program would show them the specific mistake, give a model of how to correct the sentence, and generate a new similar sentence.
The program records the data and shows each individual student where they need help. Furthermore, it shows the teacher where their students need more practice. This allows the teacher to target specific training in the area and help their students gain the skills needed to master the exercise. Mr. Scheur introduced this program to a group of teachers in his eight year developing it and four weeks later he had 1,500 people using it. By the 9th week 15,000 people were using it. This is another example of how technology is revolutionizing the classroom and improving students' grades. This shows that all schools should incorporate technology in the classroom if we really want to give our students the best chance to succeed in school and in life.
Answer the question in a post that adheres to the standards found in the ACCRS and in writing a quality blog post.
Mr. Scheur opens up this TEDx session by mentioning that he almost destroyed a students' confidence. Tony, a student in his class, turned in a one sentence, three page paper. The paper had no commas or periods. Mr. Scheur asked Tony, "When you turned this paper in how did you feel about it, Tony replied, "He felt proud." This was because he had never turned in a paper before. Mr. Scheur decided if a student could slip through the cracks that much something needed to be done. Statistics show that 73% of American students are below proficient in writing. While the government has spent millions of dollars to improve math and science skills, little to no money has been put towards improving writing and grammar skills. Students are constantly given writing assignments from teachers who try to educate students in over crowded classrooms. For example, Mr. Scheur mentions that if a teacher has 170 students and does 15 minutes of grading it would take 42 hours of grading after school to grade everyone's paper. To combat this problem he came up with an innovation solution to help students gain writing and grammatical skills.
First, he utilized Google Forms when it first launched to create a fun assignment. He called it "cutting the fluff". Basically, students were given a wordy or grammatically incorrect sentence and required to correct it or "cut the fluff". Google forms showed Mr. Scheur what the students were able to fix and it showed data so he could see where his students were falling short. This led to his next idea.
Secondly, Mr. Scheur hired a computer engineer to develop a program that would help his students develop grammar skills. The program created a random incorrect sentence based on the students' interest such as celebrities, friends, and personal attractions. The students were required to fix it by capitalizing letters and dragging periods or commas from the punctuation box. If the student didn't correct the sentence the first time it would highlight the part of the incorrect sentence helping the student focus on the specific problem. If they got it wrong the second time the program would give them a hint. If they got it wrong the third time the program would show them the specific mistake, give a model of how to correct the sentence, and generate a new similar sentence.
The program records the data and shows each individual student where they need help. Furthermore, it shows the teacher where their students need more practice. This allows the teacher to target specific training in the area and help their students gain the skills needed to master the exercise. Mr. Scheur introduced this program to a group of teachers in his eight year developing it and four weeks later he had 1,500 people using it. By the 9th week 15,000 people were using it. This is another example of how technology is revolutionizing the classroom and improving students' grades. This shows that all schools should incorporate technology in the classroom if we really want to give our students the best chance to succeed in school and in life.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Blog Post 12
Here is our group's collaborative blog post. We each picked one assistive technology that we thought would be useful in the classroom.
My family has a history of hearing impairment. My maternal grandfather wore hearing aids from his 40s on to his death at 89. My mother is very hard of hearing, as are most of her siblings. I have lost a significant amount of hearing in my right ear due to military service and I imagine my genetics don't help with that. I have often thought of what it would be like if I was afflicted with my family's impairment at a school age. This post was a great chance to see what would be available to me if I was a hearing impaired student today. The Hearing Loss Association of America has a section of its website dedicated to Hearing Assistive Technology. In the link they talk about an FM system. I have vivid memories of my grandfather using one of these to listen to the TV. After multiple complaints from my grandmother about him blasting Braves games at full volume they invested in one of these FM systems. He placed the receiver close to the speakers of the TV and he had it hooked into his hearing aids. As an educator, I can see this working well in the classroom. The teacher could simply wear the receiver around his or her neck, or keep it on the desk if it was powerful enough, and the student could take it from class to class. It seems kind of primitive in today's technological world, but if it isn't broke, don't fix it. I guess.
Linked here is a video from Oklahoma about Assistive Technologies that educators can use to help deaf/hearing impaired students. Around the 5:30 mark of the video, the iPad is discussed. It seems as though iPads are becoming quite the norm in classrooms these days. I found this short section of the video to be very interesting, as I'm expecting to have iPads available to me in my future classrooms. Here is a short video of deaf students using iPads for the first time. You can see how excited the children are, but also look and see how engaged they are in their learning. My wife, God bless her, is an avid Pinterest user and heard me talking about this blog post. She very quickly found this board. I don't really know how Pinterest works, but there is some really great information on that link. That's what's so great about our modern world today; there's so much information out there. I think that if we just put forth the effort, real effort, to find it, then we will always be in a position to help our students. -Kyle Parrish
Assistive technology can help students with learning disabilities leverage their education. It can be a wonderful tool for students that have Dysgraphia which affects a student's writing ability. This disability primarily affects handwriting and coherence. Students with this writing disorder will not perform efficiently when being taught how to form letters. Furthermore, they will probably forget how to correctly form words later because of improper movements of muscles required to write. However, there have been technologies created to help them counter this problem.
Dragon Dictation is a speech recognition application that produces words you speak by recording your voice. It allows you to update social media statuses such as Facebook and twitter by speaking. Dragon allows you to speak and send emails or text messages. Additionally, people can create notes and reminders to help them navigate throughout the day. This technology could be useful for students in the classroom who have Dysgraphia because it would allow them to complete their writing assignments by speaking out their words. As a teacher I could allow a student to use their device to assist them in the writing process. This is another way technology is affecting education in a positive way because it is assisting students who have learning disabilities.-Justin Thomas
This short six minute YouTube video, Braille in the classroom, it helps you understand how braille works, how it is helpful, and some of the different types of braille. One of the devices they use is called braille display. This device will connect to the computer and will transfer the text from a computer screen into braille for the student. In the YouTube video iPad usage for the blind he shows us how to use the iPad from a blind person point of view. As he demonstrates, you can hear how he has the voice control instructing him in he background. The voice control helps him find his apps, tools, or whatever item he is looking for. Having an iPad in the classroom would be very beneficial to the student. Especially since everything is changing into technology. -Macy Roe :)
Math is a tough alone, and the hardest subject in school for some. I could only imagine how difficult it could be for a blind individual. In the video Teaching Math to the Blind Professor Art Karshmer introduces a tool that allows blind students to still use Braille, something they're familiar with, and electronic feedback. Instead of the math problem written in one horizontal line the student can align the math problem the way it should be. They are also able to receive verbal feedback of the math problem.
I think this tool is very useful for blind students. It is important for them to understand math because as Professor Art Karshmer said in order to get a job in engineering, technology, computer sciences etc. math is an important part of the equation, and the easier it is to practice and understand it the better, and with this tool its definitely possible. -Janae Ivory
My family has a history of hearing impairment. My maternal grandfather wore hearing aids from his 40s on to his death at 89. My mother is very hard of hearing, as are most of her siblings. I have lost a significant amount of hearing in my right ear due to military service and I imagine my genetics don't help with that. I have often thought of what it would be like if I was afflicted with my family's impairment at a school age. This post was a great chance to see what would be available to me if I was a hearing impaired student today. The Hearing Loss Association of America has a section of its website dedicated to Hearing Assistive Technology. In the link they talk about an FM system. I have vivid memories of my grandfather using one of these to listen to the TV. After multiple complaints from my grandmother about him blasting Braves games at full volume they invested in one of these FM systems. He placed the receiver close to the speakers of the TV and he had it hooked into his hearing aids. As an educator, I can see this working well in the classroom. The teacher could simply wear the receiver around his or her neck, or keep it on the desk if it was powerful enough, and the student could take it from class to class. It seems kind of primitive in today's technological world, but if it isn't broke, don't fix it. I guess.
Linked here is a video from Oklahoma about Assistive Technologies that educators can use to help deaf/hearing impaired students. Around the 5:30 mark of the video, the iPad is discussed. It seems as though iPads are becoming quite the norm in classrooms these days. I found this short section of the video to be very interesting, as I'm expecting to have iPads available to me in my future classrooms. Here is a short video of deaf students using iPads for the first time. You can see how excited the children are, but also look and see how engaged they are in their learning. My wife, God bless her, is an avid Pinterest user and heard me talking about this blog post. She very quickly found this board. I don't really know how Pinterest works, but there is some really great information on that link. That's what's so great about our modern world today; there's so much information out there. I think that if we just put forth the effort, real effort, to find it, then we will always be in a position to help our students. -Kyle Parrish
Assistive technology can help students with learning disabilities leverage their education. It can be a wonderful tool for students that have Dysgraphia which affects a student's writing ability. This disability primarily affects handwriting and coherence. Students with this writing disorder will not perform efficiently when being taught how to form letters. Furthermore, they will probably forget how to correctly form words later because of improper movements of muscles required to write. However, there have been technologies created to help them counter this problem.
Dragon Dictation is a speech recognition application that produces words you speak by recording your voice. It allows you to update social media statuses such as Facebook and twitter by speaking. Dragon allows you to speak and send emails or text messages. Additionally, people can create notes and reminders to help them navigate throughout the day. This technology could be useful for students in the classroom who have Dysgraphia because it would allow them to complete their writing assignments by speaking out their words. As a teacher I could allow a student to use their device to assist them in the writing process. This is another way technology is affecting education in a positive way because it is assisting students who have learning disabilities.-Justin Thomas
This short six minute YouTube video, Braille in the classroom, it helps you understand how braille works, how it is helpful, and some of the different types of braille. One of the devices they use is called braille display. This device will connect to the computer and will transfer the text from a computer screen into braille for the student. In the YouTube video iPad usage for the blind he shows us how to use the iPad from a blind person point of view. As he demonstrates, you can hear how he has the voice control instructing him in he background. The voice control helps him find his apps, tools, or whatever item he is looking for. Having an iPad in the classroom would be very beneficial to the student. Especially since everything is changing into technology. -Macy Roe :)
Math is a tough alone, and the hardest subject in school for some. I could only imagine how difficult it could be for a blind individual. In the video Teaching Math to the Blind Professor Art Karshmer introduces a tool that allows blind students to still use Braille, something they're familiar with, and electronic feedback. Instead of the math problem written in one horizontal line the student can align the math problem the way it should be. They are also able to receive verbal feedback of the math problem.
I think this tool is very useful for blind students. It is important for them to understand math because as Professor Art Karshmer said in order to get a job in engineering, technology, computer sciences etc. math is an important part of the equation, and the easier it is to practice and understand it the better, and with this tool its definitely possible. -Janae Ivory
C4T #3
I had the privilege on commenting on Mr. Doug Belshaw's blog. His second blog post was about how information over the internet gets curated. Basically, every time we search for something on search engines such as Google or Yahoo it returns articles that we view most often. Web technicians call this "curated search results". This can leave us unexposed to different opinions on the same topic. Mr. Belshaw suggest that we read news articles from a wide variety of sources so that we can have a broad perspective on different issues and be able to understand one another.
Mr. Belshaw's first post was about how messy learning is. Learning is messy because it can often be difficult to acquire new skills. It involves some progression and regression. Sometimes we learn things fast whereas, other times it takes patience and training. However, there is a difference between the two. Mr. Belshaw says, "learning is related to activity and practice. Training is sustained practice of what we have learned. Basically, training is a byproduct to sharpen the new skills we have learned.
Mr. Belshaw's first post was about how messy learning is. Learning is messy because it can often be difficult to acquire new skills. It involves some progression and regression. Sometimes we learn things fast whereas, other times it takes patience and training. However, there is a difference between the two. Mr. Belshaw says, "learning is related to activity and practice. Training is sustained practice of what we have learned. Basically, training is a byproduct to sharpen the new skills we have learned.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Project 14-Project Based Learning Plan #2
Our group developed a lesson plan for an 11th grade history class. The students will complete a project based assignment about the connection between the Pearl Harbor attack, and the detonation of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Students will work collaboratively in groups and create a digital presentation of these events. Our plans are listed below in the links provided.
Project Overview
Project Checklist
Project Calendar
Evaluation Rubric for the Group
Evaluation Rubric for the Individual
Project Overview
Project Checklist
Project Calendar
Evaluation Rubric for the Group
Evaluation Rubric for the Individual
Blog Post 11
What can we learn about teaching and learning from these teachers?
Brain Crosby is a teacher at Agnes Risley Elementary School. In his TEDx Talk video "Back to the Future" he explains the dynamics of his classroom and how he got at-risk students to succeed in school through project based learning. He begins by explaining that 90% of his classroom is comprised of ESL(English as a Second Language) students. So he set out to discover why there is such a disconnect. First, he concluded that a narrowed curriculum is bad. To counter this problem he began by implementing a project based lesson that was very successful. The students got the opportunity to launch a hot air balloon for a science project. The balloon had a camera attached to it so the students were able to witness what it was like to ascend into the sky in real time. Mr. Crosby gave his students an assignment to write as if they were the balloon and post it on their blogs. This assignment proves that project based learning really works. The kids were ecstatic and interested because they got the opportunity to do a hands-on assignment. Furthermore, Mr. Crosby let his students dictate their own learning. He stated that independent learning combined with technology allows us to connect to the world through tech. I agree with this statement because technology provides innumerable resources that a traditional classroom setting can't provide. The students were able to receive feedback from other people after they posted their assignments on their blogs. Astonishingly, students from other schools took notice and begged their teacher to let them do this project. This is another testament that project based learning is a success and that we all learn by being connected learners.
Mr. Paul Andersen is a high school AP Biology teacher who uses the blended learning cycle in his classroom. In his video "Blended Learning Cycle" he explains three core concepts which are explore, flip, and apply. The blended cycle is comprised of online, mobile, and classroom learning. Mr Andersen has developed an acronym that he uses as a model to teach his students called QIVERS. This stands for question, investigation, video, elaboration, review, and summary. First, he gets his students to develop good questions to spark their interest and direct the lesson. Second, is the inquiry where his students research the question and pose possible solutions to a problem. Third, he makes a video podcast that his students can access anytime and watch independently because he wants them to become independent learners.
Fourth, is elaboration. This is where the students go through the textbook. Fifth, is the review stage. During this time the teacher will meet with each student to make sure they understand what is being taught. Lastly, a summary quiz is given to test the students on the material. This is an effective process that helps the kids learn to think for themselves and conduct their own research independently.
Mark Church is an elementary school teacher who came up with an interactive activity to stimulate learning. In his video" Making Thinking Visible" he assigned a small group project where his students would develop headlines about "Early Human Beginnings, The Origin of Human Society." The headline should explain the challenge and search for what human origin is all about. This is a fun activity to get young students excited about learning. They get to actively take part in their learning by creating headlines rather than just reading a textbook and having a discussion. The small group discussion will help improve their communication skills and help them learn to be collaborative workers. These kids are gaining skills early that they'll need in the 21st century workforce.
Sam Pane is a fourth grade teacher who is teaching his students how to be good internet citizens. In his "building comics" video he teachers his students that safety, respect, and responsibility are the three core elements to being a good internet citizen. He had his class build a superhero citizen using graphic technology on the computer as a way to do a visual presentation. This was a great way for the students to learn and create dialogue about the hazards of the internet. Furthermore, it improved their writing skills because they developed a narrative. Students were allowed to share their comics with the class and receive feedback which made them feel good about the activity. This is another reason why more teachers should switch to project based learning because it teaches new skills simultaneously.
Dean Shareski "Project Based Learning" video is revolutionary in its approach to education. The high school has chosen to combine courses and use project based learning to direct each lesson. The school has combined History, English, and Information Processing together rather than teaching each subject individually. The school elected to do this because research shows that combining courses and using project based learning to direct them engages learning, and produces a deeper understanding rather than teaching in segmented parts. This idea worked tremendously. Technology helped the kids get a thorough understanding of the content and helped them become active in their learning. Project Based Learning helped them flip the school from the "inside out".
"Roosevelt's Elementary School PBL Program" video explains their steps to effective project based learning. Their faculty suggest that project based learning should be in depth, include integrated thematic instruction, based on real world problems, research based, and include project and presentation. This is a model that all schools should adopt. Project based learning helps students understand content in depth because it allows students to control their own research. Therefore, they put more effort into learning because they are interested in the material. Project based learning also should be based around a real world problem because it gives the students purpose. Real world problems make the assignments more meaningful and interesting. Project Based Learning should also be presentation based. It builds the students communication skills and gives them confidence as they present their projects to the class. In conclusion, this teaching method teaches student skills they will need in the future workforce.
Brain Crosby is a teacher at Agnes Risley Elementary School. In his TEDx Talk video "Back to the Future" he explains the dynamics of his classroom and how he got at-risk students to succeed in school through project based learning. He begins by explaining that 90% of his classroom is comprised of ESL(English as a Second Language) students. So he set out to discover why there is such a disconnect. First, he concluded that a narrowed curriculum is bad. To counter this problem he began by implementing a project based lesson that was very successful. The students got the opportunity to launch a hot air balloon for a science project. The balloon had a camera attached to it so the students were able to witness what it was like to ascend into the sky in real time. Mr. Crosby gave his students an assignment to write as if they were the balloon and post it on their blogs. This assignment proves that project based learning really works. The kids were ecstatic and interested because they got the opportunity to do a hands-on assignment. Furthermore, Mr. Crosby let his students dictate their own learning. He stated that independent learning combined with technology allows us to connect to the world through tech. I agree with this statement because technology provides innumerable resources that a traditional classroom setting can't provide. The students were able to receive feedback from other people after they posted their assignments on their blogs. Astonishingly, students from other schools took notice and begged their teacher to let them do this project. This is another testament that project based learning is a success and that we all learn by being connected learners.
Mr. Paul Andersen is a high school AP Biology teacher who uses the blended learning cycle in his classroom. In his video "Blended Learning Cycle" he explains three core concepts which are explore, flip, and apply. The blended cycle is comprised of online, mobile, and classroom learning. Mr Andersen has developed an acronym that he uses as a model to teach his students called QIVERS. This stands for question, investigation, video, elaboration, review, and summary. First, he gets his students to develop good questions to spark their interest and direct the lesson. Second, is the inquiry where his students research the question and pose possible solutions to a problem. Third, he makes a video podcast that his students can access anytime and watch independently because he wants them to become independent learners.
Fourth, is elaboration. This is where the students go through the textbook. Fifth, is the review stage. During this time the teacher will meet with each student to make sure they understand what is being taught. Lastly, a summary quiz is given to test the students on the material. This is an effective process that helps the kids learn to think for themselves and conduct their own research independently.
Mark Church is an elementary school teacher who came up with an interactive activity to stimulate learning. In his video" Making Thinking Visible" he assigned a small group project where his students would develop headlines about "Early Human Beginnings, The Origin of Human Society." The headline should explain the challenge and search for what human origin is all about. This is a fun activity to get young students excited about learning. They get to actively take part in their learning by creating headlines rather than just reading a textbook and having a discussion. The small group discussion will help improve their communication skills and help them learn to be collaborative workers. These kids are gaining skills early that they'll need in the 21st century workforce.
Sam Pane is a fourth grade teacher who is teaching his students how to be good internet citizens. In his "building comics" video he teachers his students that safety, respect, and responsibility are the three core elements to being a good internet citizen. He had his class build a superhero citizen using graphic technology on the computer as a way to do a visual presentation. This was a great way for the students to learn and create dialogue about the hazards of the internet. Furthermore, it improved their writing skills because they developed a narrative. Students were allowed to share their comics with the class and receive feedback which made them feel good about the activity. This is another reason why more teachers should switch to project based learning because it teaches new skills simultaneously.
Dean Shareski "Project Based Learning" video is revolutionary in its approach to education. The high school has chosen to combine courses and use project based learning to direct each lesson. The school has combined History, English, and Information Processing together rather than teaching each subject individually. The school elected to do this because research shows that combining courses and using project based learning to direct them engages learning, and produces a deeper understanding rather than teaching in segmented parts. This idea worked tremendously. Technology helped the kids get a thorough understanding of the content and helped them become active in their learning. Project Based Learning helped them flip the school from the "inside out".
"Roosevelt's Elementary School PBL Program" video explains their steps to effective project based learning. Their faculty suggest that project based learning should be in depth, include integrated thematic instruction, based on real world problems, research based, and include project and presentation. This is a model that all schools should adopt. Project based learning helps students understand content in depth because it allows students to control their own research. Therefore, they put more effort into learning because they are interested in the material. Project based learning also should be based around a real world problem because it gives the students purpose. Real world problems make the assignments more meaningful and interesting. Project Based Learning should also be presentation based. It builds the students communication skills and gives them confidence as they present their projects to the class. In conclusion, this teaching method teaches student skills they will need in the future workforce.
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