Thursday, October 23, 2014

Edm 310 class blog C4C journal Melissa Keeler Sept. and Oct. combined

Cicadas



The first person I left any feedback on was Chelsea Powers. She is now the head of my group (4). I get along with her well and complemented her on her blog, I also pointed out that it seemed that we had a lot in common. I shared my fears of taking the class and she reassured me that I would be fine.

I left a post on Meagan Jones blog on Sept. 11. I let her know that I enjoyed her organizational skills and that I wish she could have expanded on how to give positive feedback. I also commended her for her statement that a negative statement can stop the student from wanting to learn.

I left a comment on Felicia Grantham's Blog 4. I complimented her on her page presentation. It is absolutely beautiful! I agreed with her on two aspects. The first was that we should prepare questions along with our lesson plans in order to help us be more prepared as educators. I also agreed with her statement that no answer should be interrupted, adding that doing so can effectively shut down that student's desire to learn.

I left a comment on Josh Garrett Blog post #5 I encouraged him on building his PLN. I then brought it to his attention that his projects were missing and reminded him to go back and double check because I have personally noticed that one missing symbol or letter can make or break your project. I then told him to keep up the good work.

My assigned student this week wasMadeline Files I commented on Blog post 6. I liked a statement she had made in response to Anthony Capps' second video. Her statement was " I think that with Project Based Learning, students can learn as much information as they want to learn.". I said that the key word for me in her statement was WANT. I went on to explain that I feel in any method of teaching/learning that the WANT or desire to learn not only boosts retention of but also increases the amount of information learned as well.

I was assigned to Ellen Dunn this week Oct. 8. I agreed with what she had to say about us not having the opportunities offered to us when we were younger. And also her statement that it is exciting to learn together. I also shared that I have been taking extra time with my second grader at home to teach him how to effectively use the computer as the school he goes to does not concentrate on computer knowledge.

Julie Cornelson was my C4C #8. The first thing I mentioned was her comfort with the technology at hand compared to my lack there of. She mentioned the use of cell phones instead of computers in her class which I totally agree with. I feel this way because just about every child has or has ready access to a cell phone which is almost as good as having a hand held computer. I go on to say that it will diminish the boundaries that budgets sometimes produce. Even if computers are not available in the class room, the children CAN use their cellphones. I liked her ideas for the use of the camera. I especially think the math ideas are inventive. I let her know that I feel she will make a wonderful educator.

C4C9 Is Mia Britton I told her that we had picked the same videos and had the same way of thinking. We had both liked the video of the children telling the educators what they like, very enlightening. We also shared the Ketchup video In which I pointed out that I was impressed with the two young men and their project.

C4C10 IsLogan Alvarez I liked her comment that having technology in the classroom makes it fun for the students. I went on to say that I totally agree and that the more fun the more engaging your class will be and your students will retain more of the information you are putting out.

Blog post 10 EDM310 classblog Melissa Keeler

snail in ashtray on campus

Our Driving question for this blog was What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy? I would like to answer with another question. Is there anything we can not learn from Mrs. Kathy Cassidy? A wonderful educator obviously dedicated to her job and even more importantly to her students.

The first video is titled First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class It is an itroduction to Ms. Cassidy and her class. They are in Moose Jaw Canada and use technology regularly in the class room. Her students are in First grade which is just super impressive to me. In the video the students show and explain how they use their blogs, videos, and their Nintendo DS systems which I know is a wonderful treat as my own son is in second grade and loves his. I will have to check out Nintendo dog, I did not know about the program which sounds like it can be very educational as well as collaborative. The students also remind us of proper blogging etiquette like being positive rather than negative in your feedback.

In the videoInterview with Kathy Cassidy part 1 We get to know Kathy as a person and educator. She got involved with technology 10 years ago because 5 computers were on her school campus and not being used. She started through beginning a web page, then blogging, now she has moved on to twitter and facebook. She uses all of these as well as Nintendo DS systems to engage her first grade students in the active and effective use of today's tools for education. As far as the parents and students go, her techniques are very welcome. Parents can log on at any time and see their child's work and progress. The students like it because technology is part of their lives and they appreciate not having to leave it at the door when they come into school. Faculty has not been discouraging however, it sounds like some of them are not quite ready for the necessary transition. I say necessary transition because it truly is necessary for us as educators to make the switch. Maybe not completely but I do feel that our children need to know how to use the technology available to them. Kathy also suggests at the end to try and get on some social networks and get comfortable with technology if you are not already.

the videoInterview with Kathy Cassidy Part 2 Kathy continues to give us advice on ways to become comfortable with technology. She suggests to start in an area you are interested in. If writing is your thing, try blogging. If video is more your style give youtube a try. She also encourages us to stick with twitter because at first it will feel pointless but after a length of time you will connect with like-minded people and be able to share meaningful ideas with them. I was also reminded that PLN's are not only for your own personal learning but also to share knowledge you have and help others learn as well.

The videoInterview with Kathy Cassidy part 3 Is a question and answer session with Kathy and the EDM310 students. The first question that was asked was How often did she use blogging in her class? She said presently about once a week as they do it as a collaborative group once a week. Kathy then offered an idea for how P.E. educators could use technology saying that if there was a cancellation or time change how much easier and effective a mass text, email, or a post to a team blog would be rather than trying to hunt down each student or using the P.A. system (which if memory serves me correctly can be fuzzy at best). Another question was asked pertaining to the possibility of cheating. This was cleared up right away with Kathy pointing out that the forms of information today are collaborative rather than singular. Chances are no two people are going to think, feel, or write exactly the same so the possibility of cheating is pretty much eliminated. Kathy points out that facebook can be an effective tool as long as the students create a separate account only for school. A very good question came up. How do you protect your students? You want to protect them and what they see. This can effectively be done. Students are taught never to use last names or pictures of themselves. They are also taught proper internet etiquette. Finally you can create a safe hub for your students with a classroom page full of sites you have hand picked, and just in case teach the students how to get out of an uh-oh page if it pops up accidentally. Kathy tells us that she tries to use technology in a productive way as well as socially but less socially. I am so jealous of her back yard! I grew up in North Western Pennsylvania just south of Erie in the snow belt. It has been 15 years since I have seen snow like that.

I have learned that if you are dedicated to your students you can accomplish great and many things. Kathy Cassidy is an inspirational person and educator. If I can do just a small amount of the things she has done I will be happy. I plan on using cell phones in my class for my students to look up information as I will be teaching upper level history and most upper level students have or have access to a smart phone. I would like to think I could get a class blog going for my students to keep them informed and promote collaboration. The impediments I see are the availability of computers in every public school in the state I will be working in Mississippi. Some of the schools do not have but a few computers and are not readily offered for students to use. That is why I am going to stress the use of their phones. The benefits of using technology are endless. The efficiency is what I keep seeing. The youth of today are already plugged in, why not join them?

C4T3 summary post Melissa Keeler EDM310 classblog

Brian Crosby was the teacher I was assigned to for my third C4T. His blog titled Close Reading? Ok, How about Close Doing? is very enlightening. Brian invites educators to instead of doing empty, solitary field trips to integrate a field trip into the lessons you are teaching in class. I agree with this approach. I think that being immersed in the subject you are learning is a wonderful way to learn. Integrating what you teach and learn in the class room with hands on experiences allows more retention of the information. Also it makes the field trip relevant to their learning rather than being an empty hole filler. my kitten

Post #2: I commented on Brian's blog postLeaving their Mark. He talks about his class that he has continuously taught for 3 years. He began teaching them how to blog. This activity sharpened their writing skills and improved their English as most of his students speak English as a second language. Brian then had a student become home bound because of leukemia. He decided she should not be left out. Because of this decision he began to Skype with the home bound student daily so she could feel like she was included in the class. When she was able to come back to school, she did not have to catch up because she had been attending through Skype. His class was also involved in editing another classes videos from another state (Maryland). Again Brian did this because his students had the desire to help other students. I let him know that he and his class not only left their mark but opened a door of opportunity for learning.

C4K journal for Oct.

My first assigned student in Oct. was Jordan B She said that to make life better she would convince people to leave her alone and she could think and be nicer to people that way. My comment was that I totally agreed with her statement, that sometimes it is best to take a moment of silence to hear your own voice or opinion. By doing this one can be more confident and positive feeling about the situation rather than confused and negative feeling. She is a student at Prince George County. She is in 8th grade English. C4K#4

My second student for Oct.8, was Carson K. He is in 7th grade and likes the Seahawks football team. His blog was about things he would like to see changed in the public school system. I like some of his suggestions especially the first one. He said he would let the students decide what they want to learn about and his reasoning was that the student would be more interested in the information that way. I completely agree with this. He also believes that they should be able to "play" on their phone when they are done with their work. I agree but the "play" would have to have some kind of educational value, like looking up information for another project. C4K#5

C4K#6 Oct.17, is Carson K. from above. This week he has posted about a book he is reading called the 14th fish. He brings to light that the fish has possibly become the Grandfather along with several other tantalizing possibilities. I commended him on his wide range of thought and his originality. I especially liked the hint of espionage with his idea of an impostor being present instead of the Grandfather.

C4K7 Oct.23, is Simon at Port England School He posted on Capitol letters and when to use them. Simon likes Rugby, is a cook islander, and his favorite colors are green and purple. I first told him that I too like green and that purple is a Royal color. I commended him and his classmates on their blogs and told him that he is doing so well! He had mentioned that his goal was to do better in reading and I told him he was well on his way if he continued in the direction he was heading.

my son with baby shark

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Blog post #9 EDM310 Class Blog Melissa Keeler

The site titledSeven Essentials for Project Based Learning by John Larmen and John R. Mergendoller was enlightening and reinforcing. I learned that to be successful every project needs two things. 1. The students need to feel that the work ahead of them is personally meaningful. 2. The meaningful project needs to be educationally valuable. The seven essentials or "steps" that follow will ensure that any future projects will be successful.

1. Create a "Need to Know" for the students. This can be done through discussion, videos, or guest speakers to name a few methods. With a need to know the students will be driven to complete the project rather than look at it as busy work or with contempt.

2. Let the students come up with the "Driving Question". This should be an open ended question and will lead the students in correct direction.

3. Once the students are thinking about the driving question, explain what is required of them to fulfill the needs of the project. Let the students get together and "Voice and Choice". This is where they can brainstorm for ideas and voice their opinions and chose which solutions they want to explore.

4.Students pair off into groups of three or more and get to work on their ideas. They monitor their work throughout the project with rubrics. The students decide who will work on what. They sove their own problems if any arise. The students are using "21st Century Skills" here. Using all resources available to collaborate and make the project work.

5. As the students research they come up with more driving questions and answers. This part is called "Inquiry and Innovation". This engages students even further through "real inquiry" where they are asking questions and actively seeking answers within the community, and other unexpected areas rather than the usual sources.

6. While developing their ideas and projects the teams review each others work and give feed back. This allows for the teams to take feedback and change or improve on their work. This is the "Feedback and Revision" step.

7. When the projects are finished they are "Presented Publicly". This is the final step of Project Based Learning and it is important because the students feel more of a drive to complete the project to "show off" their work. Rather than doing the work for a test or the teacher, the students put more emphasis on a project that will be public because they want it to look good as well as themselves.


The videoProject Based Learning for Teachers by Tony Vincent was exciting because of the music. It reinforced the fact that PBL is more conducive to today's way of learning rather than the past ways of learning.

Oak Tree

I chose the postProject Based Learning in PE from Pflug's blog. This post taught me some things I had no idea about. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the six standards for Physical Education. I was unaware there were specific standards for P.E. In this post the project mentioned is one where High school students are challenged to prepare fitness programs for the students attending Middle school. In order to produce an effective program for each middle school student, the high school students had to sift through tons of information on each M.S. student. Information such as age, weight, and levels of previous physical activity. The H.S. students then had to analyze this information to create effective fitness programs for each M.S. student. The final product was then implemented in the class rooms giving the creator students validation for their work.
This project covered all six of the P.E. standards as well as the 7 essentials of PBL.

The next choice I made was What Motivates Students?
I loved this video. I really enjoyed hearing directly from the students themselves what they feel works for them. I learned some of the things that motivate today's students. I was most surprised by the younger students who were very concerned with their future and understood that in order to achieve their goal career in the future, they need to get good grades today. Wow! I wish I would have had such forethought at that age. I found out that pointing out a student's positive rather than negative achievements will get me a lot farther as a teacher, and that parental restrictions still count. I picked up some great reward ideas from the students as well. Treats, food and others such as stickers, rulers, pencils can be given out for great behavior. A "token" or cash system can be set up with a small "store" with trinkets for the students to buy. A very big treat I picked up on was OUTSIDE TIME! Any time outside was appreciated GREATLY by all ages. Being allowed to mingle and socialize was a big number 2 on the list. Both of these treats are literally free of charge and very motivating so I will probably be using these two Largely.

My final choice was Two Students Solve the Problem of Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JTuEUSauc0. How impressive! I am literally astonished at what the high school students are doing in this program. I have a feeling we will be seeing these two names in the future, the two young men who came up with the watery ketchup solution are seniors in high school. They were given all year to study, research and produce their final product. They came up with what they call a shroom cap for the ketchup bottle that eliminates the first watery squirt without shaking the bottle! Just amazing to me and exciting because I will be teaching one day and be able to see these projects in action.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

EDM310 classblog Melissa Keeler Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

A Mature Century Plant

PART A

As evidenced in a recent study by Zogby Analytics, today's teen has and continuously uses a smartphone. Smartphones usually have a camera built into them making it easy to take great pictures or video anytime anywhere. A smartphone usually grants the user the ability to access the internet as well. The implications and opportunities for teaching are endless with this wonderful tool in hand.

The students could be asked to make a video or picture journal at the end of each week summing up what they have learned from the material of that week. The students could be directed to take photographs of something/s in nature that interest them. After the photo has been selected and edited, the student can then research what is in the photo. All of this can be done on the smartphone. Once the student has thoroughly researched their subject, they will be directed to write a paper on their subject of at least 3 pages in length.


PART B

Personally as a teacher I will have my students use their smartphones (unless the school I work for absolutely prohibits it) every day. I mentioned a few of my ideas already in PART A. I will go ahead and refresh...Weekly photo or video journal about what has been learned in class that week. Take photos of nature and pick out one they like the most. Once they have cropped, enhanced, and edited the photo they will research the subject in the photo. After the research is done they will write a paper at least 3 pages long about their subject. The cameras can be used to make a photo family tree. The students can take photos of each other and then do research and write a report on each other. The students can use the camera to "catch" each other doing good or positive things like following directions or adhering to the dress code. Students can use video to record themselves reading a passage in a book then play it back to hear or see any corrections that need to be made. Students can write a movie then video themselves acting out the parts. They can then edit, cut, add music or text. The final product would be a finished movie that the students can then choose to share or keep to themselves. Make book reports more interesting by having the students make a movie about their book as well as writing a report. Take video shots of a class plant everyday at the same time of day, same angle, etc. from seed to adult plant. When the single shots are spliced in together the entire life-cycle of the plant will be revealed. This can also be done to show the degeneration of an object as well. Take any fruit or vegetable of your students' choice and take a video still of it as explained above. When put together it is quite a show! These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. The possibilities are never ending and forever growing, what an exciting time to be an educator and learner!

Thursday, October 9, 2014

EDM310 class blog Melissa Keeler Blog post #8

cicadia


What can we learn about teaching and learning from Randy Pausch's Last Lecture?

That indirect learning is very effective and the students do not even realize they are learning something. It is the same strategy as getting your kids to eat their vegetables without them realizing it like through spaghetti or tacos, only in an academic sense.

Do not set a "bar" for your students. Once you do this it automatically limits the students. With no "bar" in place your students will surprise you with their capabilities and only continue to excell.

If we as educators look upon the world with the eyes and excitement of a child we are more likely to see learning opportunities in every day occurrences.

Get a feed back loop going so you can evaluate your teaching methods and strategies as well as the effectiveness of your lesson plans.

project#7 part A EDM310classblog Melissa Keeler

My Sentence Videos: My Sentence

My Passion

C4T 2 journal 2 EDM310 Melissa Keeler

On Sept. 21st I was assigned Steven Anderson and his Blog "Blogging About The Web". It was all about the new Chromebook. He makes me want one. It told of how the Chromebook takes mere seconds to completely boot up or wake from sleep mode. It also brought to light the durability and lightness of the chromebook. It is a wonderful alternative to the "i" world of tools. It is also a lot easier on the consumer's pockets. I told him how I could see myself using it to address questions after school hours as well as collaborate with my students. I also mentioned how this would be similar to "flipping" a class room and how doing this saves time so the actual class time is used for instruction rather than answering questions. I had to begin a discussion instead of simply "comment". I posted my comment to Twitter.

post 2. I have read Steven's blog for this week and it was all about how to connect with your students to ensure a great school year. I completely agree with getting to know your students on a somewhat personal level. This allows you to understand where they are coming from, there may be cultural or religious issues you would never had known about if you had not ASKED. Doing this also helps you to build a rapport with the student and their parents. This is important if you want compliance from your student as what the parents have to say at home has a large effect on the student's behavior in the class room toward you the educator. He asked for our ideas. My idea is to pass out questionnaires and ask what the students are interested in learning as well as what do they know about themselves and their heritage. I feel that this will keep my students engaged by teaching something they chose, and by learning about different cultures and heritages together we will find out more about ourselves as well as each other.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Project 7 part B EDM310 classblog Melissa Keeler

Movie for parents-



Movie for students-


EDM310 classblog Melissa Keeler blog post 7

My Strengths: I am willing to learn and continue learning with my students. I do know the bare bones basics on the computer and internet. I am learning how to use the social networks. I am willing to incorporate technology into my lesson plans as technology is part of our everyday life and is encompassed in the ACCRS.
My Weaknesses: I ONLY know the basics well. I have a lot of catching up to do as far as social networking goes. I will not be able to answer some of my students questions simply because I do not know.
Things I need to do: I need to familiarize myself with Project Based Learning and the Technology available.


VIDEOS: How to make and audio QR code How to Make An Audio QRCOde Ginger Tuck, GSES Kindergarten-iPad Centers Poplet as a Center Alabama Virtual Library as a Kindergaten Center Mrs. Shirley's 1st Grade Class: How to use and build a Board in DE for a Project Based Lesson. Mrs. Tassin's 2nd grade class

I learned that the sooner we introduce technology to students the better. The younger students seem to take to technology like water. They are able to teach us they learn so quickly. The iPads are great for teaching the young ones because they touch the screen not specific buttons and it is graphic and exciting to them. Different apps and drives enable educators to let the students browse for information on their own, store information on their own, and finally display the information they have collected. Technology has given us some wonderful tools to work with and we need to learn how to utilize these tools to their fullest potential. The use of technology keeps students engaged throughout the entire process of learning from the question to collection of information and storing it, to the final product of the project.