Blog Post 10 What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning from Randy Pausch?

http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/

In Randy Pausch's last lecture, Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, he starts off by mentioning his impending death due to cancer. He states that he is not going to speak about that nor was he worried, because you cannot control everything and must work with what you have. This is a good first lesson to learn for teachers: don't worry if you don't have a perfect situation, work with what you have. In many classrooms, not all students will know the same informations, be on the same learning level, or have all necessary equipment. While it may be hard to deal with, not having a perfect classroom, one must press on.

He continues on to show his childhood dreams and how he fulfilled them. The main lesson here is to never give up! While Randy hit many obstacles, or brick walls, he kept pushing. As he said the point of brick walls are not to keep you out but to make sure you really want it. After he achieved his dreams, he wanted to make other people's childhood dreams come true. This is very important for future educators to think about. As Randy says, childhood dreams are important. Many children create their dreams based on their experience. As future teachers, it is our responsibility to interest students so that they can dream. Teachers are also the first resource for young dreamers. We will be giving students the knowledge and tools necessary to one-day achieve their dreams.

A third lesson anyone can learn from Randy is what he called a "Head Fake". Randy uses the example of sports. While many children are put into sports. Parents want their kids to, of course, learn how to play football or how to score a touchdown, there are always other lessons to be learned. These are called "head fakes", lessons like working with others, hard-work... This should always be considered while teaching. During any group project these lessons become more useful and needed.

Randy Pausch is an inspiration to so many people, teachers, students, anyone who is willing to watch his lecture. I will keep his points in mind throughout my education and in the future during my teaching career. I hope many others will also find inspiration in him.

Project #14

C4T #3

This week I had the opportunity to read Jen Deyenberg's blog Trails Optional. Recently he posted about a new Google tool, Read & Write. This seems like a very useful tool. It allows students to hear what they write. This will help with pronunciation and making sure the correct word is typed. This toolbar also allows for students to use spell check, a dictionary, a translator, and more. The best part about this Google tool is that students can access this from any computer simply by logging in. Educational tools will no longer be tied to school computers. This will "put the necessary pieces at the fingertips of learners who need them."

My comment in response to this post was:

Hi. I’m an Elementary Education major at the University of South Alabama. I found this post very interesting. At home, my dad, a medical school teacher, is always referring to the cloud and how useful it is for him and his students. Its good to know that this tool can be very useful to any classroom. I really like this idea of students being able to access these helpful tools anywhere. I never realized such a tool existed. Thanks for the new knowledge! I hope to one day use this in my classroom.

http://www.texthelp.com/north-america/readwriteforgoogle

http://www.trailsoptional.com/2013/10/assitive-technology-toolkit-readwrite-for-google/#comment-251223

Blog Post # 9 What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From These Teachers

1. Brian Crosby, Agnes Risley Elementary School, Sparks, Nevada

http://learningismessy.com/blog/?p=854

In Brian Crosby's video lecture he shared what his 4th grade class was doing to learn science. Through his lecture, we have found that there is a lot to learn. He said how he was able to turn a class of high-risk, non-English speakers into a high-achieving class. This alone is amazing! He continues to say how this class was able to complete a massive project based on sending a balloon up with a camera and radio in order to observe the different layers of the atmosphere. This project was achieved by using technology and working with students at a local university. Not only did the students have to set up and complete this project, but they also had to then write about it. Each student made a story based on his or her observations after viewing the video. The stories were about the experience of going up into the air as the balloon.

The most important lesson here to learn is that any student, no matter where he or she comes from or what his or her background is, can achieve anything. The lesson for any teacher or future teacher is that it is our responsibility to provide the opportunity and help to these children. Teaching is a very difficult job, but in order to properly teach one must be willing to work with students as much as needed and not to give up just because students may not know much at first. In this video Brian Crosby starts off telling the audience that most of his students did not know what city, state, country, or street they lived in, nor what their own phone numbers were. This can be very discouraging to any teacher. But he did not let this lack of knowledge stop him or his students! He was able to help them learn and head towards a brighter future. This is the ways teaching should be, motivating all students to succeed and learn. This also shows that learning is not as many people view it. Learning can be achieved by anyone as long as he or she is willing to work.

The last part of the video shows Crosby's determination to teach and help every student learn. He was informed that he would have a new student join his class, the only problem was that she couldn't come to school because she suffered from Leukemia and her immune system was gone. Instead of just dismissing her, Crosby thought of a plan. She could come to class via Skype. The end shows one of the Skyped classes were she was able to learn alongside her classmates. This is truly remarkable and should be an example for every teacher to learn by. No matter the obstacle a student may face, the teacher should never give up or dismiss a student.

2.) Mr. Paul Anderson: High School AP Biology Elementary School Teacher also known as "Bozeman science". He has a website bozemanscience.com that explains what he has been doing for the past 20 years as a science teacher. He has created over 100 science videos that students can view via the web. His videos are made in a way that will grab each students attention and have been viewed over a million times. On most of his videos he has created a small box that shows him actually lecturing while the video is still in motion. He explains each module and diagram, while talking inside the box.

His videos include:

AP Biology, AP chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Educational, Next generations science standards, Physics, Statistics and Graphing.

This is a great resource that he is contributing to the world of education. Each student, teacher, or professor can watch these videos and have a tutor in one click. By allowing his videos to be on the web he has made having to pay a tutor and spending time to meet up with your tutor, extinct. His work doesn't stop there, each video can be translated to Spanish, Mongolian, or Japanese.

While looking around his page we found a "How to Use Video game Tactics in the Classroom". Click here to watch Mr. Anderson's video. This video will explain how to engage your students while teaching in your classroom. While the students are having fun they are also learning, this is the main goal of this teaching method.

Making Thinking Visible

3) Mark Church is a 6th grader teacher at an International School in Amsterdam. Church asks his students to group together to discuss a video presented to them about the origins of society. Each group will better understand the material by discussing a puzzle and collaboratively they will come up with a headline that summarizes what it is all about. He says previously he has asked his students to think about how they their ideas and thinking has been extended. Now he asks them to think about the challenge the puzzle presents. Church gives each group a piece of paper to create a headline that captures what the challenge of the search of human origins is all about. The students continue to trade ideas and work together on their headlines through the remainder of the video. Church talks about each headline with the class and says in two weeks he will go back and talk about how things have changed. I think from Church we learn that working collaboratively is important in building social skills. It is also important to ensure that students are engaged and understand the material that is being taught to them.

Project #9 Podcast

Blog Post # 8

Collaborative Post

This new millennium was brought in with a dramatic revolution of technology. We now live in a diverse, globalized, and complex, media-saturated society. Today's Kindergartner's will be retiring from their jobs in 2067. We as teachers have no idea what the world will be like in 60 years, or how technology will be used. This is why future educators have to look to technology as their main teaching aids. Emerging technologies and resulting globalization also provide unlimited possibilities for exciting new discoveries and developments. During our scavenger hunt this week our group has researched and came up with three different ways we can be effective teachers in the 21st century.

Alyssa Sherman

In recent years many schools have added smart boards to classrooms. With this tool, teachers can set up lessons on the board in advance and while still using their computers. When I was in middle school they were first brought into my school's classrooms. They were always very useful but we students never got to use them. There was also no way for us to take the lesson on the board home. Now there is a new app for iPads called "Show Me". This tool is very much like a smart board, except students are able to download this free app and work along with the lesson. Teachers can write anything they wish to write on their show me board and save it for future use. In addition, there is a record button so that students can actually see the teacher work out a problem or write something down in order. Teachers can show this in class and instead of having to waste class time writing they can start off by showing and then answering questions and better explaining any confusing steps. Students can go home (assuming that they have access to an iPad) and see the lesson again at home. This app is also a great tool for teachers and students to use because students can also see lessons from other teachers. This is a great way for students to learn if they are having a hard time understanding a certain topic.

As an example I made a show me lesson teaching how to solve the equation 1+2. The first step was to click the record button so that students could see the step by step method. Then you just speak as if you were in a classroom and "write". When you are done with the lesson you simple save and share to your class.

Students will also be able to use this tool. It can be used in test preparation, group projects, or just to help them better understand the material. If students make a show me as if they were teaching the lesson, they will always better understand the material. Also, this app gives them a global audience to work with.

Kayla Szymanski

I have chosen a tool named animoto, this is a website you can go to and create videos. Basically this is a site where you can upload pictures and make slideshows with text. This is different from Power point or even Google presentations because the background moves while the video is playing. You have the opportunity to pic your style, music, and text. These videos allow personality and creativity. The students will be able to show what they have learned through a video presentation. In three easy steps you can have a fascinating presentation that will catch the attention of the entire class.

First thing you can when you get to animoto is choose which pictures you would like to use. The great thing about animoto is that your Facebook, Instagram, Piscasa, Flickr and any other web based albums are available. This tool is very relatable with 21st century students because most of them already have pictures uploaded to each of these sites. Having a tool that allows you to choose pictures from web based albums will save time and make it easier for our learners. You can also insert videos from YouTube, or make your own and insert it.

Next, you will be able to customize your style. This site allows you to choose from tons of backgrounds and themes. Here is a link that will show you all of the backgrounds they allow you to use: http://animoto.com/create . During this step you can also add text or points you would like to talk about during your presentation.

Once you have finished your text, you are ready to share your presentation. This site allows you do download and embed your video to Faceboook, Youtube, Vimeo, Twiter and more.

Haley Marrs

By now, we are well aware of the countless educational tools available to teachers.iTunes U is one tool I find exceptionally useful for educators and students. iTunes U is a free tool through Apple iTunes where any college or university can upload courses available for anyone who wants to take them at no charge. With this being said, iTunes U has a multitude of educational classroom resources available. In addition to college courses there is also a section of iTunes U that focuses on K-12 Education. This makes iTunes U the perfect tool for any teacher or student. On top of having the some of the best resources in the world, such as Harvard and Stanford Universities, this tool is easy to use. Once you have downloaded iTunes all you have to do is select iTunes U on the main toolbar. A quick search of your topic, grade, school, or subject will leave you with plenty of content to explore and choose from. The searched content could be in the form of exciting videos, educational movies, elaborate PDF's, intriguing books, or lectures from some of the top professors in the world. I would like to use iTunes U in my classroom to help my students explore all the information that is available to learn. If I wanted to do a lesson on the Solar System I could do one simple search and find enough exciting content to entertain and teach my students for weeks. Another great thing about iTunes U is that you can use it on an iPad as well.

C4K Summary for September

This month I have read some very different posts from different students. They all posted something relevant to their class and age. There were many differences in all of these posts, but there were some very troubling similarities. In every post that I read there were many, many grammatical mistakes.

For example, this week I got the opportunity to read Charles's blog "Silent Brain Teasers". What he wrote about was how in his class he and a partner had to communicate without speaking to one another. This had the potential to be an excellent blog. He briefly mentioned how difficult this task was. However, his message was very difficult to understand due to his sentence structure, or lack there of. I had to read these few sentences multiple times and still was unsure what he was trying to say. It seems that writing is not being taught in schools like it was when I was young.

This theme seems to not only run throughout the C4Ks but also the C4Cs. Why is this? This assignment has shown me how it seems that there is really a lack of emphasis in English grammar in today's schools. This may be because of many different causes but one must ask if computers are behind it. Even on Blogger, if I make a mistake while typing this the computer will let me know. Many students use these tools instead of actually learning the rules. This month I have seen numerous mistakes in the children's blogs. Every week I have to ask if they are not being taught these lessons or if they just don't take the time to proofread.

Project #2--PLN Progress Report

For my PLN I used Symbaloo. I put what I use for EDM 310 on the upper left-hand corner, any other school necessities are in the middle of the top, and my personal favorites are on the upper right-hand corner. This tool seems very useful to my school career and I plan to make more use of it as time goes on.

Project # 13

Blog Post #7

(Collaborative Assignment)

What can you learn from conversations with Anthony Capps? (#1-4)

While watching Part 1: Experiences of a 3rd grade teacher,Anthony tells us about his teaching experiences he recently has had. He is a third grade teacher in a Baldwin county Elementary school located in Gulf Shores. Dr. Strange asked Anthony how he approached project based learning in his 3rd grade class and what it involved. Anthony said that project based learning is constantly evolving; he mentioned that he uses PBL as a method of teaching. Most teachers will use projects at the end of a teaching unit to sum up or clarify that the students are comprehending what is being taught. But Anthony thinks that you should always use PBL as a method in which you learn. PBL is not only a way of showing the students that they own their own learning experience but it excited them because they are creating something as they discover the knowledge. Also, he stated that you have to create a project that uses all of the content that the students need to know and will be able to use during their assignment. He says that the goal to a good project is one that has an authentic audience; this makes the kids feel rewarded for the work that they do. Another goal is to make it relatable to the students interest, and, also, its a great idea to involve your community. When Anthony creates a project they all have to meet the state standards, for an example, one project included the students writing letters to our congressman; this allows for the language, history, and writing standards to be met all in one project.

Anthony also talks about ICurio and how he has used this tool in his 3rd grade class. He states that the students are able to log in and use it as a search engine. He allows students to store content that they think are valuable and it also allows the teachers to store what they think is valuable. This allows the students and teachers to have total organization online. You can add things and create your own folders with websites, audio, videos, and images; it's a great way to teach virtual organization. It is very useful and safe for students because only what the teacher allows will be on the ICurio site, so it is very child friendly. Also the students can save any work they are currently working on, so if the bell rings and its lunch time they can safely save everything they are working on and come back to it at a later time.

"A picture is worth a 1000 words and a video must be worth a million." -Anthony Capps

Whatever text article you can give a child if you give it with visual then they will retain a lot more information. You always should use an illustration when teaching and Discovery Ed is the perfect place to get it from. The students can also use Discovery Ed to find pictures and article on specific class related topics. Anthony uses Discovery Ed to bring certain text to life. The students are listener watchers, which means they listen and watch more today than they read or write. Dr. Strange states that: our goal as a teacher is to convert people as more than consumer of these products into users of these products or even better producers.

m "The Anthony-Strange List of Tips for Teachers Part 1"

This was a very interesting conversation to listen to. I feel like this list will become very helpful in my future teaching career. Dr. Strange and Anthony create a list of 5 different key issues that new teachers need to consider. First, teachers must be interested in learning. I feel that this idea is very important. In the past I have had teachers who had no interest in their subject or learning more about it. These were always the teachers I disliked. They made learning miserable and boring. The other teachers I have had were always looking for more or new information. Even teachers who had earned a PhD in their field were always eager to go look something up if a student asked them a question they did not know the answer to. The second point that Anthony and Dr. Strange made was that teachers need to be flexible. I know this point will become very useful to myself and other future teachers. In 11th and 12th grade I taught a 2nd-3rd and 3rd-4th grade Sunday School class. Because I only had 2-3 students I had to be very creative when coming up with lessons and projects. In addition, many weeks I would only have 1 student come. This made things even more challenging. This experience really makes me agree with this part of the list. The 3rd issue on the list is that teaching is hard work. This is very true. As a student I really can only imagine the work involved in making lessons, making homework, quizzes, and tests, grading these, and engaging students, and helping any student who might need a little extra explanation. Dr. Strange and Anthony also say that teaching is rewarding. From my brief experience teaching a small Sunday School class or teaching a young Girl Scout troop a new skill, this fact is very true; why else would so many people devote their lives to teaching. All new teachers should know this so that they know what they are getting into. The 4th issue is begin any plan with an end, meaning that always know what you want the end result to be. Again, flexibility is key here. The last issue is the get students engaged. Anthony says that the goal should be 100% engagement. This may seem like a very high, unlikely number, but like Anthony mentions "no child left behind". Why teach to the whole class if you only expect half to be interested and listening. I will always keep this goal in mind while teaching. Anthony and Dr. Strange share an extra 6th issue towards the end of the video that I think is very interesting. Sharing the final product with others. Having an audience makes many students want to do better and excites them. It also provides a way for students to reflect, the 6th issue on the list. Reflecting is very important. After a project is done many students want to simply relax, have fun, and not think about the topic anymore. This, however, is not a good idea. Dr. Strange and Anthony are very right to add this onto the list. I think that all of these issues are very important and I will keep them in mind and implement them when I begin my teaching career, as I believe all other future teachers should do!

#6)Title of Video: Don't Teach Tech- Use It

Link: Anthony Capps

By: Kayla Szymanski

Using technology in the classroom can be one of the best approaches in the 21 century. Technology is all around our students and they use it everyday, it comes completely natural to them. A great way to incorporate technology is to introduce these tools that are available like ICurio and Discovery Ed. Anthony explains how you can use technology weekly in your classroom. The first week of class he introduces the students to their new research tools. The following week they will then be assigned a research topic, for the research part they can use ICurio. Next they will have to research for a video that relates to their topic which can be done threw Discovery Ed. The final week Anthony explains how the students are then given a research project that may requires a movie component to it. There are many technologic tools that you can use in your classroom, and these are just two example of how Anthony Capps introduces them to his 3rd graders. The benefits of using technology is that it is completely free and the students get to create and design their projects in a unique manor. Sometimes there will be a one time fee for these technological tools. But what you have to remember is that when using technology the daily classroom supplies is no longer needed. This is a great way to ensure that your students will never run out of the materials during their learning process. Also it saves time in the classroom because it is clean. Anthony mentions how you don't have to clean up markers and spills, technology is the new way of learning.

#7) Additional Thought About Lessons
Written By: Haley Marrs

This brief video is a wonderful learning tool for future teachers. This conversation features Anthony Capps discussing the four layers of teaching lessons. He makes a nice humorous point when saying "if it's anymore than four layers I'm just going to cry". The four layers are broken down as follows:

- Yearly: When planning our lessons for the year Anthony recommends drawing out a map. We have to ask ourselves "Are you going to cover all of your content standards?"
- Unit: Learning should be stretched out to be taught over the course of the appropriate unit size. By the end of the unit students should be able to master the standards taught. A question to ask yourself is "Have you devised unit projects in a meaningful way that is connected throughout the unit?"
- Weekly: Units should be planned by weeks. Each week should require a learning goal to meet your course standards. "How can you cover material needed in one week?" Will your goal be met?
- Daily: Weeks should be planned by day. Daily lessons should focus on ways to deliver content to students in a way that will keep them engaged. It is important to measure learning each day so you know where to begin the next day.

I find it interesting that Anthony says each layer of learning is equally as important. He suggests that all layers must be done successfully to finish a lesson.