Blog Assignment #6

Personal Learning Networks are people and tools that help us collaborate and consult with other people and professionals. Personal Learning Networks implements your learning. It is a list of people, sources, and things you can use as a teacher and a student. Your Personal Learning Network will help you grow as an educator. A Personal Learning Network is never set in stone. The network enables you to collect information and keep it in one place. The networks are always changing. This makes you a life learner. A PLN must be reliable and sufficient. Personal Learning Networks are not limited. These networks allow you to get advice from around the world.

PLN's can help you as a teacher by keeping your students virtually organized in your class. The video called "A 7th graders Personal Learning Environment" by Wendy Drexler provides an example of a Personal Learning Network being used in a classroom. This 7th grader shows you that technology can give you freedom and responsibility. All of her most important sites are in one column. PLN allows students to organize information and save it so they can come back to it. Also, they give you a chance to use technology as a canvas. Creativity is important. They also give you easy access and ability to handy tools. The Personal Learning Network provides students with a network of people and tools that can help them. They can find experts and other sources for projects and activities. The teacher is not the only source of information anymore.

PLN's are formed by useful websites such as Symbaloo and Netvibes. They are formed by your personal choice. Pick the sites that are relevant and useful to you. It is your preference.

On Symbaloo you can form columns of the sites you have chosen. You can edit them and design them to your own liking. There is a search engine that leads you directly to the sites. To create your own PLN you must first find what you are interested in. Find tools that will help your learning. Search for sites on the internet. Don't stop there! Follow people on social media. See what they have to offer.

My first additions will be twitter and other social media that I am most familiar with. Then I will use the C4T.

My Personal Learning Network consists of interactive websites such as Pinterest, Skype, Twitter, and Facebook. I also added sites that go along with my major. One site provides Teacher Training and Resources. This is my first time using this tool. I am still learning how to use it. It is quite interesting to me. I would like to use this in my future classrooms.

Here is a picture of my Personal Learning Network :)



A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment

Building Your PLN - A Primer for Anyone

My Wonderful PLN

Michael Fawcett Discusses his PLN

Developing A Personal Learning Network in EDM310

Personal Learning Networks

Creating A PLN with Web 2.0 Tools

My Personal Learning Network in Action

Symbaloo

Project #8 Book Trailer

"The Royal Raven"

By:Hans Wilhelm

Project #7 "This is My Sentence" video and "This is My Passion" video

My Sentence is..



My Passion is...

Blog Assignment #5

For this blog assignment the students of EDM 310 are supposed to watch interviews with our teacher Dr. Strange and a 3rd grade teacher Anthony Capps. Anthony Capps is using Project Based Learning in his classroom today. The following videos will provide us with information on Project Based Learning. The videos will also include helpful tips and resources while using Project Based Learning in the classroom.

The first video is called "Project Based Learning Part 1: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher". The main idea of Project Based Learning is that it is driven by content. Students should obtain and learn knowledge as they are creating their projects. Students are obtaining the knowledge as they are doing the project instead of hearing a lecture and doing a project to see what they have learned. The main concepts of PBL is that the appropriate content and materials need to be delivered beforehand. Secondly, the projects need to have the students engaged and interested in the project or lesson. Creativity is important and this gives the students an opportunity to express their abilities and imaginations. The next concept that the students need is a good audience to present their finished product to. Some examples would be teachers, peers, or parents. Finally, the community needs to be involved in some shape or form. This can be done by making the project related to the real world. An important fact is to always use the ACCRS standards during projects. The goal of PBL is to get the students excited about the learning process and actually get them to learn something. A huge and important part of PBL is getting students to revise and reflect on their work. Peer editing is a part of this step.

The second video is called "Project Based Learning Part 2: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher". In this video Anthony Capps provided examples of PBL that he used in his own classroom. One example was the students in his classroom had to write a narrative script on if they were a child in Afghanistan. After they completed that portion of their assignment they were to record themselves and make an iMovie. The students used tools such as iCurio to pull up pictures and videos they could use in their own video. Anthony got phenomenal reactions from the parents and students. From, what I have watched and read PBL needs to be meaningful. It takes a lot of hard work. The outcomes are well worth it and the students get a real experience and learn.



The third video is called " iCurio". iCurio is defined as a safety search engine. Students and teachers can search text, audio, and videos. It is a very handy tool in the classroom. This search engine filters information for education. It also connects with the standards stated above. Two useful features on iCurio is that helps students virtually organize information. It contains folders and drives. It has a large storage capacity for content and has a variety of sources to choose from. If students are working on an activity or project and need to comeback to it it can become handy. It gives student the chance to experiment and has a directory to lead them to the correct information they need.

The fourth video is called "Discovery Education". Discovery Education can also be used by students and teachers. Students tend to learn information better when they can visualize and hear the information. In this day and age students are becoming technology learners. This useful tool can provide text, pictures, and videos. Anthony Capps example was that he was teaching his class about plants. Discovery Education gave him the opportunity to bring experts in to his classroom through video. This tool enriches students knowledge on a subject.

The fifth video is called "The Anthony - Strange list of Tips for Teachers Part 1". This video Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps provide us with helpful tips for our future classes. The first tip is to be a learner yourself. As a teacher you are constantly learning everyday and are also a role model. The second tip provided was that teaching is hard work. The process never ends. Teachers have obstacles everyday and it is a constant process. At the end of the day it is very rewarding. The third tip is to be flexible. Curve balls will be thrown and teachers will have to find alternative ways to teach an assignment. Learn how to respond to these events. Surprises will come that is a part of teaching. Everyday comes with challenges! The fourth tip is reflection. By reflecting on their own work the students can ask themselves how they can make it better for next time. Teachers need to do this as well. Lastly, take pride in what you teach and make sure all your students collaborate and are involved in the lesson.



The next video is called "Don't Teach Tech - Use It". Technology is everywhere and rapidly approaching in the classrooms around the world. The goal is to not teach technology but to use it in lessons. Technology helps students improve their learning. When teaching a lesson gradually use technology. Start slow and never use many tools at one time. Give the students a chance to get comfortable. They will mess up but that is part of the process. The benefits of technology are that students can express themselves, be creative, and they can share their work. The teacher should explore with the technology first. That way if the students have questions the teacher can answer correctly. Questions are a valuable part of learning. This even gets the students to work on their problem solving skills.

The last video is called "Additional Thought About Lessons". In this video Anthony states the four components to a lesson. This information is crucial. Teachers need to be prepared to teach their students. The four layers of a lesson are the year, unit, week, and daily. Each part is equally important.

Project Based Learning Part 1: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher

Project Based Learning Part 2: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher

iCurio

Discovery Education

The Anthony - Strange list of Tips for Teachers Part 1

Don't Teach Tech - Use It

Additional Thought About Lessons

Project #3 Presentation

Project #4 C4T Comment and Summary

I was assigned to comment and summarize Wesley Fryer blog post. His blog is called "Moving at the Speed of Creativity". Background information that I learned on Wesley is that he is an educator, writer, and speaker. The first blog post I read from him was "Academic Publishing and Relevance". He analyzed the pros and cons for academic publishing. From his point of view he stated that it does not matter how many papers you write it will not guarantee you a job in the future. You should write for yourself not others. The topic you are writing on should be meaningful and informative. When you publish a paper be true to yourself.

My comment for the first post was that the relevance of academic publishing has changed over the years. I did not know much about academic publishing. From my understanding, when a person publishes their work they need to be happy with their work they have accomplished. The facts should be relevant and informative.

The second blog I read by Wesley Fryer was titled "Visualize: Sticky Learning( Visual Note taking)". Visual Notetaking is a different form of taking notes. It can be done with a paper and pen. As well as an iPad. This type of note taking can be done by drawing pictures and writing words. It forms a story on paper. Many children learn by drawing images while listening to their teacher at the same time. Visual note taking takes practice and the students need to form pictures that they can use in there notes beforehand. The images need to be simple and easy so you can modify them while taking notes. Once they master this art of visual note taking it can be very useful. It does not require you to be a good artist. Watch this inspiring video about visual note taking, it will make you want to encourage your future students to take notes like this!



My second comment was that I like this new approach for taking notes. Many students need another solution and often get bored with taking regular notes. This gives all students an opportunity to take notes and give them another option. By taking visual notes it seems to use a different level of thinking. What ways can we encourage students to take visual notes? How many teachers are already doing this kind of note taking?



C4T

Blog Assignment #4

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher?

Teachers are responsible for stimulating each and every student so they can develop their own thinking process. Questions are a major part of the thinking process. The following articles and videos display what we need to know about questions and how to use them wisely in a classroom setting.

The first article is called "The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom" by Ben Johnson. From my understanding, teachers need to focus on what the goal of the question is. Start off by defining the purpose of the question. The questions being delivered to the class should be subject specific. When asking questions teachers should stray away from generic and ineffective questions. The students need to benefit from the questions being asked. A way this can start happening in the classroom is to focus on the entire class and get everyone brainstorming for an answer. The whole class will be involved if the teachers are creative and try out new innovative strategies along the way. Teachers may not get it right the first time. Practice makes perfect.

The second article called " Asking Questions to Improve Learning" includes strategies for asking questions. In our future lesson plans we need to implement questions. Preparation is needed for the questions being delivered. In order to make sure that the students grasp the content the questions must be clear. An important strategy is to avoid asking yes or no questions. If using a yes or no question, make sure to elaborate on the next question. Make sure the students have time to think of an answer. Another significant strategy is to ask a variety of questions. There are three types of questions that can be used in the classroom. The three types are closed, open, and managerial. Closed questions are to test students knowledge of the subject. Open questions get students to think out side the box. Last but not least managerial questions are asked to make sure that students have the background knowledge and the appropriate materials. The students need to understand whats being asked of them. An educator is someone who is encouraging and supportive. While listening to students responses we should provide meaningful feedback and the correct answer. Teachers may not know everything! Listen to the students answers and actually care about what they have to say. While asking questions use Blooms Taxonomy. After all that is how a lesson plan should be created. Why not connect the two?

The third article called "Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classrooms" by Maryellen Weimer provides even more insight on how to ask questions effectively. Be prepared when asking questions. Have some fun with the questions and change it up. The teacher does not always have to answer the question right away. Take notes! After all the students are the biggest part of the classroom. Their input is important and could help teachers with future lessons.

The first YouTube video is called "Asking Better Questions in the Classroom Pt.1" by Joanee Chesley. It explains the difference between an open ended question and closed ended question. Closed ended questions can be answered with one response. Open ended questions give the class a chance to answer in many ways. Teachers can include both types of questions in their classroom to keep students actively engaged.

The next YouTube video is called "Question, Styles, and Strategies". This video takes place in a fifth grade classroom. The students in this classroom are reading a novel for class. The teacher asks questions in each learning style. The styles include mastery, understanding, interpersonal, and self-expressive questions. The content of the questions had the students describing the characters for mastery. For self-expressive the students drew a picture. For interpersonal they stated what they liked about the character. For the understanding style the students described how the relationships effected the story. This strategy seems to get the entire class involved and listening.

When asking questions make sure they meet the standards. The following standards are important to remember. While introducing a topic to the class provide primitive examples and explanations.Be clear and informative.The questions being given should be factual and appropriate information.These standards stick out the most to me. Remember to follow ALL the ACCRS standards when delivering questions.





Asking Questions to Improve Learning

Asking Questions to Improve Learning

Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom

Asking Better Questions in the Classroom PT.1

Question Styles and Strategies

Writing a Quality Blog Post

Blog Assignment #3

Peer Editing

An essential part of writing is providing meaningful feedback to your peers.Peer editing can be done in several ways. We need to be careful when we are analyzing others work.In order to write a quality blog post we need feedback from our peers. A crucial factor is to stay positive and supportive while reviewing others work. Be considerate of peers feelings as your editing their work. After carefully reading my group members blogs, I found their post informative and very well written. I did not find any grammatical errors or problems with sentence structure. Since peer editing is a part of the writing process I would post my suggestions publicly. I want to provide helpful tips for my peers and encourage them with meaningful strategies. In the end, I would hope they provide the same feedback for me. This is practice for our future students so we can edit their work correctly.



The first video called "Peer Editing" provides basic instructions to peer editing. These instructions will help students become a successful editor. The most valued aspect to remember when editing is to stay positive. The following three steps will guide you while editing peers work. The first step is compliments. Always start your comments with a compliment. Show encouragement to your peer. The second step is suggestions. The suggestion part can be tricky but continue to stay positive. A suggestion can be anything from organization to the clarity of the paragraph. The final step is corrections. An example may be grammar and punctuation errors.

In the second video "Writing A Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes" clarifies all the possible ways to avoid mistakes when peer editing. At all cost do not be a Picky Patty or Mean Margaret. The peer editing process is done so we can provide meaningful feedback to our peers. These suggestions will help improve our work the next time. This video will help remind all students on the appropriate way to edit.

Remember always stay positive!!



Peer Editing

Writing A Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes