Blog Post #10 Inspirations from Kathy Cassidy

These are the most Amazing 1st Graders! They are students in Ms. Kathy Cassidy's classroom. Seeing them use technology at this age is outstanding and sometimes incomprehensible.

Ms. Cassidy utilizes class room time in very unique ways. She lets her students use technology to display their work in a portfolio that all the world can view. She states in her first interview with Dr. Strange "Why would children use pencil and paper where I can see it, when they could write on a blog where the whole world can see it?"

What incredible incite this teacher has. What better way to aspire your children to become artist or writers.

This approach to learning is something I hope to use in the classroom. Ms. Cassidy inspired me to look beyond a traditional approach. Taking the EDM 310 class at first seems like a horrible experience, until that one teacher shows your their classroom.

I think if more current, traditional and future teachers were to view these videos, their mindset on technology would change.

I plan to use twitter to share these inspirations in my PLN.



Inteview #1 Kathy Cassidy

Interview #2 Kathy Cassidy

Interview #3 Kathy Cassidy

The technique I most respected with her videos was being able to skype other classrooms or professionals and let the children interview them. I think children are able to see how education is important is much more impacting than anything we can have them write about. I hope to set up a class blog in my classroom so that my students can share with family, friends and the world their potential. I also hope to created something similar to facebook just for the classroom where students can contact their classmates and other students their age to begin their own PLN (personal learning network).

March Summary Comments for Kids

Summary

Being able to see and read children's thoughts gives us as teachers such a great power. Knowing how to challenge students by first understanding them as individuals, will empower a teacher to engage different students using a variety of methods.

The first post for this month was from Ms. Malowski's class. I had the pleasure to read David's interpretation of Valentines Day. He was able to understand how though it is meant to be a holiday to show your loved ones how you feel, some people may not have someone to share this holiday with. 

Your understanding of Valentine's Day is amazing for your age. I agree that Valentines can be both happy and sad. Your statement that it is a memory is true. Hope you had a good holiday!
 Ms. Malowski  Per Davids 6

Chasity is an amazing child. She comprehends testing better than most college students. She gave a great method to studying and preparing for test. I hope she continues this through her college and later goals in life.

The plan you set forth for being prepare to test is amazing and very effective. Good way to help other students.Ms. Malowski per Chasity 4

Jack G is aspiring to become a Professional Soccer player. He has a great love for the game.

It is great you have a love for Soccer. Having dreams to be a professional player is a great aspiration. Keep up the good work!Jack G  Ms. Lombards 7^th Grade

Blog Post #9 What Can Teachers and Students Teach us about project based learning?

The Seven Essentials of Project Based Learning
(summarized)

I.
 Grab attention, engage and guide students in a meaningful project that will challenge them, solve problems and involve them in their community.

II.
 Create questions that will have the students research and hypothesize themselves.

III.
 Give students a choice to arrange their projects with creativity and a voice to reflect.

IV.
 Have students utilize skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and synthesizing.

V.
 Let the students become empowered by discovery. Let their questions intrigue you as much as your questions gave them enthusiasm. Give guidance not instruction.

VI.
 Give direct feedback and allow the students to analyze and comment on each others work.

VII.
 Give public recognition and let the students reflect on their projects.

Project Based Learning for Teachers

Project based learning for eachers creates a classroom in which students can become members of current society. They will use critical thinking and problem solving skills and apply these to real world situations. Below I have found several lesson plans that involve these.

C . Mccllough
Kindergarten PBL - FIVE SENSES

This lesson will help kindergarteners realize that their senses help them to solve mysteries and problems everyday. You could perhaps also add in the problem with smells in inner cities. Give them guidance on waste products and how to help enviromental issues pertaining to these pollutants. The possibilities for 5 year olds to comprehend the world around them are endless.

Involving Students in Project Based Learning

By allowing students to give input on the project you are empowering their minds to think beyond the project. You may find that the students ideas will blossom more questions and more projects. Do not be afraid to allow the students to create and maintain their own projects. Help guide them with checklists or rubrics to evaluate themselves and other classmates.  Giving students a choice in learning instead of forcing memorization with help them to become more well rounded and better assets in their careers later in life. Giving them group projects will all diversity in the groups show that collaboration is essential to have success in careers and college.

Indvidual Responsibility in Project Based Learning

Giving each member a role in learning is essential. This will guide the student to responsibility for oneself. It can help build the skills to become confident in ones work and give the student investigative skills. This should also help them on interviewing skills in the workplace , whether they are the interviewer and investigating a potential employee or the interviewee and being able to solve problems during an interview if given opportunity. The most asked question during an interview is what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses? Being able to use the skills such as critical thinking and collaboration in a group should help the student to achieve success on obtaining a career.


STUDENTS TODAY

FUTURE TOMMORROW

Project #13

A time to Travel Lesson PlanTime to travel Rubric

Project #9 Video Book Commentary

The New Role of the Teacher Discussed

Blog Post #8 Randy Paunch

What can we Learn from Randy Pausch?

To become an educator, Mr. Pausch, discusses three topics that should pertain to your choice of career, your dreams, enabling the dreams of others and the lessons you learn.

First he discusses achieving your dreams. He explains that in order to achieve anything in life you have to be willing to go the distance. You should never give up. You are always looking for a way to live out these dreams.  The saying "anything is possible" lies within yourself.  He explains that enabling others to live out their dreams could as well help you live out yours.

In this theory as an educator, you should always be extending your mind on how helping others with only help you. During his lecture pertaining to enabling others to realize their potential, he states "giving chance to show them what it feels like to make others excited and happy" this gives your the an idea of how selfless Mr. Pausch truly was. Although, he was very wealthy, he gave to others, not only monetarily , but little parts of him.  In doing this, and watching his last lecture I feel a part of him will go with me in education.

Seeing his words about children or students rather and how they inspired him helps me to understand what it means to be a true inspiration to someone else.

Lessons Learned

Mr. Pausch is just a man who felt he could make a difference. But instead of discussing the differences he made, he chooses to discuss the ways others made a difference in his life. If we all look at the people in our lives the way Mr. Pausch did, we will be effective not only as educators but as humans.

Taking what Mr. Pausch did with his life; teaching, inspiring, and also learning from his students, has made my decision to be an educator more empowering than I could have ever imagined.

I hope that anyone who choses to become a teacher will watch the following videos.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Speech to Graduates

C4T #2 Deb Frazier

Deb Frazier is a first grade teacher in Central Ohio. After reading several of her blogs along with the assigned material, I find her methods refreshing and exciting.

The first assigned blog post was on February 22, 2015. It was titled "Math Investigations and Twitter".  She allowed her students to explore possibilities to a simple question. Her investigative students researched others works and were able to blog to other teachers and students. She allowed the students to pose the question on twitter and they were amazed at the responses that were available.  The simple answer a student gave "i think addition is like subtraction" was a great way to investigate other perspectives.

The second blog post I read on March 10,2015 and was titled, "Math Monday The Power of Independent Math". This was also inspiring to a future teacher. It gave examples of how students learn by different methods. It showed the different cognitive functions students go through to solve math problems. It also explained that we all need to become independent learners, especially in the subject of math. Children were allowed to practice math in any way that felt would help them understand it.

I hope to read more of Deb Frazier's Blog Post and to continue to communicate with her in the future for more inspiring ideas.

Project 7b for parents and students

For Parents

For Students

We all become Learners Blog Post #7

As a new teacher, it is imperative that I be open to be a learner. By knowing my weaknesses, such as; low technical abilities and sometimes preferring a more traditional approach, I can become a learner with my students. My strengths of the enjoyment of learning and the ability to see all obstacles as a challenge I will enjoy the eagerness of children to help increase my knowledge as well as their knowledge.

Using Imovie and Virtual Library in Kindergarten

The interview between Ms. Davis and Ms. Bennett, both who are media specialist in Baldwin County, confirms that we are learning more from children every day. We as adults who were taught with pencil and paper hold the knowledge, we only need to engage children at a level which they are comfortable. Children are intrigued by new technology and will seek and search ways to improve themselves while using technology. As a teacher, we are going to need to listen as much as we request our students to listen. We need to encourage their abilities to teach each other and to teach themselves.

Ms. Bennett's enthusiasm for Kindergartens book trailers is refreshing. Most teachers who have been in the field feel that the "old" way of teaching is the only way. Enthusiasm is lost among most educators due to either frustration with technology or lack of training.

We All Become Learners

As stated before, the best educator is one who is willing to learn along side his or her student. Asking questions in the classroom that lead to discussions and research is the most beneficial way for a student to learn. Projects reinforce the theories we teach. Being able to ourselves question our on learning and reflections will only enhance to ability of our students to learn.

Ipads in the Classroom

Viewing the interviews with various schools in Chicago and the implementation of Ipads in the classroom gives me more motivation the embrace technology in my curriculum. Watching the eagerness of the students and educators on this new adventure only confirms the reasons I chose to become a teacher. I want to experience the smiles on the faces of students when they figure out a puzzle. I see that different areas of learning can be utilized by using an Ipad. You can explain to different children from different backgrounds and learning levels on the Ipad. It is configured to their learning patterns instead of the student trying to learn in only one direction.

Top 10 Reasons for Technology in Education

Should anyone question the reasoning for technology in education, you need only have them view this intriguing video. They put it in simple steps on how it is beneficial. To summarize the reasoning; engagement, participation, feedback and connection to the subjects are first utilized . There are also the benefits of less time working on grading papers. You can use specialized applications for children who need special education as well as for gifted students who need to progress faster so they do not lose the drive to learn. The technology can also remove obstacles such as visual impairments and needing to be closer to the front of the class to hear. Technology use in the classroom is a great way to engage both student and teachers.