Sunday, November 30, 2014
Blog 5 (part 2)
Over the semester I have expanded my PLN some. Not only have I expanded it with the history blogs that can be found in the C4T's but I have also created friendships with some local history teachers in my town. I got in touch with them through Facebook and developed a friendship with them when they let me sit in on some of their A.P. classes. At the beginning of this semester I did not have any friends or acquaintances in the history field and now I have reached out a great group that I found on a social network. If you would have told me that this would have happened in the beginning of the semester I would have laughed and not believed a word of it. However with the help of developing a PLN I have been introduced a group of fellow history teachers or students working towards getting their degree in history education which has truly changed the ways I see certain aspects of teaching. Which I am very thankful for. 
C4T #4
I chose to work with the U.S. History Teachers Blog, by Ken Halla. It can be found at U.S. History Teachers Blog.
The first blog I commented on in this blog was a actually a video that they had posted about flipping the classroom. The idea of flipping the classroom was explained very well and give examples of how to do it. The video focused on the things students could learn outside of the classroom on their own. It talked about the arrival of the Spaniards in Native American Territory and how disease and things of that sort, which had not been introduced to the Natives wreaked havoc. It was very well written out and preformed in a timely manner that would not allow for the students watching it to become bored.
The second blog I commented on was a blog regarding the use of Primary Documents. I wrote about how I loved the use of primary documents because they provide the most credible details of what exactly happened in this event being discussed. I also feel that primary documents provide vivid details of what is going on which in turn allows the students to create what is going on in their heads, only by the information provided.
The first blog I commented on in this blog was a actually a video that they had posted about flipping the classroom. The idea of flipping the classroom was explained very well and give examples of how to do it. The video focused on the things students could learn outside of the classroom on their own. It talked about the arrival of the Spaniards in Native American Territory and how disease and things of that sort, which had not been introduced to the Natives wreaked havoc. It was very well written out and preformed in a timely manner that would not allow for the students watching it to become bored.
The second blog I commented on was a blog regarding the use of Primary Documents. I wrote about how I loved the use of primary documents because they provide the most credible details of what exactly happened in this event being discussed. I also feel that primary documents provide vivid details of what is going on which in turn allows the students to create what is going on in their heads, only by the information provided.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
C4K 11
This month I was assigned to two different people. Lylem who was in the 5th grade and Daniel P who was also in the 5th grade. Both of these children's blogs were focused around things they liked or did not like. Those were the first two log they had done. I also had to comment on a blog that talked about how rude fans of a rival sports team were when things were going in the favor of the other team. And lastly the bog I was required to comment on today was one talking about Nelson Mandela and Walt Disney. The student was Daniel and he was talking about how they were good people, and cared about others which is why they were so kind and generous with their money.
Blog 14
Teaching can be a profession: In this article Klein lists problems and solution to these problems
Problems- he calls for better academic training for teachers.
he also says that a demanding knowledge base needs to be established.
and wants to change the way teachers are rewarded.
I agree that teachers should be require to have better academic training. Teachers need to be well versed in their field of education, but they also need to focus on teaching the students to learn, versus just telling the students information that they may of may not remember. Teachers also need to slowly prepare the students for real world experiences they will face once they are out of high school. Teachers are not only teaching students but they are installing basic needs and facts that the students will need to use later in life when they are working and living in the real life, they will be the future leaders in our world and a more selective education system would help weed out the ones who are not up to the full job of teaching or the ones who are not up to par with the education requirements.
Developing a demanding knowledge based education, this ultimately depends on the students but also the teachers. If this was to be developed then teaching would have to be looked as a professional job instead of something that many people deem as an easy way out, or an easy job. If the content students were learning was beefed up and looked at as challenging then maybe teachers would receive more acknowledgement in this profession instead of being told "you are wasting time, to be paid such little money" or the always lovely to hear phrase "why are you going into education? that's a pointless field" Us teachers or feature teachers do not find this field pointless, we find it enjoyable and love the act that what we are doing is molding the minds of our next generation.
I feel that not all teachers need to be rewarded, I say this not because they do not deserve it, but why do they need constant rewards for something they went to school for and strive so hard to achieve? Rewards for something like the students passed all their tests each test time, or none of the classes you taught had anybody fail the state tests then yes I can see a reward being acceptable. But rewards for small and petty things I feel are not needed. If you have worked for an extended amount of time and they are rewarding you for your service or how long you have been there is not needed in my eyes. If the teacher enjoys teaching then they should not need to or feel the need to have a reward for doing something they love. What I am basically saying is if teachers were rewarded on their students work then that is fine, but rewarding a teacher for something she should love and not need a reward for is unneeded.
Problems- he calls for better academic training for teachers.
he also says that a demanding knowledge base needs to be established.
and wants to change the way teachers are rewarded.
I agree that teachers should be require to have better academic training. Teachers need to be well versed in their field of education, but they also need to focus on teaching the students to learn, versus just telling the students information that they may of may not remember. Teachers also need to slowly prepare the students for real world experiences they will face once they are out of high school. Teachers are not only teaching students but they are installing basic needs and facts that the students will need to use later in life when they are working and living in the real life, they will be the future leaders in our world and a more selective education system would help weed out the ones who are not up to the full job of teaching or the ones who are not up to par with the education requirements.
Developing a demanding knowledge based education, this ultimately depends on the students but also the teachers. If this was to be developed then teaching would have to be looked as a professional job instead of something that many people deem as an easy way out, or an easy job. If the content students were learning was beefed up and looked at as challenging then maybe teachers would receive more acknowledgement in this profession instead of being told "you are wasting time, to be paid such little money" or the always lovely to hear phrase "why are you going into education? that's a pointless field" Us teachers or feature teachers do not find this field pointless, we find it enjoyable and love the act that what we are doing is molding the minds of our next generation.
I feel that not all teachers need to be rewarded, I say this not because they do not deserve it, but why do they need constant rewards for something they went to school for and strive so hard to achieve? Rewards for something like the students passed all their tests each test time, or none of the classes you taught had anybody fail the state tests then yes I can see a reward being acceptable. But rewards for small and petty things I feel are not needed. If you have worked for an extended amount of time and they are rewarding you for your service or how long you have been there is not needed in my eyes. If the teacher enjoys teaching then they should not need to or feel the need to have a reward for doing something they love. What I am basically saying is if teachers were rewarded on their students work then that is fine, but rewarding a teacher for something she should love and not need a reward for is unneeded.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Blog # 13
I have chosen to write my blog on how I could incorporate technology into my classroom. I chose to write a blog assignment that would keep the students engaged in learning. Also keeping Interactive Smart Board presentations to go along with classroom lectures. The use of iCurio when resreaching papers the students would be required to write. iPads would also be used in the classroom to create imovies on whatever they please as long at it fits in the time frame we are studying. And lastly Google Drive Presentations would be created to go hand in hand with the project they would be doing with the blogging project.
I am planning on teaching History on a high school level.
Blogging- I know that many students are not interested in History, therefore I would require them to create a weekly blog post on what is going on in their lives and also important things that had happened during this week, that is significant to history. It could be the date of an important event such as the bombing of pearl harbor, a past presidents birthday, or what is going on in the world currently. These blog posts would later be combined into a project at the end of the year, that would require the students to show the cause and effect of how History effects their lives on a daily bases. I feel that incorporating the students weekly lives and relating them to historical events would bring the students into history on a deeper level. Instead of me just talking and trying to get them to memorize dates. Bringing in students on a personal level and allowing them to connect would ultimately cause the students to relate to history and actually feel that they learned something.
Interactive Smart Board Presentations- I would use the program that would allow me to hide the answer to the question being asked and would allow the student being called on to reveal the answer to the question. Then I would provide a detailed reason as to why the answer was right instead of the others.
iCurio- Is a website that allows students to search an gather information on specific events. This would be used when creating other projects or when they have to write a paper. It allows their searches to be saved and creates less time being spent on trying to find what they were looking at previously. This would also allow the students to only find articles related to what they are searching for. When students have to write a paper I feel that it would allow the students very good online sources to match with book sources as well when researching for these papers.
iPads- iPads would be used to create imovies that incorporate the chapter main events. Creating a simple movie on something like the Nixon Kennedy debate where the student could discuss the points of why Kennedy seemed to win the debate to the people who watched the debate on television and why it seemed that Nixon won the debate to those who listened via radio broadcast. There are many reasons that I feel the students would be able to find. Whether it be in the class provided book, or what was previously talked about in the classroom. They would provide examples of the reasons on both sides and then talk about their thoughts of who they felt really won the debate.
Google Drive Slideshows- As stated in the very beginning of this blog I would have the students create a semester year long blog. At the end of the semester they would be required to create a presentation on the comparisons of what went on in their lives and how it also incorporated history. They would be required to create their projects in the Google Drive Presentations Slide Show, this would allow the students to work from home if they have access to a computer. If they do not have access to a computer at their home they will be given time during classroom meetings to go to the library and work on those computers. I think that Google Drive Slide Shows would be better to use than having students create a Power Point when they may not have access to Microsoft Word other than at the school. If it was done on Google Presentations it can be access anywhere and worked on regardless of the software their computer has.
These are the ways I could keep technology incorporated in my classroom, and hopefully keep the students engaged in learning.
Blogging- I know that many students are not interested in History, therefore I would require them to create a weekly blog post on what is going on in their lives and also important things that had happened during this week, that is significant to history. It could be the date of an important event such as the bombing of pearl harbor, a past presidents birthday, or what is going on in the world currently. These blog posts would later be combined into a project at the end of the year, that would require the students to show the cause and effect of how History effects their lives on a daily bases. I feel that incorporating the students weekly lives and relating them to historical events would bring the students into history on a deeper level. Instead of me just talking and trying to get them to memorize dates. Bringing in students on a personal level and allowing them to connect would ultimately cause the students to relate to history and actually feel that they learned something.
Interactive Smart Board Presentations- I would use the program that would allow me to hide the answer to the question being asked and would allow the student being called on to reveal the answer to the question. Then I would provide a detailed reason as to why the answer was right instead of the others.
iCurio- Is a website that allows students to search an gather information on specific events. This would be used when creating other projects or when they have to write a paper. It allows their searches to be saved and creates less time being spent on trying to find what they were looking at previously. This would also allow the students to only find articles related to what they are searching for. When students have to write a paper I feel that it would allow the students very good online sources to match with book sources as well when researching for these papers.
iPads- iPads would be used to create imovies that incorporate the chapter main events. Creating a simple movie on something like the Nixon Kennedy debate where the student could discuss the points of why Kennedy seemed to win the debate to the people who watched the debate on television and why it seemed that Nixon won the debate to those who listened via radio broadcast. There are many reasons that I feel the students would be able to find. Whether it be in the class provided book, or what was previously talked about in the classroom. They would provide examples of the reasons on both sides and then talk about their thoughts of who they felt really won the debate.
Google Drive Slideshows- As stated in the very beginning of this blog I would have the students create a semester year long blog. At the end of the semester they would be required to create a presentation on the comparisons of what went on in their lives and how it also incorporated history. They would be required to create their projects in the Google Drive Presentations Slide Show, this would allow the students to work from home if they have access to a computer. If they do not have access to a computer at their home they will be given time during classroom meetings to go to the library and work on those computers. I think that Google Drive Slide Shows would be better to use than having students create a Power Point when they may not have access to Microsoft Word other than at the school. If it was done on Google Presentations it can be access anywhere and worked on regardless of the software their computer has.
These are the ways I could keep technology incorporated in my classroom, and hopefully keep the students engaged in learning.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Saturday, November 8, 2014
C4T #3
I was assigned to comment to Henrietta Miller's blog, Classroom Chronicles. The first blog I commented on she talked about how she gave each student a Gobstopper when they returned back to school and asked them to think about three things. 1. Why are we using them? 2. What might we be inquiring into? 3. How could a gobstopper relate to this term’s inquiry unit? Before the students were allowed to eat the Gobstopper the student was required to create a list of " I wonder questions" some of the results were "I wonder what happens to a gobstopper in my digestive system?" and "I think the gobstopper is a metaphor for the earth’s crust and we are going to investigate the layers of the earth." Those were just a few of the responses that she received from her students. In the second blog I commented on she was talking about how she had the students pretend they were throwing a party. This pretend party is a way of making the students think about make and ultimately make it come alive. This was an interesting idea because it allows for the students to relate to something they would enjoy and get excited about.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Blog # 11
These videos provide a great deal of information that we as students can learn to adapt and use in our own classrooms once we become teachers. In the first video "Back to the Future" Brian Crosby discusses how his students are second language learners, and how they are also considered students of poverty. Brian Crosby took a survey on the first day of school and received shocking statistics about the lack of knowledge his students knew when it came to their personal lives, such as city name, country name, and even home address. Crosby took many interesting ways to bring his students into learning and being excite about it. One way Crosby did this was the can crushing experiment, or the tissue on fire rising instead of burning at ground level. The bringing of students into the experiments and asking questions related to the experiments are ultimately what keeps the students engaged in what they are learning. One big project that was discussed during this video was the high altitude balloon that was being sent up. It allowed the students to create a Wiki and compose questions as to what would happen since it was hydrogen filled versus hot air filled.
What this project did was allow the students to get engaged with this project, the teachers approach to this project allowed the students to be hands on. The students were able to send "their high hopes" up with the balloon when it was sent off. The students high hopes are what they wish would happen, to them or change in the world. Some high hopes that were mentioned were "to do better in a certain class", or "for the violence to stop in Bangkok Thailand" the last high hope was sent in from a student in Bangkok that the class had contact with. The fact the students and other students who where not even in the same country was also able to send up their high hopes. The students were also required to write a story of them selves in the balloons perspective when it blew up. The teacher requiring the students to write a story like this allowed for the student to think outside of the box, which again engages the student and keeps their interest.
In the second video "Blended Learning Cycle" Paul Andersen who is an AP biology teacher explains what blended learning and the learning cycle is. Blended learning is the combining of online, mobile, and classroom, and the learning cycle is engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate. Andersen states that the learning cycle is a great way to teach science. He says this because he is able to ask questions that will draw in the students in the Engage part. The students are then able to look into the answers of this question by brainstorming, and discussion with the class. In the explain aspect the students can explain why they feel their conclusions are plausible. In the expand part the teacher is encouraging the students to further expand their thinking and branch off of ideas gathered in the previous steps. And lastly the evaluate part this is the students and the teacher looking over the final conclusions of the students. When the blended learning, and the learning cycle are put together you get the Blended Learning Cycle. Andersen used the acronym Q.U.I.V.E.R.S to further describe the Blended Learning Cycle (BLC). Q & U- stands for question, which means that you start off with a really good question to get the BLC started. I- stands for investigation or inquiry, meaning the student then investigates what the question is and gathers information that can be used to expand the questions boarders. V- stands for video, Andersen used the video aspect to give video instruction to the students. E- stands for elaboration, this means that the students will return back to what they were investigating, the students are required to elaborate on their investigating and look into reading material and diagrams that might have reference to what they are looking into. R- stands for review which Andersen uses this time to meet with the students either individually or in small groups. He does this to check the students understanding of the question he has asked them to answer, and if they do not understand he sends them back to figure it out again. He also will not let them take the summary quiz until he knows for sure they understand what is going on. And lastly the S- stands for summary quiz, the summary quiz is a quiz that is a summary on what this learning cycle project was based on and the conclusions that were reached.
This new way of blending the learning cycle and blended learning is a great thing, it allows the students to look at things a new way, and further helps the students with abstract thinking skills. These projects will not always be a cut and dry answer they will require thinking o a much broader level that will be achieved by this idea.
In the video Sam Pane 4th grade- the teacher Mr. Pane is requiring his students to make comics with their own superheros that will guide others into safer ways of using the internet. The idea of creation comics was a wonderful idea, children love superheros and the fact that they are able to create their own proved this project to be even better. Kids might know that there are unsafe ways on the internet but they might not know why some of those things are unsafe. The teacher stressed the importance of not sharing personal information and some of the students eve incorporated this into their comics, which means that they understood what the teacher was saying.
The last two videos talked about PBL also knows as Project Based Learning. The videos were endorsing the idea of PBL and saying that it is the way to go for any teachers, because it allows for the students to work on their own and in groups which allows them to be independent at times, and also improves their group social skills. Those are just a few reasons why PBL is gaining more and more popularity with teachers and stuents as well.
What this project did was allow the students to get engaged with this project, the teachers approach to this project allowed the students to be hands on. The students were able to send "their high hopes" up with the balloon when it was sent off. The students high hopes are what they wish would happen, to them or change in the world. Some high hopes that were mentioned were "to do better in a certain class", or "for the violence to stop in Bangkok Thailand" the last high hope was sent in from a student in Bangkok that the class had contact with. The fact the students and other students who where not even in the same country was also able to send up their high hopes. The students were also required to write a story of them selves in the balloons perspective when it blew up. The teacher requiring the students to write a story like this allowed for the student to think outside of the box, which again engages the student and keeps their interest.
In the second video "Blended Learning Cycle" Paul Andersen who is an AP biology teacher explains what blended learning and the learning cycle is. Blended learning is the combining of online, mobile, and classroom, and the learning cycle is engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate. Andersen states that the learning cycle is a great way to teach science. He says this because he is able to ask questions that will draw in the students in the Engage part. The students are then able to look into the answers of this question by brainstorming, and discussion with the class. In the explain aspect the students can explain why they feel their conclusions are plausible. In the expand part the teacher is encouraging the students to further expand their thinking and branch off of ideas gathered in the previous steps. And lastly the evaluate part this is the students and the teacher looking over the final conclusions of the students. When the blended learning, and the learning cycle are put together you get the Blended Learning Cycle. Andersen used the acronym Q.U.I.V.E.R.S to further describe the Blended Learning Cycle (BLC). Q & U- stands for question, which means that you start off with a really good question to get the BLC started. I- stands for investigation or inquiry, meaning the student then investigates what the question is and gathers information that can be used to expand the questions boarders. V- stands for video, Andersen used the video aspect to give video instruction to the students. E- stands for elaboration, this means that the students will return back to what they were investigating, the students are required to elaborate on their investigating and look into reading material and diagrams that might have reference to what they are looking into. R- stands for review which Andersen uses this time to meet with the students either individually or in small groups. He does this to check the students understanding of the question he has asked them to answer, and if they do not understand he sends them back to figure it out again. He also will not let them take the summary quiz until he knows for sure they understand what is going on. And lastly the S- stands for summary quiz, the summary quiz is a quiz that is a summary on what this learning cycle project was based on and the conclusions that were reached.
This new way of blending the learning cycle and blended learning is a great thing, it allows the students to look at things a new way, and further helps the students with abstract thinking skills. These projects will not always be a cut and dry answer they will require thinking o a much broader level that will be achieved by this idea.
In the video Sam Pane 4th grade- the teacher Mr. Pane is requiring his students to make comics with their own superheros that will guide others into safer ways of using the internet. The idea of creation comics was a wonderful idea, children love superheros and the fact that they are able to create their own proved this project to be even better. Kids might know that there are unsafe ways on the internet but they might not know why some of those things are unsafe. The teacher stressed the importance of not sharing personal information and some of the students eve incorporated this into their comics, which means that they understood what the teacher was saying.
The last two videos talked about PBL also knows as Project Based Learning. The videos were endorsing the idea of PBL and saying that it is the way to go for any teachers, because it allows for the students to work on their own and in groups which allows them to be independent at times, and also improves their group social skills. Those are just a few reasons why PBL is gaining more and more popularity with teachers and stuents as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)