Monday, April 29, 2013
Project #13
For our SMART project we used a variety of tools. We uploaded, shared and viewed items in Google Drive. We shared emails and texts and well as the instant message feature in Gmail. We used the SMART Exchange for brainstorming ideas. It was very helpful. Using these tools helped to make our “facetime” much more productive as we already had a plan of action all we had to do was implement each piece. Due to unfortunate circumstances that required a member to be out of state, we could not meet to record our project on the planned day.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Final Report on My PLN
My PLN has been a great resource to me throughout the year. My PLN extends past my Simbaloo page, which has links to blogs I find helpful, Skype, Pinterest, Delicious, Google, Twitter, math-based websites, Twitter, and Youtube. The contacts that I have gained through these sites show the strength and usefulness of my PLN. I have followed everyone suggested in the class. I have access to real-world experiences until I graduate and then even after graduation. I have learned so much from their post and from reading their blogs. Many questions I have that deal with education can be answered by the blogs I have linked on my Simbaloo. ANY question I have, in general, can be answered by Youtube. I believe Google Search Engine, Wolfram/Alpha, and Youtube have been the most useful part of my PLN.
C4T Summary
A Geeky Momma’s Blog
Mrs. Lee Kolbert is an educator, blogger, and hockey mom. She enjoys bringing the benefits of social media into the classroom. She co-hosted on a local cable TV show called Palm Breeze CAFÉ. The two posts I have chosen to post on were:
Bullying: Not just for Children Anymore
Why I’m Celebrating National Grammar Day And Why You Should, Too.
The post, “Bullying: Not for Children Anymore”, is about bullying in the work place. It has a video about how adults reacted to coming across a guy being murdered in an elevator. Although these two people were actors, the people who came across this scenario did not know this. Majority of the adults who came across this event, were shocked, walked off, and did nothing about it. If you were not willing to help stop a murder or tell someone about it, are you willing to stop a bully or tell someone? Probably not. If people witness bullying or even a murder, the more people that are around, the less likely they will do anything about it. The bully can be the office jerk, the boss, and one. The rest of this post describes the physical and emotional effects of bullying in the work place. Then it provides solutions such as, talk to family, file a grievance report, rest, file a sick leave if you feel physically affected, and more.
I commented about the importance of publicizing this issue. Adults need to know they aren’t alone either. No one likes to think they are out of control, especially adults. If we tell children to talk to adults when they are being bullied, then who do we tell adults to talk to? This post was a great read and brought to like an important, overlooked issue.
The post, “Why I’m Celebrating National Grammar Day And Why You Should, Too”, is about different grammar problems found in emails and other everyday communication. She states: “Am I the only one who believes educated professionals should be able to write complete sentences? Is it too much to expect people to understand the differences between:
She then covers rules and provides sites for people to “get out of their own way” and learn grammar rules. The most important thing is to be consistent. If you are going to capitalize a specific non-proper noun word or use the oxford comma, then you most do so everywhere in your document.
I commented about the importance of grammar, in specific, the Oxford Comma. I did not know what the Oxfod Comma was, so I followed the link she provided. This comma is the comma put before “And” and “Or”, such as in the sentence, “Bob, Sally, and Bill ran up the hill”. I commented that I have been dedicated to using it sentence since elementary school. Good grammar is necessary to be seen as a professional. As a teacher, we will be writing documents, worksheets, and plenty of emails; therefore, we need to proficient in good grammar.
Mrs. Lee Kolbert is an educator, blogger, and hockey mom. She enjoys bringing the benefits of social media into the classroom. She co-hosted on a local cable TV show called Palm Breeze CAFÉ. The two posts I have chosen to post on were:
Bullying: Not just for Children Anymore
Why I’m Celebrating National Grammar Day And Why You Should, Too.
The post, “Bullying: Not for Children Anymore”, is about bullying in the work place. It has a video about how adults reacted to coming across a guy being murdered in an elevator. Although these two people were actors, the people who came across this scenario did not know this. Majority of the adults who came across this event, were shocked, walked off, and did nothing about it. If you were not willing to help stop a murder or tell someone about it, are you willing to stop a bully or tell someone? Probably not. If people witness bullying or even a murder, the more people that are around, the less likely they will do anything about it. The bully can be the office jerk, the boss, and one. The rest of this post describes the physical and emotional effects of bullying in the work place. Then it provides solutions such as, talk to family, file a grievance report, rest, file a sick leave if you feel physically affected, and more.
I commented about the importance of publicizing this issue. Adults need to know they aren’t alone either. No one likes to think they are out of control, especially adults. If we tell children to talk to adults when they are being bullied, then who do we tell adults to talk to? This post was a great read and brought to like an important, overlooked issue.
The post, “Why I’m Celebrating National Grammar Day And Why You Should, Too”, is about different grammar problems found in emails and other everyday communication. She states: “Am I the only one who believes educated professionals should be able to write complete sentences? Is it too much to expect people to understand the differences between:
- your and you're
- to and too
- its and it's
- there, their, and they're
- wear and where
- lose and loose?”
She then covers rules and provides sites for people to “get out of their own way” and learn grammar rules. The most important thing is to be consistent. If you are going to capitalize a specific non-proper noun word or use the oxford comma, then you most do so everywhere in your document.
I commented about the importance of grammar, in specific, the Oxford Comma. I did not know what the Oxfod Comma was, so I followed the link she provided. This comma is the comma put before “And” and “Or”, such as in the sentence, “Bob, Sally, and Bill ran up the hill”. I commented that I have been dedicated to using it sentence since elementary school. Good grammar is necessary to be seen as a professional. As a teacher, we will be writing documents, worksheets, and plenty of emails; therefore, we need to proficient in good grammar.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Blog Assignment #14
Summary
This article is about how several Texas A&M professors are using a new technology called CourseSmart. CourseSmart allows professors to “see” which students are using their digital textbooks, how many times they have opened it, if they are highlighting, and so on. Each student receives a personal engagement index. However, only the professors see these, unless the professor shows them. This technology gives the professors more insight on their students, therefore, those professors can help their students better. There are some negatives. Some students do not take notes using a file CourseSmart receives information from. Some students can just leave their book “open” to increase their engagement index. A professor can read their students enough to know whether they are “cheating” the index or use different technology to learn.This technology is going to be implemented more broadly this upcoming fall.
Reaction As a Teacher
CourseSmart would help me understand my students better. I can see which chapters catch more interest, which chapters that never get looked at once or twice, and it will help me learn the studying habits of my students. CourseSmart is a great technology for teachers. Of course, there are always negatives. It will be up to me, as a teacher, to look at an engagement index and determine if that score really reflects the student. CourseSmart might cause us to become dependent on it for “reading” and knowing our students. It is our responsibility to know which students are like Hillary or Charles in this article.
Reaction As a Student
As a student, I personally hate reading textbooks. I am an A/B student in college and was in high school. I have learned to learn without reading from the textbook- I go to class, take notes, and use the textbook to add missing info to my notes or read a small paragraph. CourseSmart would show my studying habits are not “good” because I don’t use the textbook enough or rarely at all. I do not believe CourseSmart should give an engagement index score to a student. This technology should simply show how each student studies or possibly does not study. I personally would not like CourseSmart because I do not trust that my professors (or past teachers) would take the time to truly get to know their students before they make an instant opinion of the student based on their index.
Questions for the Teacher
Questions for the Students
If I were to Comment…
CourseSmart is a good tool for professors, if and only if, the professors use it as a general analysis. It shows only a broad analysis of whether or not the textbook is useful for this class or not. If the professor has a high percentage of students pass and they rarely opened the textbook, the professor can decided whether to make the textbook optional for the next semester class. The professor cannot set out thinking CourseSmart explains and understands who student is. Teaching is a person-to-person experience.
This article is about how several Texas A&M professors are using a new technology called CourseSmart. CourseSmart allows professors to “see” which students are using their digital textbooks, how many times they have opened it, if they are highlighting, and so on. Each student receives a personal engagement index. However, only the professors see these, unless the professor shows them. This technology gives the professors more insight on their students, therefore, those professors can help their students better. There are some negatives. Some students do not take notes using a file CourseSmart receives information from. Some students can just leave their book “open” to increase their engagement index. A professor can read their students enough to know whether they are “cheating” the index or use different technology to learn.This technology is going to be implemented more broadly this upcoming fall.
Reaction As a Teacher
CourseSmart would help me understand my students better. I can see which chapters catch more interest, which chapters that never get looked at once or twice, and it will help me learn the studying habits of my students. CourseSmart is a great technology for teachers. Of course, there are always negatives. It will be up to me, as a teacher, to look at an engagement index and determine if that score really reflects the student. CourseSmart might cause us to become dependent on it for “reading” and knowing our students. It is our responsibility to know which students are like Hillary or Charles in this article.
Reaction As a Student
As a student, I personally hate reading textbooks. I am an A/B student in college and was in high school. I have learned to learn without reading from the textbook- I go to class, take notes, and use the textbook to add missing info to my notes or read a small paragraph. CourseSmart would show my studying habits are not “good” because I don’t use the textbook enough or rarely at all. I do not believe CourseSmart should give an engagement index score to a student. This technology should simply show how each student studies or possibly does not study. I personally would not like CourseSmart because I do not trust that my professors (or past teachers) would take the time to truly get to know their students before they make an instant opinion of the student based on their index.
Questions for the Teacher
- How do you use the information you receive by using CourseSmart?
- Do you believe the index given to each student accurately portrays their study habits?
- How do you get to know if your students are engaged in the class? (CourseSmart, body language, etc)
- Do you believe CourseSmart invades on student privacy?
- Since these students have chosen to go to college and pay for the textbook and tuition, should it be your responsibility to keep up with whether a student is reading the textbook or not?
Questions for the Students
- Do you believe your index score accurately reflex your studying habits?
- Have you ever used an excuse, dealing with a bug or failure in the software, to explain your engagement index?
- Do you believe it is necessary to read the textbook to pass this class?
- Do you think CourseSmart is beneficial to you as a student?
- Since you paid for the class and the book, do you believe professors should know whether you use the textbook or not?
If I were to Comment…
CourseSmart is a good tool for professors, if and only if, the professors use it as a general analysis. It shows only a broad analysis of whether or not the textbook is useful for this class or not. If the professor has a high percentage of students pass and they rarely opened the textbook, the professor can decided whether to make the textbook optional for the next semester class. The professor cannot set out thinking CourseSmart explains and understands who student is. Teaching is a person-to-person experience.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Final Project Progress Report
Our group has ultimately decided to do Option B. We have decided to meet twice next week. We have a tentative outline prepared about which topics we are going to cover and how we are going to cover them. We will decide next where our video will be located. I believe Option B is better because it prepares future edm310 students. An iBook simply shows what we have been doing all semester long.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Blog Assignment #13
Back to the Future
Before I watched the video of Brian Crosby- Back to the Future, I was slightly confused about Mr. Chamberlain’s comment. After the video, I complete agree with Mr. Chamberlain! Mr. Crosby used a single project to engage his students and teach science, language arts, critical/abstract thinking, and then proceeded to connect it to further projects and create a global opportunity for his students. This video was absolutely amazing. I work at a Mobile County elementary school and the “sit quietly and raise your hand if you have a question- but not right now” comment hit home. It is sadly beyond true. I have personally seen bored students, confused students, and students who are natural investigators have to be forced into the standards required of an elementary school. There “wings” are being tied down because our school system is not updating and embracing global learning and self-learning fast enough for our society and the type of children it produces. Not schools are the same; thankfully, schools are changing for the better. We are starting to educate our teachers differently and giving them more resources.
Paul Anderson
In his video Blended Learning Cycle, Paul Anderson explains how his classroom uses the Blended Learning Cycle. This incorporates Mobile, Explore, Classroom, Explain, Expand, Online, and Evaluate. He wanted to revert back to what he knew, which was “The power of the question”. He uses the acronym QUIVERS.
QUestion
The question is also considered the hook in learning. He presents his students with an unfamiliar phenomenon, such as the Oiler’s Disk. This question leads them to make predictions of how it might work or occur.
Investigate/Inquire
After presenting the question, his students investigate the cause or the answer to the question. He wants them to experiment and look at the phenomenon and test it.
Video
He uses videos to give a lecture or teach his students. Each student can watch it independently and it frees him up to do more.
Elaboration
This part of his teaching is when he elaborates on the lesson. They do extra reading, look at diagrams, and so on to further their understanding.
Review
He meets with each student individually and asks them probing questions. The questions review whether or not the student truly understands the material. If the student does not, he sends the student back. If the student “knows what he’s talking about”, then they can proceed to the Summary Quiz.
Summary Quiz
Students take a quiz to review and show their understanding. At the end of the year, the students take a comprehensive exam to show their overall understanding.
Mr. Anderson’s method is perfect for a science class. I could not stand science in high school. It was mainly focused on the textbook. Science is supposed to be hands on, right? I believe his strategy can be adapted into other courses too, such as math, literature, and so on.
Before I watched the video of Brian Crosby- Back to the Future, I was slightly confused about Mr. Chamberlain’s comment. After the video, I complete agree with Mr. Chamberlain! Mr. Crosby used a single project to engage his students and teach science, language arts, critical/abstract thinking, and then proceeded to connect it to further projects and create a global opportunity for his students. This video was absolutely amazing. I work at a Mobile County elementary school and the “sit quietly and raise your hand if you have a question- but not right now” comment hit home. It is sadly beyond true. I have personally seen bored students, confused students, and students who are natural investigators have to be forced into the standards required of an elementary school. There “wings” are being tied down because our school system is not updating and embracing global learning and self-learning fast enough for our society and the type of children it produces. Not schools are the same; thankfully, schools are changing for the better. We are starting to educate our teachers differently and giving them more resources.
Paul Anderson
In his video Blended Learning Cycle, Paul Anderson explains how his classroom uses the Blended Learning Cycle. This incorporates Mobile, Explore, Classroom, Explain, Expand, Online, and Evaluate. He wanted to revert back to what he knew, which was “The power of the question”. He uses the acronym QUIVERS.
QUestion
The question is also considered the hook in learning. He presents his students with an unfamiliar phenomenon, such as the Oiler’s Disk. This question leads them to make predictions of how it might work or occur.
Investigate/Inquire
After presenting the question, his students investigate the cause or the answer to the question. He wants them to experiment and look at the phenomenon and test it.
Video
He uses videos to give a lecture or teach his students. Each student can watch it independently and it frees him up to do more.
Elaboration
This part of his teaching is when he elaborates on the lesson. They do extra reading, look at diagrams, and so on to further their understanding.
Review
He meets with each student individually and asks them probing questions. The questions review whether or not the student truly understands the material. If the student does not, he sends the student back. If the student “knows what he’s talking about”, then they can proceed to the Summary Quiz.
Summary Quiz
Students take a quiz to review and show their understanding. At the end of the year, the students take a comprehensive exam to show their overall understanding.
Mr. Anderson’s method is perfect for a science class. I could not stand science in high school. It was mainly focused on the textbook. Science is supposed to be hands on, right? I believe his strategy can be adapted into other courses too, such as math, literature, and so on.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Blog Assignment #12
My Blog Assignment
Create a video of you teaching a lesson that you would find in a middle/high school mathematics textbook. (Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus). This can be of you explaining a concept, proving a theory, or applying rules and concepts to an example or two. This video must be at least two minutes long. Incorporate technology somewhere in your explanation. You must be in the video and you must present yourself as an aspiring teacher- do not wear sweatpants, holey blue jeans, exposing blouses, t-shirts, etc.
Watch these two videos before you attempt your video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UWqP-E0Q1U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u06Yrvt2XLc&list=ECE7EBBE9A482DC959
Take notes! How do these two videos approach explaining a lesson? What did you take from these videos and how did you apply what you observed to your video? Upload your video to YouTube and embed it into your blog. Include your response to the videos and previous questions in the same post. Follow the requirements in Writing A Quality Blog Post.
Response
The first video was more entertainment oriented. He wanted to teach his students a lesson, while staying in tune to the fact that math is boring to high schoolers. The second video, in my opinion, is focused on students in high school who are in a “upper level” course like Pre-Cal and Calculus. He teaches the lesson effectively and clearly; however, I could not see students in 10th grade and under having the ability to pay attention long enough to watch many of his lessons. I could be wrong though. I enjoyed the clarity of the second lesson and the entertainment from the first lesson.
I wanted to keep my lesson short and sweet, yet clear.My lesson was Algebra: How to Multiply Binomials. I need to work on my entertaining aspect. I was pretty boring in my lesson. I also need to work on clarity. I should have done another example. I want to try “Flipping the Classroom”, so working on my video lessons is very important. I also need to get a webcam with more visual clarity. My video is "wavy" and blurred slightly.
Create a video of you teaching a lesson that you would find in a middle/high school mathematics textbook. (Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus). This can be of you explaining a concept, proving a theory, or applying rules and concepts to an example or two. This video must be at least two minutes long. Incorporate technology somewhere in your explanation. You must be in the video and you must present yourself as an aspiring teacher- do not wear sweatpants, holey blue jeans, exposing blouses, t-shirts, etc.
Watch these two videos before you attempt your video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UWqP-E0Q1U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u06Yrvt2XLc&list=ECE7EBBE9A482DC959
Take notes! How do these two videos approach explaining a lesson? What did you take from these videos and how did you apply what you observed to your video? Upload your video to YouTube and embed it into your blog. Include your response to the videos and previous questions in the same post. Follow the requirements in Writing A Quality Blog Post.
Response
The first video was more entertainment oriented. He wanted to teach his students a lesson, while staying in tune to the fact that math is boring to high schoolers. The second video, in my opinion, is focused on students in high school who are in a “upper level” course like Pre-Cal and Calculus. He teaches the lesson effectively and clearly; however, I could not see students in 10th grade and under having the ability to pay attention long enough to watch many of his lessons. I could be wrong though. I enjoyed the clarity of the second lesson and the entertainment from the first lesson.
I wanted to keep my lesson short and sweet, yet clear.My lesson was Algebra: How to Multiply Binomials. I need to work on my entertaining aspect. I was pretty boring in my lesson. I also need to work on clarity. I should have done another example. I want to try “Flipping the Classroom”, so working on my video lessons is very important. I also need to get a webcam with more visual clarity. My video is "wavy" and blurred slightly.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
C4T #3 Summary
C4K Summary for March
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Blog Assignment #11
Mrs. Cassidy's First Grade Class
Mrs. Cassidy’s approach to teaching her students through blogging, Nintendo DSs, and other forms of technology is very interesting. After watching the Skype interview and video of her first graders, I am inspired to brainstorm more about how I can use technology to my future students’ advantage. Recently, I have begun playing on the Smartboard in the classroom where I work. I discovered some Multimedia and interactive objects that are algebra and math related. I believe I can find more or create multimedia to use on the Smartboard. The FluidMath product for Smartboard is my favorite so far. I can use this product to really show how word problems work and how graphs behave when a single number is changed.
Not only can I use the Smart board, I can create a class blog to post all my lecture/lesson videos for my “Flipping the Classroom” lessons. Students will be required to make a post about their reaction to each lesson video. This will also let me inform students faster about events, such as a test being moved or if there will be a substitute.
As a current math student, I use other math websites to explain new concepts and math problems to me. It is a great help to me and I think my future students would benefit too. As a result, I would like to create a “tutoring center” on the class blog. Students can post preapproved helpful math websites; they can ask questions about certain math problems; and they can answer other student’s questions. As the years pass, I will keep the best websites and add them to the tutoring center blog each year.
If Mrs. Cassidy’s First graders can learn using the internet, I believe my future high school class can and will benefit too. However, I might face the opposition of my future employer and fellow math teachers. I hope to change their opinion about using technology by proving how my students will and are benefiting from my teaching methods. I also may have students who do not have a computer or have very limited computer access. Within the next two years and a half, I hope most school systems will have iPads or laptops available to each student in each school. If not, I will try to increase their access by giving them extra time at the end of class to go to the library or offer after-school tutoring, in which I will give them computer access to watch the lesson videos and ask questions.
I personally believe there are more benefits to learning using technology than there are negative effects. As a future teacher, I must constantly prove that statement and show others it is true too.
Mrs. Cassidy’s approach to teaching her students through blogging, Nintendo DSs, and other forms of technology is very interesting. After watching the Skype interview and video of her first graders, I am inspired to brainstorm more about how I can use technology to my future students’ advantage. Recently, I have begun playing on the Smartboard in the classroom where I work. I discovered some Multimedia and interactive objects that are algebra and math related. I believe I can find more or create multimedia to use on the Smartboard. The FluidMath product for Smartboard is my favorite so far. I can use this product to really show how word problems work and how graphs behave when a single number is changed.
Not only can I use the Smart board, I can create a class blog to post all my lecture/lesson videos for my “Flipping the Classroom” lessons. Students will be required to make a post about their reaction to each lesson video. This will also let me inform students faster about events, such as a test being moved or if there will be a substitute.
As a current math student, I use other math websites to explain new concepts and math problems to me. It is a great help to me and I think my future students would benefit too. As a result, I would like to create a “tutoring center” on the class blog. Students can post preapproved helpful math websites; they can ask questions about certain math problems; and they can answer other student’s questions. As the years pass, I will keep the best websites and add them to the tutoring center blog each year.
If Mrs. Cassidy’s First graders can learn using the internet, I believe my future high school class can and will benefit too. However, I might face the opposition of my future employer and fellow math teachers. I hope to change their opinion about using technology by proving how my students will and are benefiting from my teaching methods. I also may have students who do not have a computer or have very limited computer access. Within the next two years and a half, I hope most school systems will have iPads or laptops available to each student in each school. If not, I will try to increase their access by giving them extra time at the end of class to go to the library or offer after-school tutoring, in which I will give them computer access to watch the lesson videos and ask questions.
I personally believe there are more benefits to learning using technology than there are negative effects. As a future teacher, I must constantly prove that statement and show others it is true too.
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