Project #14 Project Based Learning Plan #2

TT2 Group 2-Project Based Learning Plan #2 on Animal Defenses

Lesson Plan

Calendar

Individual Project Rubric

Teachers Rubric

Blog Post 10

What can we learn from Ms. Cassidy?

After watching the interviews with Ms. Cassidy and this video of her class, I was very impressed with how she jumped straight into using technology and learned about it along with her class. There were five computers for her class and she wanted to take advantage of having such items to work with. Ms. Cassidy is aware of how the world is changing and that we need to prepare our future leaders for the lives that are ahead of them. I really liked how she said there is a shift happening when it comes to the way we should react to our kids looking at other peoples' work. As teachers, we should motivate our students to help one another and teach them how to be collaborative with all of their work. We should discourage them to think it is "cheating" and teach them that helping one another is a better way for anyone to learn. If students are taught at a young age to be able to collaborate and work with groups, and teachers not drill it in their head that if they're looking at someones paper it is wrong and they will get in trouble; Then maybe students would never try to "cheat" to begin with. Right?

I would definitely use blogs for my classroom. I would have each student have one individually, and have one for our entire class as well. Students get more excited to write to an audience than they would just writing to their teacher. People from all over the world can see their blog, read it, comment on it, and parents can keep up with what their child is doing too.

C4K Summary for October

C4K #4 Grandma (aka Nicole) Nicole's post was about how she got the name Grandma. She says her teacher calls her that because she is getting old. She also tells us a few more names that people call her. Here is my comment: Hey Grandma, My name is Felicia. I live in Mobile, Alabama and I am a Junior at The University of South Alabama studying to be an elementary school teacher. I love your post! It is a funny coincidence that you told us your real name. When I was assigned to your blog for one of my assignments, I thought to myself “Surely that can’t be her real name”. I’ll call you Nicole, I think that is a beautiful name! You can call me Fe-Fe (My nickname) I look forward to your next post, Nicole!

C4K #5 Tommy R. Tommy's post asked the question "Should kids lose recess for bad behavior?". He said no, that it is very important for kids to get plenty of exercise. Also, if kids get exercise outside, they would not be a "bad actor" in class. Here is my comment: Hey Tommy, My name is Felicia. I live in Mobile, Alabama and I am a college student at The University of South Alabama. I love the topic you have written about on your blog post. I agree with you. I think it is very important that every child have daily exercise. When I was your age, we played outside quite often and I do not think recess was ever taken away as a punishment, nor should it be. Keep up the good work! I am looking forward to seeing your future posts.

C4K #6 Olivia Olivia had a very impressive blog post about how to be safe on the internet. I was happy to see a child at her age know so much about how to keep her information safe. Here is my comment: Hey Olivia! My name is Felicia Grantham. I live in Mobile, Alabama and I am a college student at The University of South Alabama. I really like your blog post about how to be safe on the internet. It can be very dangerous to put your information out there, so I am thrilled that you know how to be safe at such a young age. Hopefully, you can teach other children how to be safe on the internet as well.I look forward to reading more posts. Keep up the good work!

C4K #7 Aaron Aaron's blog post was a presentation about how to read maps. He made a map with a key, and also showed some questions he had to answer about his map. His presentation was very neat and easy to understand. Here is my comment: Hey Aaron, My name is Felicia Grantham. I live in Mobile, Alabama in The United States of America. I am a college student studying to be a school teacher. I really loved your presentation and blog post. It was very neat and easy to understand. I liked your map key as well. Keep up the good work! I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Project #12 Smartboard Instructions

This is my Smartboard Presentation.

Blog Post 9

What Can Teachers And Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?

By now I am realizing that children do not learn the same way I learned when I was young. It was very different for me growing up. I think that Project Based Learning is a way that is necessary for children to learn more effectively. I knew I always wanted to be more interactive than some of the teachers I had in elementary school, and now teaching in the 21st century gives me that opportunity. I love to see how much children are engaged when involved in Project Based Learning.

For this post, I learned about Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning. The First one was -A need to know. When designing a project for your students you should always introduce it to them in a fun and exciting way. You could create a video, go on a field trip, have a guest speaker, or even have a fun scavenger hunt for clues to what the project is. By doing this, you make the students more interested and give them curiosity, or "need to know" about the topic. The second thing on the list was -A driving question. This captures the heart of the project and sense of purpose to what they are learning about. Third was -Voice and Choice. It is important to give the children freedom to what they want to do in their project. Having it their way makes it more fun and holds their attention longer. You also have to be careful about giving too many choices, by doing so they might become overwhelmed by choices. Fourth on the list was -21st Century Skills. Collaboration, Communication, Critical thinking and problem solving are all very important skills for children to learn to be able to deal with everyday problems that they will face. The fifth thing on the list was -Inquiry and Innovation. When the students come up with a driving question for their project they end up generating more questions and problems, this creates a train-like learning effect for them to follow. Sixth was -Feedback and Revision. This step is very important when children are creating a project. It allows them to critique each others' work. As the teacher, it also helps you see where your students are in the process of their project. Seventh, and Last on the list was -Presented Project. It is better to have your students present their final projects to an audience. When they know it is going to be shown to people, they care about the quality of the project and the information is more meaningful when it is not just for the teacher or for tests.

I had fun searching for more information on Project Based Learning. I found a couple of sources that were very interesting. One was a Project Based Learning lesson plan for a first grade class on ocean animals. I read through a lot of it and thought it was very neat and educational. It met many of their state standards, and the lesson plan was very detailed and thoroughly thought out. Plus, I love the ocean and what is inside of it, so I searched for PBL with oceans and came across a lot of fun ideas that I cannot wait to use. First Grade Lesson Plan

I also found a video that was very cute! It was about five and six year old students utilizing project based learning in their classroom. They were doing so many different activities and projects like flying a pretend plane to Brazil, (A country the students were learning about.) Or sailing a cardboard ship to Africa. Everything the teachers were doing for these students turned into an educational lesson. The students were participating in lessons on the Smart Board, practicing their reading and writing skills, and playing out real-life situations by using PBL. One of the students (about 5-6 years old) was asked what he thought about using the Smart Board and the internet, and his response was "you can just learn" in a really excited voice. He is right, you CAN just learn! Five-Year-Olds Pilot Their Own Project Based Learning

I think that Project Based Learning is not only for students, but for teachers, parents, and the community as well. We all have the ability to help teach one another with PBL. I am learning that the opportunities are endless when it comes to using Project Based Learning in the classroom. Almost any situation you are faced with as a teacher can be turned into a valuable lesson for your students.

Implications And Teaching Opportunities For Camera Use In Teaching and Learning.

Part A

Dr. Strange posted some interesting facts about Millennials (People ages 18-24) and smart phones, on our EDM 310 class blog. (The information came from Zogby Analytics.) 87% of people in this group say that their smartphone never leaves their side. That is a very high percentage. Of course there are problems when it comes to dealing with smartphones in the classroom. Many students abuse the privilege of having one. But with such high percentages of how many people depend on their smartphones, can we really expect anything different? I have heard a lot of teachers complain about students using their phone during a lesson, and I can see why that would be frustrating. As a teacher, you put a lot of your heart and energy into lesson planning for the students to learn. They should at least pay attention and not have their phones out during this time.

However, I do believe there are many ways to implement the use of smart phones in the classrooms to cut down on the not so appropriate times they are being used. Maybe have set times during the day where students can use their phones in groups while collaborating. Or even giving small prizes at the end of the week to the people that follow the "smart phone rules" that you have set in your class. There are many educational apps that students can download to their smart phone that they can use to help them learn. It may take some time to get students to follow and respect your rules about smart phones, but I think that having the right attitude and approach would come with great compromising from your students.

Part B

There are so many different things I could think of to make good use of smart phones and tablets that have cameras. Assuming that I am a third grade teacher, and all of my students have either a tablet or smart phone with a camera, I could do a little project on the first day of school that will help the students learn each others' names. I would have the students make a picture slide show using the camera and other tools on their devices. The slide show would consist of everyone's picture and name. The students would learn names by putting the project together as well as watching it back after it is completed. This is also a good way for parents to know all of the students in the class. Another great idea is to have an outside day where students can take pictures of different flowers and trees for a science lesson. This is similar to the lesson plan found on the ALEX website. I can't wait! I am so excited to get started with all of these creative projects that help students learn. I believe I will be a very lenient teacher when it comes to all technology in my classroom, thanks to EDM310.

Project #9

TT2 Group 2 Project 9. Book Conversation.

Blog Post 8

What can we learn about teaching and learning from Randy Pausch?

Randy Pausch's Last lecture was motivational and inspirational. It was a little long compared to other videos we have had to watch, but my eyes were on the screen the entire time. He has a great way of keeping his lecture interesting. I am an overly emotional person, so of course, this video made tear up a bit (just like almost anything else I watch). I love how passionate he is about enabling other people's dreams. I learned several things while watching this lecture. I have always heard, and sometimes used the term "I've hit a brick wall", but I have never heard the term explained the way it was explained in the video. Mr. Pausch said "Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things." He also explains how the brick walls are there to stop "the other people" , meaning the people that don't push hard enough to achieve something they're going after. Brick walls allow us to show our dedication to something that we are working on. I know I've hit a few while working on my degree, but hearing his words has taught me to push through it no matter what.

Mr. Pausch had a lot of powerful words that taught me a couple of ways to help enable my future students. He says "Wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you." This lets me know that I need to always make sure I never rush my students' work. Of course, children always need a friendly boost, but they also need time to be creative and have their own thoughts on things. Something else that was very helpful that Mr. Pausch talked about was how you should answer someone's question if you don't have the information they're seeking. Instead of saying "I don't know", you should say something like "I don't have very much information on that, but let's see what we can find out".(I've heard Dr. Strange say something similar as well). That was a very good piece of advice for us as future educators. We should never tell our students we don't know, and leave it at that. Instead, we should help them find a way to help themselves. By doing so only helps the students in the long run because it will make them think more critically and dig deeper for what they're searching for. That is something you can give your students that they can keep with them for life. Also, we should never set bars for our students. Setting bars could, in a way, hurt their creative and critical thinking abilities because you are cutting off what they could possibly do. Let your students go beyond what you expect from them.

Every week that goes by in this class, I learn more and more. I believe that this has been my favorite lesson so far. I gained so much from watching Mr. Pausch's lecture and I am looking forward to putting some of his advice to work!

Here are a couple of quotes stated by Randy Pausch that I really enjoyed.

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted"

"The best gift an educator can give is to get someone to become self reflective"

C4T # 2 Summary

C4T#2 Post#1

I was assigned Ms. Jennifer Brokofsky for my C4T#2. Ms. Brokofsky wrote about her excitement to get back into blogging after changing her job position to vice principal. She also talks about things she has learned through her years of teaching. It really inspired me to know that I am not the only one that struggles with some of these things. Here is my comment: Hey Ms. Brokofsky, My name is Felicia Grantham. I am a student (junior) at The University of South Alabama. After reading this post, I am so glad to know that I am not the only one struggling with the idea of not knowing everything. I am a person that has to know everything about what I am doing, and will not be satisfied otherwise. It really is a relief to see you as a VP, not just teacher, say it is alright to not know how to deal with every question and problem that comes to you. Recently, I have been learning a lot about time management and the importance of it. You (others also) said it takes time to find out that everything will not happen the way you plan it, and you must be flexible to adjust to these changes. I am very happy to have read that you have found your way again. This was a very inspirational read for me. Thank You for your wonderful words!

C4T#2 Post#2

Ms. Brokofsky wrote about her need to read over her Summer Vacation. She also gave a picture of a "stack of books" she wants to read. Here is my comment: Hey Ms. Brokofsky, I am so inspired by your need to read. I, myself do not ever have time to read anything for my own entertainment. If it is not something for college, I do not have time for it. I hope to one day be able to read books that will help me better myself for my future students. Thanks for the “stack of books”. I just might read a few of them myself one day.

Project #7 Part B

A message for my students

A message for the parents.

Blog Post 7

I will be graduating in about a year and a half and I have a lot more work to do before I can become the teacher I am striving to be. But, I am well on my way and more advanced than I thought I would ever be. I still have a few weaknesses that I need to work on like technology and social anxiety. When I started college two years ago I was very intimidated by everything. Just being on campus was very stressful but I knew I had push through it. I knew going in that I was not as 'tech savvy' as I should have been and needed a little work on my writing skills. After being in college for two years, my writing skills have improved tremendously, so I know with a lot of practice, I can do the same thing with technology.

I know it might sound strange, but having social anxiety only affects me in college being around a lot of adults. When I am around children I feel totally different than what I do when I am in a room full of adults. I guess I'm just better with children. Which brings me to the strengths I naturally have that will help me be an excellent teacher. I am very passionate about everything I do. I am caring, kind, giving, and absolutely love the presence of children! It does not hurt that I am also very patient and understanding. Everyone is not perfect and I know I may have some flaws to work out before I graduate and begin my career, but I do have the drive and motivation to become the person/educator I want to be.

I really appreciated the videos we had to watch this week for this blog post. I love seeing children at that age learn and be confident in what they're doing. This class has opened my eyes to so much that I had no idea about. It amazes me that first graders can use ipads, and use them well, to help with their learning skills. My favorite video was about the ipad reading center. Having the ipad reading center really helps children learn to read more effectively. In the video, the little boy records himself reading aloud. After recording he is able to play back the video and read along to make sure there were no mistakes made. This is exciting to young students because they are able to play with technology and get to watch and listen to projects that they have created. These videos demonstrate how advanced children are this day in age and it is mind blowing to see how many different ways they are able to learn. When I was in elementary school, lessons were taught with a dry erase/chalk board, books, pencils, and paper. Projects were occasional and definitely took place after we have already learned the lesson. I can still remember how exciting it felt to be able to create projects, so it makes sense that children these days excel more with project based learning. I am so thrilled that I chose Elementary Education as my major. I am excited to continue to learn and put what I already know to work!

Project #13

TT2 Group 2 has decided to do our Project Based Learning Lesson on the Solar System. Our students are to construct a project on an assigned planet. Below are the components of our unit.

Lesson Plan

Calender

Project Rubric

Individual Rubric