Project # 13 Collaboration

Collaboration for Group July 16th

For projects 15 and 16 my group used Face Time, email, Google Doc, and text messages to communicate. At first I was frustrated with this because I felt like my group needed to be face to face to plan our projects. I learned a lot from this assignment. I finally used Face Time for the first time, even though I have had my Iphone for a year. Our group would text to discuss little details and the times to meet. We used email and Google Docs to send the videos we recorded and larger important documents to each other. Overall our group projects went very smoothly.

Final Report on PLN

Final Report on Personal Learning Network

For my Personal Learning Network I use Symbaloo. From Symbaloo I have access to learning tools such as, EDM class blog, Moodle, Alabama Virtual Library, and many more resources. Over the semester, my PLN has grown more than I could have ever hoped. I am following many teachers and principals blogs and twitter that Dr. Strange has introduced me to. I have played around on many blogs and follow ones that I am found myself. I use Symbaloo for school as well. I keep a page for Paws and Sakai. Symbaloo is the first page I see when I open up my internet. This is perfect because I can get to every page I'll need from here.

Blog Post 14

Teacher Knows if You Have Done the E-Reading

In the article, Teacher Knows if You Have Done the E-Reading, it explains a new technology, CourseSmart. It is being tested now at Texas A&M. It gives teachers the age old dream of knowing whether students are reading their textbooks or not. CourseSmart gives teachers the ability to know when students are skipping pages, failing to highlight significant passages, not bothering to take not, or simply not opening the book at all. This can be a good thing and bad for both teachers and students.

As a teacher, I feel like I could benefit and better my students learning by using this tool. I do not like the idea of using this tool in a college setting because I feel at that stage in students lives they should be independent based learners. Yes, they should still go to leachur to enhance their learning, but having a teacher force their reading sounds much too big brotherish to me. Now as a middle school and high school teacher, I believe this could be a very useful tool. Normal secondary students do not enjoy their take home reading, and many to do read constantly. You could focus your leachurs on materials that has a low engagement index and test on reading assignments you gave. This will help enforce study habits.

As a college student, I would feel pressured to make sure I read everything since I know my teacher can tell. All though, I do not read everything as a current student. I focus more on the vocabulary and what the teacher lectures on. I do not like the idea that I could possible have to change my study habits to accommodate this new technology? I also prefer a hard copy of text because I enjoy highlighting material and underlining. The article mentions that students would try to trick the system into beleive they did the reading when they did not. I could see many of my peers attempting this and in the end that would defeat the purpose of the program. As a younger student though, I could really benefit from the obligation of the constant reading. I could get overwhelmed if multiply teachers were requiring me to read all on the same night. This program could become a bit of a hassle.

Questions to ask the teacher:
1. Will you hold students accountable if they do not constantly read?
2. Do you care how often your students are using the textbook if they are still doing well in your class?
3. Will you only confront the students who are not reading and not doing well overall in the class?

Questions to ask the students:
1. Does this program force you to actually read, or did you read before?
2. If this has forced you to start reading, has your grades improved?
3. Do you prefer to have a hard copy of the textbook or use the digital textbooks?

What Comment Would I Leave on this Article?

As a college student or teacher, I do not think I would like this technology. I do not like the responsibility it takes off higher level students to be independent learners. As a secondary level student or teacher, I feel like my students and myself as a student could really benefit from the CourseSmart. I am very interested to see the results from the test trial. I am hoping they will prove me wrong about college level.

C4T April

The Principal's Principles

Mr. Bernia, a middle school principal who strives to make the world a better place, one day at a time. Prior to serving as the Principal, I was an Assistant Principal, Teacher, and School Custodian. I’m currently in my 9th year as an educator, and think it is the most important job in the world.

April 10, "The Era of One has Begun"

In Linchpin, Seth Godin argues that in today’s economy, there has never been higher demand for artists; people that are creative and make goods that are one of a kind. Godin talks about increased demands for customized items and the need for producers to develop goods and services that are tailored to individuals. Corporate America is calling for indispensable workers (Godin’s term) who will reimagine industry. In a manufacturing economy, bells to announce when to move from one class to another or school policy that demanded conformity was virtuous. Schools mass produced students who, as adults, mass produced items in an economy. Technology has changed all of that. Individualism is the new mass production. Are schools preparing students to meet this challenge? I feel part of an over all educational problem is we reward students for correct answers and punish them for wrong answers. What some educators do not do, is encourage critical thinking at all times, even if the student is wrong. This causes students to be more focused on a reward rather than learning.

April 24, "Whatever it Takes"

Mr. Bernia believes going to extra miles for his students. One of his students was having a crisis and explained to him that she lost her cell phone. She remembered having it before lunch, but not after. When talking with friends, one said that she remembered it being in her hand when she went to throw her trash away after eating. After she said that, she uttered the words, “Mr. Bernia, I think I threw my phone in the trash by accident.” She went on to explain that her parents are out of town and that she was participating in the Washington DC trip that weekend. If ever there was a time not to lose a new cell phone, it was then. They grabbed rubber gloves before heading outside to the school dumpster. Midway through my third bag of garbage, Mr. Bernia stumbled upon a pink and white polka dot phone case, and recovered her lost item. After a careful scrub with several antibacterial wipes, her phone was returned, still in working order. It was one of those whatever it takes moments that is a good reminder of how invested we have to be in our students every day. This shows how much the little things matter. This small gesture meant the world to his student.

Smart Board Project 15

Final Group Project 16

Blog Post 13

Brian Crosby- Back to the Future

Mr. Crosby is an elementary school teacher who teaches to at risk children. Brian fused his students use of technology with field trips, art, hands-on activities and a problem-based approach, to build their schema of the world while at once connecting them to it. In his video, Back to the Future, Mr. Crosby presents a project he did with his fourth grade class at Agnes Risley Elementary School in Sparks, Nevada. His students learned about the science and history of the air balloons through hands on experiments. They then applied what they learned to writing assignments in their blog. Students reading the class's blogs wanted to get in on the action too, so the High Hope project was started. Students all over the world sent their high hopes, and they were all sent off into the atmosphere attached to a hot air balloon.

Mr. Crosby is a teacher who goes the extra mile for his students. He teaches them to think outside of the box. One thing I was fascinated with was Mr. Crosby's student with cancer. Since she could not come to school, he video chatted with her to include her in the classroom. Having his class work through blogs and of course modern technology made it possible for her to have a higher level of learning even with her health setbacks. This also showed Mr. Crosby's determination to provide education for all students.

Paul Anderson- Blended Learning Cycle

In Paul Anderson's video, Blended Learning, he elabrates on how he combindes the Blended Learning and the Learning Cycle into his own system called QUIVERS. This includes six components he uses in all of his lessons. 1. "QU" for questions. 2. "I" which is investigation/inquiry. 3. "V" is video. 4. "E" is elaboration. 5. "R" is review. 6. "S" is summary quiz. The QUIVERS method is very student focused and effective. Mr. Anderson's method keeps his students active in their learning. This style of teaching can be incorporated into any classroom.