Project #8

Blog Post #6

In resource number one, ”A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment” we were given a brief overview of how a 7th grade student uses the internet and her PLN to aid with her science class. Without instruction, she reached out to an Australian scientist to look over the information on her blog, thus exhibiting the true essence of engaging in a Personal Learning Network.

In ”Building your PLN- A Primer for anyone” Steven Anderson discussed the importance of PLN's and taking your connections global in order to improve upon the educational process. Steven is very involved with the global aspect of PLN's and has made contact with many different countries and is especially looking forward to linking up with someone who resides in Antarctica. He talked about the importance of collaborating with other educators and also discussed ways to do so, such as blogging, Twitter and Skype.

Of all the resources provided, I would have to say that ”Developing a Personal Learning Network in EDM310” was the most informative. It is a very clear guide on how PLN's are created, the purpose they serve, and what they actually accomplish. After reviewing this document, I was better prepared to respond to the questions proposed for this particular blog post.

A Personal Learning Network is a select group of people with whom you can consult and exchange information with online. The group can be comprised of family, friends, peers or colleagues. The benefits to having a PLN are endless. PLN's can help you as a teacher by enabling you to seek the opinions of other educators, providing access to academic resources such as lesson plans or PBL activities, and providing links to additional educational resources. They are formed by choosing a subject area or particular questions you would like additional opinions or information about and then seeking out people you want to include in your network. Currently, one of the easiest ways to create a PLN is to join a social networking site such as Twitter or Facebook. These sights enable you to search for people by occupatiion, interests or accomplishments thus enabling you to tailor your PLN to your specific needs. Another way to create a PLN is through blogging. Over the course of the semester many of us will begin to create a PLN consisting of peers and current educators, which will be a great help in the future. By starting a PLN now, it will allow us to cement educational relations and resources that will be very helpful to us first year teachers.

Blog Post #5

The central message expressed by Anthony Capps in this Video was the importance of Project Based Learning being used as a means of learning and not just as a tool by which learning is measured. After watching ”Project Based Learning Part 1” I learned of the change in the way project based learning is interpreted among educators. In the past, PBL was used at the end of a lesson as a way to measure whether or not a student met the learning objectives. Presently, PBL is a method used to aid students in the learning process. I love the way that Anthony incorporates project based learning into his daily instruction and it seems that students enjoy hands on activities which increases the urge to learn. The project that Anthony initiated that involved his students writing to Congressman Joe Bonnor was very interesting. It allowed students to express their personal opinions about a certain topic and allowed for the incorporation of peer editing. Even though only a certain amount of letters were actually sent off, peer editing and revising allowed all students to feel like they were represented. Overall, I feel that EDM310 really gives us as teachers an advantage over those who may not have had such a requirement to fulfill before they graduate. Project Based Learning is a very important part of education in the 21st century and I will incorporate it in many ways when I become a classroom teacher.

In ”Project Based Learning Part 2” Anthony discussed other projects in which his class participated. He also stressed the importance of not having restrictive instructions, this allows students to be more creative and usually results in projects that are more detailed than what a teacher originally expects. Another important issue in this video was what a teacher can do when a parent has an issue with a particular assignment. We as educators have to understand that no two families raise their children alike and that in certain cases precautions should be taken to ensure that all parties feel comfortable. Allowing the option of an alternative project was an excellent solution.

In video 3 ”iCurio” we are given an introduction to iCurio and ways in which it can be used. It is basically a search engine that provides age appropriate audio, text, and pictures that have been filtered specifically for educational purposes. Students and teachers can also store content within iCurio. I think this is a wonderful resource it allows students access to information they need within the risks associated with random internet searches.

It is evident that Anthony Capps is a big fan of Discovery Ed. He explained the benefits of this tool in ”Discovery Education”. He believes that students retain more information when they have visuals and audio coupled with the information to which they are being introduced.

” The Anthony - Strange list of Tips for Teachers Part 1” is somewhat of a blueprint for first year classroom teachers. Anthony and Dr. Strange provide a view example of how to make year 1 easier. First, it is important for a teacher to have a love of learning. Second, work should be fun! If you love what you do, you tend to become better at doing those things. Third, teachers should know that things will change frequently and should be able to effectively adapt to those changes. In other words, be flexible! Last but certainly not least, allow time for reflection. It is a very important step in the learning process and should be incorporated into as many projects as possible.

Technology is all around us and there is no way to ignore its prevalence. In ”Don't Teach Technology, Use It!” Anthony describes how important it is to incorporate the use of technology into the curriculum rather than just teaching it. It is a great motivation tool and students are able to gain hands on experience rather than just hearing about the potential benefits. We as teachers can also aid in the process by completing the activities before hand so that we better understand how to respond to questions a student may have.

In ”Additional Thought About Lessons” Anthony gives us his interpretation of a lesson which he says includes 4 components year, unit, week and daily. On each level standards should be incorporated and they all work together to complete a common goal.

My Sentence Videos

My Sentence is...

My Passion is...

Project #3

Blog Post #4

The million dollar question for this assignment is "What do we need to know about asking questions in order to become an effective teacher". The resources I explored provided many different answers to this question. I'll start by discussing “The Right Way to Ask Questions in the classroom”. The author wants us to know that the way we question students’ needs to change!! After reading the post, I began to think of just how much the dynamic of the classroom is changing. GOOD teachers are beginning to realize some of the error of their ways and are taking the steps to make improvements to the way they ask their students’ questions. The author tells readers that many teachers ask questions to see if students have gained an understanding for what they were just taught. However, he raises an important issue about this method being ineffective because of the fact that some students don’t’ REALLY know if they understand or not. Another questionable form of questioning is the “yes or no” approach. In this approach students have a 50/50 chance of getting the answer correct and can easily guess which way their teacher would prefer the question to be answered. Instead Ben suggests randomly calling on students to answer questions so that the students who identify themselves in certain way (smart, dumb, uninterested) won’t be able to avoid verbally responding to questions just because someone else volunteers to do so.

Questions should be specific! This was an important component in the resource entitled “Asking Questions to Improve Learning”. After reading the information provided I found that many different concepts help you be effective when asking questions. For example, teachers should avoid asking leading question. Students often catch on and as a result do not actually master certain concepts. Another way to improve the effectiveness of questions is to ask different types; a mixture. A mixture of questions is more beneficial to teachers in helping with the learning process. If a teacher wants to spark a debate he or she might consider open ended questions. While if a teacher was looking to evaluate how much information a student has retained or how well they can relate material they learned to questions asked, he or she may considered closed ended questions. With this assignment I’ve learned that there is a lot I need to know about asking questions in order to become an effective teacher. Most importantly, be specific in what I am asking!

C4T #1 Project #4

I was assigned to Mrs. Kathleen Morris' blog entitled “Primary Tech”.

C4T#1 Comment #1

The title of the most recent post was "Blogging and The Literacy curriculum" posted on July 31, 2013. This post provides teachers with information about educational blogging and the effect it can have on student literacy. She also provides information about how to effectively incorporate blogging into the classroom. On the first attempt she found it to be a difficult task but goes on to inform teachers of the benefits of educational blogging as well as ways to effectively implement it into their own classroom. My reply to Mrs. Morris post is written below.

As a future educator I found this post to be very informative. I'm sure all first time classroom teachers have an issue with planning and time management and this post provides guidance as to how to handle blogging. The author states that blogging should be integrated into the curriculum rather than be introduced to students as a way to pass time. This allows the students to make personal connections and become interested in what they are actually completing. Educational blogging is very beneficial to students as well as teachers and the information provided can be a blueprint as to how to incorporate blogging into my daily schedule. Blogging can help students improve their literacy skills and also serves as a tool for integrating the concept of teaching and being taught in the 21st century.

C4T#1 Comment #2

The title of the next post was "Looking Back, Looking Forward" posted June 23, 2013. In this post, Mrs. Morris speaks about her desire to rid her classroom of worksheets. Unlike some teachers she realizes they are no longer and effective resource in instruction and is looking at ways to replace them with resources that involve the use of technology. These changes would save classroom space and enable students to become skilled at using technological resources. My response to Mrs. Morris' post is written below.

My name is Tywondra and I attend the University of South Alabama, located in Mobile, Al. I am currently enrolled in EDM310 and was directed to your blog by our professor, Dr. Strange. This post is a wonderful example of a teacher changing with the times. I am 26 years old and unfortunately many of my memories from elementary school involve worksheets. I'm glad to know that teachers are beginning to phase out this type of instruction. I also like that you provided information about things that can be done in place of worksheets!

Blog Post 3

The overall message presented in the video “What is Peer Editing?” is to remain positive! It gave a clear definition of what it means to engage in peer editing, while also offering potential suggestions on how to effectively do so. As explained in the video, “peer” refers to someone your own age, while “editing” refers to helping to improve, revise and edit someone’s writing. The video also provides what can be described as the “cardinal rules” of peer editing. First, begin with compliments. More than likely EVERYTHING was not wrong with the post, so it is a good policy to start by telling your peer what he or she did correctly. Second, make suggestions about how your peer can improve his or her writing. The recommendations should be SPECIFIC and should focus on areas such as word choice, organization, sentence structure and topics. Last, but definitely not least is making corrections. During this step the focus should be on punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Once all three steps are completed you should have effectively exhibited how to edit the work of a peer.

The slide show "Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial" informs us about how to remain positive while editing the work of peers. Keep in mind that reactions can vary when engaging in peer editing and follow the proper steps to ensure effective criticism.

The second video,” Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes” , depicted what can go wrong with peer editing in a very light hearted, innocent way. In the video we learned from a group of young students about things that are NOT helpful when critiquing the work of others. These mistakes can occur as a direct result of not following the three steps to peer editing. The top ten mistakes that occur in peer editing were presented in skit form and showed the types of peer editors and responses one may encounter during the process. From “Picky Patty”, whose purpose is to find every single mistake to “Whatever William” who isn’t responsive to peer editing suggestions, peer editing is a sensitive matter and should be approached with a certain level of etiquette.

Every resource provided gave me more insight on how to participate in peer editing. In order to be successful, both parties should be patient, positive and open to suggestions. Not only were we provided with steps on how to successfully edit, we were also shown examples of how we SHOULDN’T respond to peer editing, as demonstrated by “Emotional Eddy” and “Whatever William”. If I had to offer advice on peer editing, I would tell others “be open to change”! Remember, your peers may have a better understanding of how to complete an assignment and those suggestions could very well help you in your future endeavors.

Blog Post #2

In my opinion, ”Mr. Dancealot” is being a one dimensional instructor. I say this because he is trying to teach his students about dance but he doesn’t allow them time to practice the dances he is teaching them about. He uses PowerPoint presentations to convey how the dances should be completed and expects his students to effectively master the concepts, with no further instruction. Mr. Dancealot then expects his students to reenact what he presented, via PowerPoint, in the ballroom for their final. With no class time allotted for practice, they were left to use only lecture notes to meet the expectations set forth by the professor. During the final, the students expressed how they tried to practice the dances at home but were unsure if they were completing the dances correctly, due to the fact that they received little assistance from Mr. Dancealot. Over the course of the semester, he was not open to suggestions from his students and presented himself as somewhat of a dance instruction dictator. I do not agree with this conclusion, in my opinion, this is NOT an acceptable way to instruct a dance class. The class should have been conducted in an area suitable for dance practice over the course of the semester, not just for the final. Engaging with the students and allowing time to practice would have made the class more enjoyable and would he left the students feeling better prepared and excited about their final.

After viewing ”Teaching in the 21st Century” I gained a new understanding of what it means to teach in the 21st century. Students bring their own set of knowledge, Values, Skills and Attitudes into the classroom and each experience is unique and just as valuable as the next. By placing such a value of the unique experiences of the students, in essence Mr. Roberts is teaching in the 21st century. Long gone are the days of teacher centered education where students were to no more than an avenue by which teachers could dictate. Today, students can offer just as much to the learning process as the teacher and many teachers are inspired by this. If Mr. Roberts is correct it will affect every aspect of me being an educator. Rather than participate in burp back education I would be encouraging my students to utilize the tools available to them to gain the information needed to solve any particular problem. I would be available to answer questions that are not readily available to students but knowing I will not be there to hold their hold will only push them harder to get it done on their own.

With this video, After viewing The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler the author illustrates the need for students to engage in the Connectivism approach to learning. This concept was new to me but it seems as though it is very effective. In other words the author believes that the teacher should not be the focus of the learning process. The concept of Connectivism lets a teacher act more a guide to the knowledge process rather than the education process being teacher centered. Although the teacher is less hands on using this concept the learning process of the student remains a focus. This is evident by the joy expressed when the students encounter new resources on their own. Since Technology is a part of everything we do, it is important to be able to utilize resources correctly and efficiently, which is why I believe this concept is very relevant in progression of the 21st century student. The idea of not using a textbook is not necessarily a new one but has been rare to take courses where text books are not required. This video would lead you to believe that soon, all hard copy text books would be obsolete. Before EDM310 I don’t know if I would have agreed with this approach to learning, but now I am a believer. I personally feel a certain level of gratification when I am able to complete my assignments correctly with minimal assistance from traditional text or my instructor.

The main ideas presented in ”Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts” was that not all students can learn with pencil and paper, not including technology in the learning process would mean excluding many students. Ms. Davis believes every student is capable of learning and she is using technology as a vital link between her and her students. The fact that she was previously recognized for having the best education blog in the world speaks volumes as to what has accomplished with the help of technology. Ms. Davis speaks of many teacher’s fear to explore new things because they have not personally mastered a concept. I think that was an important point to make, because like she said the students can also help the teacher and often feel empowered when they do so. One of the most powerful statements in this video was from Ms. Davis it reminds me on the very essence of EDM310 and the views expressed by Dr. Strange “I don’t have to define EVERYTHING and I shouldn't…they should be thinkers.”

Although the concept of ”Flipping the Classroom” is new to me it seems to offer many advantages to students. It introduces them to advanced technology concepts at a younger age and also encourages critical thinking by allowing the students to watch prerecorded information at home so that their questions will be well thought out when they return to the classroom the following day. Although it is only being used for math, it can be useful for all core curriculum subjects. I don’t know about anyone else but as a child when I asked my mother for help with my homework I was often torn between accepting the help she could provide and following the instructions just as they were given to me by my teacher. Flipping the classroom would enable parents to have access to the same information their child is learning in school, thus making it easier to assist him or her. I think this approach would be very useful to me as a teacher. Especially taking the No Child Left Behind Act into consideration. No two children learn at the same pace so flipping the classroom could serve as a backup tool for those student who may not understand something learned in class.

Blog Post #1

Before this semester began I was told by other students that EDM310 is a very time consuming class. How it was explained to me, EDM310 focuses on self discipline and your grade will be a direct reflection of your efforts. Finally, I was informed that there was zero tolerance for late assignments and that the lack of regularly recorded grades is also an area of concern for many students. Although I was apprehensive about the course I decided to register and find out for myself.

I am apprehensive about many things pertaining to EDM310 but the lack of a structuralized grading system seems to frighten me the most. As college students we are often trained to obtain educational achievement by reaching the bar that is established by the professor. After reading the syllabus and other course related documents it seems that rather than reaching a bar set by someone else we are required to set the bar for ourselves with no regard to anyone else, that in itself can be a bit overwhelming. There is also a fear of being judged. A blog is very personal and is available for everyone to see, that can place an enormous amount of pressure on someone who is new to the concept.

EDM 310 is similar to a few courses I have taken at the University of South Alabama, for example EDF 315. Both classes provided very detailed course information and set very clear expectations for perspective students, especially a zero tolerance policy for late assignments. EDM310 is also very similar to EPY355 in that they both set expectations that a certain amount of time needs to be set aside each week to complete the course work presented to students. My first Bachelor's degree from the University of South Alabama was in Criminal Justice so I have been exposed to a variety of courses. Each course provided a unique set of guidelines and expectations. For instance, attendance was not required in CJ390, alternative dispute resolutions but it is mandatory for certain dates in EDM310. In MA202, Math for Elementary School teachers, all assignments are promptly loaded into Sakai and our current average is always available for review, vastly different from EDM310 where grades are not the focus of the course.

I personally feel that time management will be the most difficult aspect of EDM310. I am a full time student, mother and part time employee with the Mobile County Public School system so it will be challenging to ensure that EDM310 gets AT LEAST 9 hours of my time per week, but it is very possible.

Planning my weekly activities in advance will be the best way for me to address the "most difficult" aspect of EDM310, which is time management. By keeping detailed notes and properly documenting assignment due dates and exams days I will ensure that I can devote the required amount of time to EDM310.

Since grades are not considered important in EDM310 I would like to know how a students knows whether or not they are not meeting the required expectations by the add/drop date. I would also like to know if throughout the semester any extra credit assignments will be available. The best way to address these questions is to ask previous students or directly consult Dr. Strange.

Practice Post

My name is Tywondra Walker but my friends and family call me Ty. I'm 26 years old and have resided in Mobile, Al most of my life. Over the years I have lived in Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia. My major interests include traveling, shopping and learning new things. One could say that the sequence of events that led me to become a student at the University of South Alabama are far from average. I began my freshman year of college in New Orleans,La at Dillard University the same week that Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the city. As a result, I was forced to move back to Mobile, Al and the rest is history!

I am the oldest of two children who are the result of a 27 years marriage. My younger brother, Tommie, is 21 years old and is a Junior at the University of Alabama. My mother is a graduate of Alabama State University and owns a medical billing company here in Mobile, Al. My dad recently retired from the US Navy after 30 years of service and now enjoys a life of leisure. I spend time with him daily and it is something I have come to enjoy very much. Aside from being a sister and a daughter, I am also a mother. I have 2 children, Tiyana who is six years old and Tylan who is two years old. They are my primary focus at this point in my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I want to enter the Education field to make a positive impact on the youth. I originally graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. My goal was to become a Juvenile Probation Officer but after many years of no work in my field I decided to return to College. Although it was not my first field of study I feel that I can accomplish just as much in the field of Education as I intended to accomplish in the field of Criminal Justice. I believe that character is molded at a young age and I want to be a part of the very critical years that can make such an impact on a child's future choices.

Shopping seems to be what I am the best at right now, simply because it is so easy to do! However, I like traveling more than I like to do anything else. I will have pictures available from my favorite pastime ,traveling, in the near future! I would like to get better at learning new things. It is a broad category but for me it includes incorporating reading into my day to day activities and that is something I really want to accomplish.

Although I have lived a pretty interesting life I didn't take my first flight until I was 24 years old! It was a trip to San Diego with my parents and I guess you could say a warm up, because three weeks later I took a 14 hour flight to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. I really enjoyed traveling outside of the United States and if given the opportunity I would live outside of the United States up to 3 months out of every year!

Welcome to my world!

My Test Post Title

This is my first post for EDM310. I am officially a blogger!

My Test Post Title

This is my first post. I am now a blogger!