Sunday, February 22, 2015

Blog Post 6

After watching the conversations with Anthony Capps, I learned about a lot of what goes in to being a teacher. Anthony Capps is a 3rd grade teacher in Gulf Shores. He covers using technology in the classroom well, saying: "Don't Teach It, Use It." The students learn over time how to use technologies such as iMovie within a few weeks' time. He incorporates technology in the classroom because of the rapidly hanging methods of learning. He teaches the students by letting them use the technologies themselves instead of teaching a step-by-step guide on the SmartBoard. I learned from this particular conversation that even though they don't get it right away, they can eventually use these technologies in their learning process and reflect on their projects.

When hearing him discuss iCurio, I had never heard of the program before. The idea of a search engine specifically for students is a great idea to keep students focused on the research material. With iCurio, the student can learn how to properly and safely research a subject. Another great feature is that it has a storage space for students to keep tabs on what they have searched and what they need to successfully complete a project. I will certainly use this search engine with my students in the future.

The final thing I wanted to write about was his video "A Day in the Life of a 3rd Grade Teacher", I knew before watching the video that being an educator is a lot of work, When Dr. Strange made a statement about people being educators going into education because they "love children", I thought about myself in that moment. When people ask me that question, that is almost always the answer I give them. After Capp stating that he had 16 hour work days, a lot of work being done away from the classroom, I thought to myself about how difficult it is to be a teacher. It was very eye-opening to hear what it's like from a "new" teacher.

Anthony Capp had a lot of great things to say, and I suggest going to watch these conversations yourself!


Thursday, February 19, 2015

Blog Post Assignment 5

What is a PLN?

A "PLN" is a "Personal Learning Network" used be teachers to be continuous learners throughout their lives. There are several different types of PLNs. A PLN can be a resource for your learning, whether it be a person, a book, or a website.

How can they help you as a teacher? 

A teacher must always be learning. That should be a phrase that all educators should believe in. It's like Glengarry Glen Ross, only for teachers. When an educator has a reliable PLN, they can use the resources that they have to educate themselves and in turn educate their students They can learn new and innovative ways to teach lessons, as well as read up on the latest educational articles.

How are they formed?

PLNs are formed by collecting sources of data you can always come back to. Blogs, books, even people can be good sources of information. Your PLN will suit your needs, and what you need to keep learning in your field.

How can you create your own PLN?

I can start by adding the EDM 310 Blog to my toolbar, so that it is at my fingertips at all times. That way, I can report to the blogs for different new ways on looking at a subject. I can also add the EDM instructors and assistants to my contacts, in case I ever have a question.

EDM 310 Sentence Part A

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Blog Post Assignment 4

   In order to be able to effectively ask questions as a teacher, we have to realize that we do not have all of the answers, Our students must believe this however, so that they can have a figure they can count on when they do not have the answers themselves. Even though students see us as a source for the answers, we must know that we are not a endless source of information. As such, we must know how to ask others for guidance, whether it be a new method of teaching, or the teaching material itself.
     According to "Ask Questions to Improve Learning", you must keep the goals of the course in mind, You must also avoid asking questions that in a way provide their own answers. If they are these types of questions, it does not give the student the opportunity to think on their own.  Keep the questions specific, and be sure to ask one question at a time to keep the students on track ("Ask Questions to Improve Learning, 2009).

Asking Questions to Improve Learning


C4K Summaries

   I had the pleasure of reading Antonio F's blog from "Mrs. Weil's Fourth Grade Froggies!" In the particular post that I commented on, he talked about how hard it is to write when you don't have an idea. When I commented, I told him about how whenever you're stuck, you can always try different brainstorming activities. I hope that he will read it and I will help him in some way!

Antonio F's Blog!


My second blog post is from the Hartman/Centeno Readers in Pennsylvania. I read Ava's post on the JFK assassination. She discussed the details about the assassination and wrote in the post that the details of the murder were "gross" and "scary". I commented and told her that her post was written very well with little to no mechanical errors, which is more than I can say for a lot of college students! I didn't tell her that part, of course. I also told her that I agreed that the murder details were rather gruesome!

C4T Summaries

                                                      The Adventures of Library Girl 

          In the blog titled "The Art of Listening", she explains that she collected data by asking a group of people on the first day of school what they want from their school library. The data collected showed that they want an improvement of the space, the atmosphere, and "suggestions focusing on the purpose of the library"("The Art of Listening", 2014). She explains that she needs to take these things into account and better improve the teacher and the student's experience in the library.

         In another post titled, "27 Ways to Make This The Best Year Ever", she lists the ways that teachers can improve their experience throughout the year. She took her examples from several different instructors. She was so pleased with the results, she decided to do it again. She says that she has in a way "gone back to school", in that she has learned many new things in the ways of teaching.

The Adventures of Library Girl



Jenny's Learning Journey

                      In the blog post that I read, Mrs. She was talking about her students taking to the technological assignment and being proactive with it. One of her students showed great enthusiasm on the subject. She was taking the skills she learned from the lesson and doing something on her own. That, to me, is what being a teacher is all about. I commented on her blog saying that I loved her story, and that being an educator means teaching a child to prepare to rely on themselves successfully.


Sunday, February 1, 2015

Blog Assignment 3

                         I watched a few tutorials and a very humorous video on how to properly edit a peer's work. I learned that when you are peer editing, you have to remember that it is not a way to insult someone's work. When editing you must understand the difference between constructive criticism and just plain criticism. Editing can also be a way to make suggestions to your peers to improve their post, whether it be relating to the content or to the mechanical aspect of the material.
                         In the video "Writing Peer Review Top 10  Mistakes", there are many different ways you should not peer edit. You can be to picky, rush through, go off topic, and many other ways. When watching this video, I noticed that at one time or another I was one of the people they were naming. like a "Picky Patty" or an "Off-Topic Oliver". Now that I have met the ten people who you should never be when peer editing, I'll look at each blog post and think to myself: I will just be Victoria. And Victoria will compliment, suggest, and politely correct.


Tutorial Peer Editing

Writing Peer Review: Top 10 Mistakes

Sunday, January 25, 2015

EDM 310 Blog Post Assignment 2

I. Mr. Dancelot

              The central message of this video was that when teaching something that requires repetition and practicing with the whole body, it needs to be taught as such. The teacher in the video only showed Powerpoints and when he demonstrated the footwork himself for the dances, he stood behind the desk so that the students could not see. The conclusion made sense to me in that the students were confused on which dance they were supposed to be doing, and they did not have to proper practice with a partner. When a teacher does not teach their subject properly, the students will suffer academically.

II.  Teaching in the 21st Century

I, Main Idea
   A. The main argument of this video was which was more important: Learning facts and content or learning skills.
       1. He presented a few skills or life knowledge such whether or not to buy or rent a house or which credit card deal is best.
     
    B. He also discusses how the world of education is changing rapidly because of technology.
        1, Because of the Internet, endless amounts of information can be accessed anywhere at anytime, practically by anyone.

    Robert sees teaching as a rapidly changing profession, and we as teachers must adapt to these changes. I agree with him in that we need to become more technologically able so that we may be able to use these things in our educating methods. In doing this, we can connect to students on a more modern level. I also agree that students need to be taught skills as well as facts. Knowing the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed is as important as knowing how to change a a flat tire.



III.  The Networked Student
        The creator of the video was discussing how the educator who followed to rules of connectivism is still considered an educator even though the Networked Student learns outside of the classroom. The student learns through podcasts, blogs, and connecting online with students and professors in the same field. Though he learns this way, the teach points him in the right direction and helps him when a problem is presented.
         My reaction to this video was that the teacher, although the learning process was different, is still considered the educator for the course. She answers the students questions regarding how to discover the content he needs for learning what he needs to learn for the course. Though she is not educating on the subject itself, she is still helping guide the student.


IV. Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts.

       In the video, the teacher presented the argument that not all students can learn using just paper and pencil, and that using technology can expand their potential. I believe that using technology and and teaching students how to use it is very important. I especially liked when the teacher said that she did not know how to use terraform until her students taught it to her. The idea that the student can educate the teacher has always been one of my favorite ways to teach.

V. Who's Ahead in the Learning Race?

     After watching the video, I believe that the elementary students are ahead the learning race. They are ahead because of the integration of technology in the classroom. They are doing things such as learning to use Google Docs and record and edit small movies, whereas undergrads and even graduate students are not fully capable of doing so. I am an undergrad in the learning race, and the elementary students have learned a lot more about technology in their seven years of living than I have learned in the past several years as a college student.


VI. Flipping the Classroom

      "Flipping the Classroom" refers to learning the lesson at home so they are prepared for activities the next day in class. I have never heard of this process before watching the video. Though I understand that the process aids in integrating technology in the classroom, I have always learned a different way. I feel like it is an unrealistic expectation of young students to sit down at the computer and fully absorb the lesson without any sort of visual demonstration or face-to-face contact with the teacher. If the teacher is only giving out activities instead of teaching the material as well, that does not make her an educator.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

EDM 310 Blog Post Assignment 1

              When I registered for this class, my adviser let me know that the course was "easy, but it's very time-consuming." I then heard from other students, asking if they had taken the class yet. Their eyes would widen, almost like an involuntary psychological response. "Oh," they would say, "I hated that class. It was so much work." They would tell me about the all-nighters they would pull on several different occasions, the endless cups of coffee that they drink just to keep their eyes open long enough to write fifty more words and hit the "Publish" button. This made me very apprehensive about taking this class, though knowing it was inevitable for my major.
                Now that I have read the syllabus and have an understanding of what is to be expected of me, I know that my biggest problem will be with deadlines. I have always been a procrastinator. I even waited to last minute to be born twenty-two years ago. In order to fix or at least keep this issue at bay, I will have to set up a calendar for myself, making sure I set my personal deadline earlier than the deadline on the syllabus. If I make myself work early, I will keep the impulse of waiting at bay. If I do this, I will do just fine.

EDM 310 Practice Blog

Blog Post Assignment 1

I. Me
      A. My name is Victoria Johnson. I am in my 4th year at the university of South Alabama as a K-6 Education major.
      B. I have been working at Tillman's Corner Veterinary Hospital for almost a year now as a veterinary assistant.
     

II. Why I Want to Be an Educator
     A. I have always wanted to be a teacher
          1.  Growing up, instead of playing "princess", I played teacher.

III. What An Educator Does
      A. An educator molds the minds of children and helps shape a new generation.
          1. I feel like that is the most important job in the world because it helps build a foundation for a               better world when we are gone.

IV. My Passions
      A. My passions include music, live theatre, and sign language. I hope to incorporate them in my methods of teaching.







                     My name is Victoria Johnson, and I want to be a teacher, I am in my fourth year at the University of South Alabama. When I am not at school, I am a veterinary assistant at Tillman's Corner Veterinary Hospital. I love my job very much, but I have always felt a pull to teaching. When most little girls were playing "princess", I was playing teacher. I have always felt like being a teacher was the greatest thing you could do. As a teacher, the person is molding the future, teaching children what it means to change the world for the better and giving them the skills to do so. And I just thought: "How could someone not want to do that?"
                      I have a lot of passions in my life. I love playing the piano and singing in the concert choir at South Alabama. I also have been doing community theatre around Mobile for three years, and I enjoy every second. The most important of my passions, at least when it comes to my field, is American Sign Language. I have been studying ASL for two years, and plan to continue with my education with this beautiful language. I want to teach deaf children, or maybe be an interpreter for a student who is in a mainstream school. In order to show you all of my passions at once, here is a video from a performance on Saturday Night Live. The performer Sia sings one of my favorite songs while a mime is interpreting the song through American Sign Language.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/739051