Blog Post #10

What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy?

            What can we learn from Mrs. Cassidy? As educators we know that everyday bring something new that we can learn from. One of the most wonderful resources teachers have is available almost all of the time are their fellow teachers. Mrs. Cassidy is a first grade teacher. After watching First Graders in Mrs. Cassidy’s Class- “Little Kids Big Potential”

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvPZtTej0jQ&feature=player_embedded) I have observed just how easy it can be to put technology to use in the classroom each and every day. In her class she used a number of different things. For example her first grade students use Skype. Skype is something that I am not very familiar with but I have used once.  It is truly amazing that first grades use these types of thing that I, as an adult can barley use myself.  After watching the entire video and thinking back to all of the things I observed I feel that EDM 310 is truly a blessing. Mrs. Cassidy uses a lot of things that we use in EDM right now. They use blogs and video programs plus many other forms of technology. These first graders and Mrs. Cassidy has truly amazed me!

                   

                                                        

https://uhethics.wordpress.com/category/student-blogs/page/2/

                 

After watching and exploring all of the clips “Interview with Kathy Cassidy” I have learned so many wonderful things. She shares so many techniques on how to incorporate technology efficiently in the classroom. One that stood out to me was Student Blogs. I believe that this one in particular is my favorite. The reason that I feel this way towards student blogs may be because of EDM 310.  This technique is something that I have learned how to do hands on as a student each and every week. So I feel that learning more about it from Mrs. Cassidy’s videos just opened my eyes to the wonderful benefits student blogs have.  One of the most wonderful things about it is the way it provides a creative outlet for students to express themselves.  Writing is such a great thing for student and can be so beneficial to their school experience. Another wonderful thing I learned about student blogs is that is helps the teacher learn about each individual student. This is one of my favorite things about blogs.  It can be somewhat challenging to teachers to learn and get to know each student past just their name, family, academic ability and, general interest. But as teachers getting to know each and everyone of your students is one of the most special and important things. So student blogs are a perfect thing for both teachers and students.

C4K Summary

C4K Summary

C4K #5

Period 8 Alfonso

http://mrsmaslowski.edublogs.org/

         For my comment for kids number five my students name was Alfonso. Alfonso had just recently added a post about Kevin Hart. The main idea of his post was dedicated to Kevin Hart for being a successful African American actor and comedian. His assignment was to write about someone successful for black history month. Alfonso talks about what movies Kevin has been a part of and how hard he has worked to become successful.

My Comment

Hello Alfonso
My name is Shelby Jemison and I am an elementary education major at the University of South Alabama. I am currently taking a class called EDM 310. In EDM 310 one of my assignments is to explore student blogs. I have really enjoyed reading over your blog. I am not very familiar with Kevin Hart but what you have written about him is wonderful . I do recognize his as an actor but I had no idea that he had accomplished so many other things. Your blog post is great!

Thank You
Shelby J.

 

C4K #6

Period 6 Emily

http://mrsmaslowski.edublogs.org/

For comments for kids number six I was assigned to a student named Emily. Emily is a high school student and her post is about ways to get through high school. This post was specifically created to help future high school students. Emily talks a lot about learning not to stress. She explains how at first the school seems very large but once you get the hang of locating your classes you will see that the school is not as big as it looks. Emily seems like a very bright you lady.

My Comment

Hello Emily,
My name is Shelby Jemison and I am an elementary education major at the University of South Alabama. I am currently taking a class called EDM 310 that is teaching us about incorporating technology in the classroom. One of our assignments is to explore student’s blogs. After reading your blog I feel that you are a very bright student. Your writing is wonderful and I love the advice you have shared with future high school students! High school is such a wonderful experience and I hope that you continue to enjoy it !

Thanks
Shelby J.

 

C4K #7

Marcy D.

http://kidblog.org/MrsLsAwesome7thgradeclass2014-2014/

 For comments for kids number seven my students name was Marcy. Marcy wrote her blog post about her spring break vacation. Marcy tells readers that her mother plans a trip to Europe every year for students and parents on spring break. She tells us all about her trip to Europe and how much fun she has. She even explain that she could not decide on one particular thing that was her favorite part of the trip. Marcy tells us that she loved every part of her trip and had a great spring break.

 

My Comment

Hello Mercy
My name is Shelby and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am an elementary education major and currently taking a course called EDM 310. EDM 310 is a class that all education major has to take. This class teaches us how to incorporate technology in the classroom. One of our assignments is to explore student’s blogs. I love your post! I have never been to Europe or anywhere out of the country really but I would love to go someday! It sounds like you had such and amazing experience over spring break. It is also very cool that your mother is the adult that plans these amazing trips each year. After reading your post it I now want to visit Europe even more. You are a wonderful writer. Keep up the good work!

Thank You
Shelby J

http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1016247/when-should-kids-learn-to-type 

Group Project #9

Blog Post #9

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

            After watching all of the videos on teaching using project based learning I feel that I have gained a lot of great and usable information. I believe that every classroom should be a fun yet educational place for children and teachers to learn. Bellow is the fun things I learned and plan on using in my future classroom.

What Motivated Students?

            In the clip “What Motivated Students?” it talked about how essential it is to motivate your students and some ways that you can implement it in your classroom. For most of us (educators/future educators) it seems like a silly thing to have to be reminded to give your students positive feedback. But, are you giving positive feedback enough or in the right ways? This video explains that it is extremely important to students to receive positive feedback from their teachers. They explain that it is the simplest things that mean the most to students for example just leaning over and telling a child that he/she is doing a great job while they are working independently or simply writing “Great work” on the top of their paper. These are the simple things that motivate students that teachers should always keep in mind. Because when students are motivated in their school work it rubs off on teachers and they become more motivated too. Another simple thing that teachers can do in their class is to help students create goals. This clip tells us that students who set goals are more motivated because they want to accomplish their personal goals. So having your class at the beginning of the week or even the year set some personal goals in the classroom could help boost the motivation throughout the classroom. One last thing that most educators use the most frequently as motivators are rewards but, depending on the grade level and age of your students can help you determine what the most suitable reward should be in your classroom. All in all I enjoyed this clip and found it very refreshing!

Project Based Learning for Teachers

            This clip was wonderful and very resourceful on the topic of project based learning. Throughout EDM 310 I feel that I have learned something new every week that I love about project based learning. I have learned the 7 most important things/guidelines for project based learning.

SEVEN ESSENTIALS FOR PROJECT BASED LEARNING

1.     Launch projects with an entry-event that engages the students' interest and raises questions 2.     Ask a driving question. This needs to be open-ended, complex, and linked to the core of what you want your students to learn 3.      Give the students a chance to show their voice and make choices for the projects. This could be in the form of them choosing how they want to present or providing them with a list of driving questions to choose from so they can choose the one they like best. (an example of how fun projects can be when you let students choose, watch: Two Students Solve the Problem of Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap) 4.     The process of doing the project should give them real-life skill practice such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking skills, and the use of technology.     - Read about Ten Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration in Project Based Learning 5.     The driving question should lead them to discover new questions and find new answers about the subjects as well. 6.     Provide the students with feedback. Students can critique each others' work using rubric's they made and the teacher can get experts or adult mentors to provide feedback as well as the teacher meeting with each group to make sure they are on the right track. 7.     Make it public and have a real audience. It is more fun and meaningful when a project isn't just another grade but instead to present a real problem and solution for a real audience.

After finishing the video on “Project Based Learning For Teachers” I have also learned that teachers should always have a purpose behind each and everything they are doing in the class and group students together. I feel that while I am in EDM 310 that just by being a student in the class where this type of learning is implemented it has truly shown me how wonderful and powerful this type of teaching and learning is! 

C4T #2

C4T #2

EDUCATOR	BLOG TITLE	WEB ADRESS
Jennifer Brokofsy	Building A Culture of Wonder: Inquiry in Primary Education	http://jenniferbrokofsky.wordpress.com

Teachers Blog Post Summary:

            I was assigned Ms. Jennifer Brokofsky’s blog. The title of her blog is “Building a Culture of Wonder: Inquiry in Primary Education”. The blog post I commented on was titled “It’s Been Awhile… Lessons Learned as a New Administrator”. Ms. Jennifer Brokofsky posted this particular entry on 23/03/2014. The main topic of this post is thing things she has learned during her first time as an administrator. She was previously a second grade teacher and is now a vice principal. In her introductory paragraph she talks about all of the excuses she could have made for herself or example, the fact that she was finishing her master’s degree during this process or that she has been very busy with her family but she chooses not to. She explains that she is a finally back to blogging after quit a long break because she honestly couldn’t get all of her thoughts together. But, now that she has organized her thoughts she wanted to start blogging again. She goes on to talk about all of the things she has been going through like, having too often change her plans for the benefit of her students. She talks about many things and comes to the overall conclusion that she is now and forever going to be driven by her students instead of the other way around. Now, that she is the VP instead of just a small group of children in her classroom “being her kids” she now has 153 children to look after. What I loved about her post the most was one thing that she has in bold. Ms. Jennifer Brokofsky the VP wrote. “I don’t always know what to do (and am now not afraid to admit it).” –http://jenniferbrokofsky.wordpress.com The reason I love this particular comment is because as a future educator I know that I will not always know what to do in every situation (especially at the beginning) and for a VP to share this was completely refreshing.

My Comment:

Hello Ms. Brokosfky

My name is Shelby Jemison and I am an elementary education major at the University of South Alabama. One of my favorite comments you have made in your post above is that you do not always know exactly what to do and that you are not afraid to admit it.  As a future educator I know that especially my first year of teaching I will often find myself unsure of what to do. After reading your post it has honestly made me realize that I won’t be able to jump in and know everything. You have truly inspired me and I hope that I have a VP and wonderful as you! Your post is truly a breath of fresh air!

Thank You

Shelby J. 

Blog Post #8

What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From Randy Pausch?

            After viewing Randy Pausch’s video I feel that he has taught me so many new things about teaching and learning though a somewhat short clip. Although he does go over some concepts and strategies that I am more familiar with he also opened my eyes to many that I have never even thought about. Below is a list of some of the new concepts that I have learned from Randy Pausch.

   Creditability

      It is FUN to have an audience

      Take things to the next level

      Be realistic

      The importance of PLN’s

      Not to set the bar to high for your students

Although Randy Pausch went over things more common like organization . He also talked about many other concepts that I would like to share. First Creditability, he shared with his students many stories from his personal experience to help students learn. But, he did something that I would have never thought about that I believe made a big difrence to the students. He brought in photos and props for example a large teddy bear he had won. These props made his story much more creditable making it easier for students to learn. Another concept was It is FUN to have an audience, meaning children love to have others witness and see what they are accomplishing/ learning. In relation to this course technology opens a world of opportunity in creating and audience for students. Students have access to an extremely large audience just by using the internet. Another perk of sharing their work on the internet is to get some positive feedback from viewers. Being Realistic is something else Randy talks about in his video. Being Realistic to some seems like an easy task but with much younger children in lower level classes such as kindergarten or first grade it can sometimes become difficult. Randy explains that being realistic is important when going over thing because it help viewer to trust what you are saying/teaching. He also goes over the importance or PLN’s. We have already posted on the topic of PLN’s once in this class but by Randy going over it once more truly shows just how important PLN’s can be. Randy explains that even at a time where he was an educator in a top position he still needed the help of his mentors. This truly helped me see that PLN’s are not just for the beginners or the young educators but for all educators. One of the last concepts that I really stuck out to me in Randy’s video was when he talked about not setting the bar to high for students. I feel as educators that sometimes we tend to set the bar to high without even realizing it. In this clip he explains that by setting the bar to high disables students. By disabling your students you might cause them to never truly see their own true potential. So this concept was very important and I feel that I from this point forward I will stop and consider if I am setting the bar to high. I would never want to keep my students from reaching their full potential.

            After reviewing all of the wonderful things I have learned from Randy Pausch’s video I feel that as I move forward to become an educator I will think about all of these things. I loved that his clip truly opened my eyes to many things that I have never even thought about.

 

Project #7 Part B

Parent Video

Student Video

C4K

C4K Summary

Students Blog Post Summary 1:

            For my First C4K I was assigned Alondra. (http://kidblog.org/MrsWeilsFourthgradeFroggies/f737ba0a-fad7-4b4f-bc0a-9237ec8437f9/winter-weather/#comment-167) Alondra’s post was about winter weather. She tells viewers that she loves winter weather because she gets to play in the snow but, does not like winter weather when all the snow gets into her shoes.

My Comment 1:

Hello Alondra
My name is Shelby Jemison and I am a elementary education major at the University of South Alabama. I am currently taking a class called EDM 310. In EDM 310 we are learning all about technology in the classroom. One of my assignments is to explore student’s blogs. I love what you have written about winter weather in your post. I live in lower Alabama so we rarely get to enjoy snowy weather. I am super jealous that during the winter you get to play all day in the snow! I could only imagine that having to deal with snow always getting in your shoes would be a down side to your winter weather. I loved reading your post! It was great!

Thank You
Shelby J.

Students Blog Post Summary 2:

            The second C4K I was assigned was written by a student names Tyler. (http://kidblog.org/class/MrBoylens2014-158thGrLAClasses/posts/p438886:1865#comments) The title of his post was called “New Pets”. He wrote about how he has saved a Skink and turned it into his very own pet. He talks about where he found his skink under a log pile and how he is now taking care of this skink. He also talks about how his new pet lives with him and his other pet turtle in his room now.

My Comment 2:

Hello Tyler
My name is Shelby. I attend the University of South Alabama and I am an elementary education major. I am in a class called EDM 310 and this is a class where we learn about technology in relation to teaching. One of our assignments is to comment on a student’s blog post. After looking over all of your blog post this particular one caught my eye. I am an avid animal lover! I personal have four dogs. One of my dogs is named Bentley whom I found and rescued. I think it is great that your pets you also found and saved. I believe after reading you post that you are doing a wonderful job taking care of them! This shows true responsibility. I enjoyed reading your post!
Shelby

Students Blog Post Summary 3:

            My third C4K was http://kidblog.org/HartmanCenteno/2764ccc7-782c-4095-8e02-735c0ed105b2/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-the-long-haul/. The students name was Hilton and the title of his blog post was “Diary of a Wimpy Kid the Long Haul”. Hilton is sharing in his post what happens in the book “Diary of a Wimpy Kids the Long Haul”. He tells us that the father in the book buys a boat for the family’s summer vacation. This post explains the relationships in the book between children and their parents.

My Comment 3:

Hiton

My name is Shelby Jemison and i am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am an elementary education major and hope to someday become an elementary school teacher! I am currently taking a class called EDM 310 and one of my assignments is to explore students blogs. I have really enjoyed reading your post. I have never heard of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid the Long Haul". This sounds like a wonderful book! I think it would be a perfect book to read over the summer after reading about Greg's dad getting a boat for their summer vacation. Great work on your post!

Shelby J.

Students Blog Post Summary 4:

My Forth  C4K was http://per3steve.edublogs.org/2015/02/13/valentines-day-vs-friday-the-13th/#comments. The students name was Steve and he was in Mrs.Maslowski’s class. The blog post was about the irony of Friday the 13^th and Valentine’s Day. Steve wrote about how the love that surrounds Valentine’s Day over rules the negative vibes of Friday the 13^th.

My Comment 4:

Hello Steve
My name is Shelby and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. My major is elementary education and I am currently taking a class called EDM 310. The purpose of this class is to teach future educators how to use technology in the classroom. One of my assignments is to read a student’s blog post. After reading your blog post “Valentine’s Day vs. Friday the 13th” I feel that you are a very talented student. First, I love the topic of this blog post it is something that I have honestly never thought about. I couldn’t agree more with you opinion on this topic I also feel that Love will always over rule just about anything. Second, I believe that you are a very deep thinker and this is evident throughout your post. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog post you are a very creative writer!

Thanks

Shelby J.

Blog Post #7

How Do We All Become Learners?

This week in EDM 310 our blog assignment was to watch 10 different videos. The overall theme of almost all of these clips was technology in the classroom plus Project based learning (PBL). After viewing all of these videos I feel that I have an entirely new outlook on technology in the classroom and PBL. Through out this course I have learning an extremely large about of helpful teaching concepts that involve technology. Plus I have learned about the wonderful benefits of project-based learning. Both of these concepts were almost entirely new to me as a student and as a future educator. Written bellow is the major highlights of what I learned after watching the assigned videos.

Ginger Tuck, GSES Kindergarten- IPad Centers (2:23) IPad in the Reading Center: http://youtu.be/iezQjGbTpm0

            This clip is a video about a teacher who uses Apple IPads in her reading center. Most of the time the reading center in a classroom is a special spot that the students are allowed to go and read independently. This teacher allows the children to use the IPad to record themselves while they are reading. Students place the IPad facing them and record videos as they read allowed in the reading center. The teacher explains in her video that this allows students to then watch the video and observe any mistakes they may have made. This way the students are able to work independently while being able to self observe and correct, while the teacher stays close to encourage. This is forsure something I would love to be able to do in my reading center.

Poplet as a Center (4:07) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ophlZhs2s4

            Ginder Tucket created this clip. She is sharing with views a wonderful resource for children to use while reading. This app called Poplet helps students to better understand and remember what they have read. Students read independently then use the ipad to access Poplet. On Poplet the child creates a digital document to jot down specific details they remembered from the book. This app also allows them to add pictures. This app is also helpful with the students typing skills. I loved the idea of this app!

           

Alabama Virtual Library as a Kindergarten Center (4:02) http://youtu.be/wvgz8efzKLA

            Ginder Tucket also created this clip. She shares with viewer how she used the Alabama Virtual Library to help her students grow as learners. Through out the week the students are learning a variety of different things. So she explains to use how to get onto the Alabama Virtual Library and pull up the elementary school edition. She then tells us about how her students access this website and research words that correlate to things they have been learning about. This website makes it easy and fun for the students to do individual research on the things they are learning about as a class.  What I love about this the most is that the Alabama Virtual Library provides the elementary edition making it easy for children to use plus providing safe and kid friendly information.

Using IMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten July 7, 2014 (8:05) http://youtube.com/watch?v=IRNvyhTmcck

            This is a video that shows Dr.Strange and to Librarian/Media specialist that are from the Baldwin County school system, one being from Daphne elementary and another from Gulf Shores Elementary school. This clip is teaching us about the combination of the AVL and IMovie. The educator from Gulf Shores Elementary talks about how kindergarten students use IMovie. IMovie is something that I have just recently learned about in EDM 320. In this clip is shows how easily 5 and 6 year old children use this resource. I am honestly extremely impressed with their ability see that I had trouble using this resource just a week ago. The educator from Daphne Elementary School shares with us how students use Alabama Virtual Library without any problem at all and how it is teaching the students the basics of research.

We All Become Learners (7:18) http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5TAWgwv904

            This is also a clip that has Dr.Strange and the

two-librarian/media specialist from Baldwin County. This is a video that they are sharing with viewers about technology in the classroom. The entire clip explains how well children understand technology and how easily they are taught by using technology in the classroom. One of my favorite parts of this video is how it shares with us that students teach teachers. I love how teachers not only teach children but children often end up teaching teachers everyday as well.