Blog Post 5 Part 2

Summary of my Personal Learning Network (PLN) (So Far)

In Blog Post 5 Part 1, I learned what PLNS are and how teachers can use them. PLNs are a network of other teachers, websites, blogs, resources, and anything else a teacher can use to benefit their learning. I have begun to build my own PLN this semester and hope that it continues to grow in the future.

Honestly, Twitter has probably been the best resource for my PLN so far. I started following many education-related people and I have found that it is super easy to click on a person or resource article or blog through their Twitter page or tweet. I have created a Symbaloo and although I haven't used it much yet I plan to keep track of different education resources and blogs on it. The school that I observed at this semester, Delta Elementary, has their own Symbaloo of resources and through that I have found many programs that the students are using, like Big Universe and Spelling City. Although my PLN is still small at the moment, I know it will continue to grow in my career.

C4T 4 - Lana Gerrin

For the Love of Teaching

For the Love of Teaching is a blog by Lana Gerrin, a fifth grade teacher in Georgia. In her blog she discusses activities in her classroom and her life as a teacher. I chose her blog as my C4T 4 because I myself would like to teach 3rd-5th grade. The first post, "Five for Friday - Short and Sweet!," outlines five things that happened in her class during Red Ribbon Week. I'm Still Here! discusses her stressful school year.

Five for Friday - Short and Sweet!

In "Five for Friday - Short and Sweet!," she tells of the Red Ribbon Week activities that happened that week at her school. She provides pictures of "Sock it to Drugs Day" and "Dress Like Your Hero Day." She also explains that her students counted pumpkin seeds for their STEM October question "Do you think the number of seeds in a pumpkin is related to the size of the pumpkin?" (The pumpkin ended up having 840 seeds.) In my comment, I related her post to the Red Ribbon Week activities the students at the school I observe at participated in. Delta Elementary also had "Dress Like Your Hero Day."

I'm Still Here!

In "I'm Still Here!," Gerrin briefly reflects on her stressful school year. She has not been blogging as much as she usually does due to her busy schedule but hopes to blog more. She also talks about her students animal oral presentations. To conclude, she provides a note written to her by one her students expressing how much she appreciated Gerrin. Gerrin says she received the note on a bad day, but the note reminded her that her job is worthwhile. In my comment, I mentioned the importance of a teacher's positive influence and how I did a similar animal project when I was in elementary school.

C4K Summary for November

C4K Summary for November

-James is a 5th grade student in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. In his post "What is a citizen !!!," he briefly mentions some facts about citizenship. James says that one cannot be a Canadian citizen until he/she is 18. Someone cannot become a citizen simply by marrying a Canadian, either. He mentions American citizenship and says that American citizenship can only be taken away by law. He also points out that there are less fortunate kids in the world. In my comment, I mentioned that I did not know much about Canadian citizenship but was impressed that he knew something about American citizenship.

-Sophia is a middle school student in Iowa. In her post "future reflection," she presents her reflection art project. The digitized photo shows Sophia facing a mirror with a reflection that "reflects" her dreams: to go to New York City and become a famous singer. In my comment, I told her that I thought she did a great job on her project and that I also wish to visit New York City.

-Charlie is an 8th grader in Minnesota. In his post "Reflection on First Quarter," he discusses his goals for the new quarter. He hopes to be less disruptive and more focused in class and on homework. He also mentions Sacred Writing Time (SWT), a quiet time in class that helps him build his vocabulary. In my comment, I told him that I liked the idea of SWT and wished him luck on accomplishing his goals for the new quarter.

Blog Post 14

What can we learn from "Changing Education Paradigms"?

The TEDTalk video I chose I watch was "Changing Education Paradigms" by Sir Ken Robinson. To make this decision, I clicked on each of the videos and read the description for each one. Although there were many interesting TedTalk videos to choose from, I chose this video because it mentioned an intriguing link between drop-out rates, lack of arts in the classroom, and ADHD. I knew relatively nothing about this link so I thought I would be able to learn more from this video.

In the video, Robinson connects three issues currently facing the classroom: 1) lack of student motivation to attend school, 2) less creativity in classroom work, and 3) the scare of rising ADHD percentages. Robinson looks back to the beginnings of modern education during the Enlightenment into the twentieth century and claims that public education hasn't changed much since then. He aligns the "factory atmosphere" of school to Industrialization. Since we are no longer in the Industrialization period, it does not make sense to expect students to like sit still and like school. Animation runs through the entire video to illustrate Robinson's key points.

While the video did not give specific strategies for teachers to use, I was inspired by different ideas in the video. Robinson says we need to turn away from the factory-like school and go in the "opposite" direction. This means that we as teachers need to base our lessons and methods of instruction off of our students' needs and not our expectations. Robinson also says that a school's culture plays an important role. I will try to make my classroom a place where students feel safe and welcome. I will also encourage my students to expand their creativity and will integrate arts into the classroom through Readers Theatre and other resources.

Another discussion that stuck out to me was the idea of divergent thinking Robinson discusses. While 98% of the kindergartners are considered geniuses at divergent thinking, this percentage decreases rapidly as children grow older (and become more "educated"). Obviously, this needs to change and we as teachers should foster this divergent thinking into our classrooms. When I was in elementary school I was able to be a part of a really good gifted education program. We did all kinds of interesting projects and activities (which ranged from detective mysteries to mummifying chickens) and it was often my favorite part of the week. However, I wish to implement these kinds of projects in my classroom to all of my students. If we want to raise our expectations of students, we must be able to encourage and motivate them in the right ways.

Project 12 Part B

Project 12 Part B
SMARTboard Lesson
MW4 Group 5

Blog Post 13

What can we learn from Teachers of the Year?

1. Ashley Kulik (3:42)
2. Lauren Marrocco (5:22)
3. Whitney Pitzer (4:44)

Answer the question in a post that adheres to the standards found in the ACCRS and in Writing A
Quality Blog Post.

Ashley Kulik, 1st grade: Atlanta Public Schools Elementary School Teacher of the Year 2011

Ashley Kulik is a first grade teacher at Mary Lin Elementary in Atlanta, Georgia. In her Teacher of the Year profile video, she explains that first graders can be taught and can have motivation to learn. She often lets her students work in groups and use classroom computers to enhance their learning. She also emphasizes the importance of building a learning "foundation" for students at the first grade level. I believe Kulik is a great role model for lower elementary grades. She proves that first grade can be a grade of real learning, not just babysitting. She uses games and other hands-on activities to interest studies in what they are learning. She is a great source of encouragement to her young learners.

Lauren Marrocco, 4th grade: New Jersey Teacher of the Year 2012-13

Lauren Marrocco is a 4th grade teacher at E.J. Patten Elementary School in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. In her Teacher of the Year profile video, Marrocco is shown using frequent group and classroom collaboration. She takes part in a brain-based learning professional development camp in the summer, and uses strategies from that experience in her classroom. For example, she makes sure that they can often switch from listening to her, talking to their partner, or talking to their group because research has shown that a fourth-graders attention span only lasts for approximately ten minutes. Her motivation strategies are intriguing and her excited energy makes learning fun for her students. I admired how much her students and colleagues adored her. She always is trying to connect with her students on a personal level and encourages them to achieve success.

Whitney Pitzer, Kindergarten: Plano Independent School District Elementary Teacher of the Year 2014

Whitney Pitzer is a kindergarten teacher at Stinson Elementary in Plano, Texas. In her Teacher of the Year profile video, Pitzer talks about the importance of learning in kindergarten. She uses games, movement, and group work to engage her students in learning. She also frequently tries to challenge her students by probing them to attempt difficult problems. Like Kulik, Pitzer shows that students can really learn at a young age, if taught in the right way. She says that she wants her students to enjoy learning. Her goal is to have her students want to come school each day. I think that is a goal all teachers should strive for.

All of these teachers share some things in common. All use group work, games, and other activities to keep children interested and engaged in their learning. Most importantly, they all also have a positive attitude. They place kindness, respect, and encouragement at a high value in their classrooms.

Blog Post 12

What assistive technologies are available to you as a teacher?

Project 10

Project 10
Interview with Lori Francis (Delta Elementary - Bay Minette, AL)

C4T 3 - Dean Shareski

Ideas and Thoughts

Ideas and Thoughts: Learning Stuff Since 1964 is the personal blog by Dean Shareski, the community manager for Discovery Education Canada. His blog discusses his thoughts on technology in education in addition to other education-related topics. The first post, "Reflection Trumps Connection" discusses the purposes and importance of connection and reflection. In "Smart People I Know Everywhere: Episode 1," he presents his new podcast interview series.

Reflection Trumps Connection

In "Reflection Trumps Connection," Shareski provides a screenshot of the lighthearted debate two of his colleagues had on Twitter about the value of connection and reflection. Instead of contributing to the discussion through Twitter, he decided to write this blog post about his thoughts. While connection is important, Shareski claims reflection is more valuable and says that is why he prefers to write about his thoughts in blog posts instead of 140 character messages on Twitter. He adds that blogs are a great way for educators to reflect on their performance. In my comment I told him that I agreed with him in that Twitter is a connection tool and not a useful reflection tool. I also agreed that it is important for teachers to self-reflect, although I am hesitant to write personal reflections on my performance in a blog. However, I am open to the ideas of recording reflections in a diary or even a video diary. Mr. Shareski replied to my comment and urged me to consider posting my reflections publicly. I replied that I am open to anything that will help me become a better educator.

Smart People I Know Everywhere: Episode 1

"Smart People I Know Everywhere," also known as SPIKE, is a new podcast series Shareski is debuting. In SPIKE, Shareski will interview a "smart person" that he knows about an educational topic. The podcasts will be no longer than five minutes and the first official SPIKE podcast interview will happen in episode 2. In my comment, I said that I though SPIKE is a great idea and I am looking forward to hearing the next podcast. I also liked the idea of a podcast as opposed to a video.

Project 14

Project Based Learning Plan
Third Grade Social English/Language Arts - Storyboard Project

This week, my EDM 310 group created a lesson plan for a 3rd grade English class! The lesson is to help the students better understand the main components of a story and use their imagination and creativity to create a story of their own. The lesson for this is in the Project Based Learning Format where the students will be put into groups in order to create a story using StoryBoardThat.com!

Project 14 Site