Blog Post #10

Ms Kathy Cassidy is a 1st grade teacher in Canada who took the time ti interview and give us some pointers on using technology in the classroom. Ms. Cassidy has been using technology in the classroom for about 10 years now. She primarily uses a classroom webpage, a class blog and skype in her classroom. Here are some answers to some of the questions many people ask about technology usage in the classroom:


What resources do you use to get started? Kathy received some grants and utilized professional development classes. Both of these are good resources for financial support and for help in expanding your personal knowledge about using technology.

Who benefits from this? Parents are able to keep up with their children's progress. Kids get to use what they already love to do their learning and also gain very important skills such as safely using the internet and collaborative learning. So in short, EVERYONE BENEFITS!

Why use the internet? Students have an unlimited audience and a constantly growing PLN.

Why be technologically literate? Technology is not going away! You can learn about technology the same way you are teaching, through a PLN! Search blogs, skype, Twitter and any other website that sparks your interest then turn around and apply it in the classroom! Learn and teach!

How often should I use it? Your time availability will depend on how many students you have. Use it once a day or once a week, just use it! The more you do the faster you will get and the more time you will have to learn new things with the technology.


I would like to set up a class webpage with safe links to permissable webpages. I will certainly use a class blog to display my students' works to the world. If I run into the issue of not knowing enough I will expand my PLN on Twitter and Blogger and I will attend professional developement classes. I will teach my students technology and they will teach me technology and we will show the world what we have learned!

I have provided links to the video interviews if you would care to view them yourself!

1st interview

2nd interview

3rd interview

C4K October

Raeylne's blog post was about dealing with rude people in the world. Sometimes it is tempting to be rude back. I left her a comment encouraging her to stay strong and continue to be nice even when it is hard! Raelyne's post was very cool because it is about problems you face in everyday life!

David's blog post was a theory, or prediction, about a book the teacher assigned. He had a pretty great theory about a grandpa with a gold fish that never dies! I left a theory of my own about a princess kissing a goldfish and what it turns in to! This post was very fun and creative!

Madisyn' blog post was a description of a picture she was looking at. It was a picture of a wedding with a horse a carriage and flowers! She mentions that upon looking at the photo she thinks that she might like to be a bride too! I left her a comment tell her how well she did describing it and that I hope there is a carriage at me wedding too! This was a good example of art and technology in the classroom!

Rosalina's blog was about her worksheet she is doing in class on cardinal directions. Her teacher's aide is helping them learn this standard! My commented telling her how much I love maps and traveling and how essential knowing the cardinal directions are!

C4T Jenny

In Jenny's first blog she embeded a video that talks about dying and regrets. Jenny took her family to live abroad in London. Her time is almost up and she reviews the things she and her family have learned over the course of their time. Needless to say, their time in London is not time the Jenny will regret! My comment was about how important I think it is for children to travel and understand/love othe cultures. I find it hard to regret time spent with the people you love! Check out her blog and my comment here here!

In the second blog Jenny talked about "green-lighting" ideas and how unnecessary it is in our day and time. Homemade videos go viral everyday and none of them were green-lighted before they were posted. I commented and told her that I love the post. It was very interesting, exciting and true. Jenny posted a link to a very interesting video that talks about how those videos go viral. Check it out at Greenlighting

Project #12

Blog Post #9

So, what does project based learning involve? Project Based Learning involves seven key components:

1. Need to know:
-entry event(anything that gets students attention such as videos, pictures, etc.)

2.A driving question:
-cause a "brainstorm"(allow them to discuss in the classroom)

3.Student voice and choice
-ask them open ended questions(give them the option of proposing their own solutions and researching them to see how they stand)

4.21 Century Skills
-collaboration, communication, critical thinking, technology use

5.Inquiry and Innovation
-don't stop asking questions(allow one question to lead you to the next)

6.Feedback and revision
-allow them to critique one another

7.A Publicly Presented Product
-exhibition night, show-and-tell, whatever works best for you and the children

You have to know what motivates your students to do well. You don't, however, have to be a mind reader! Other teachers are good resources but why not ask your students directly? Check out this video of kids answering that exact question! Motivation and Reward Systems

Project based learning is obviously a far superior approach to teaching than lecturing. It's more fun and effective for students and teachers alike. But, it isn't the way teachers learned. We didn't have these awesome technology tools or this manner of teaching and it is very foreign to us. No need to fear! This website provides you with ten different sites to help you get started!

What does project based learning lead to? In North Liberty High School solved the "watery ketchup" problem by designing a new ketschup bottle cap! Project based learning DOES effect the community if you allow it to! Teachers are no longer need to lead, we are needed to guide. Guide the kids to their own unique potential with project based learning!

Blog Post 8

Source: pintrest.com

There is a lot to be learned from Randy Pausch's Last Lecture He speaks about childhood dreams and how to achieve them while helping others achieve their's along the way. Childhood dreams are too often forgotten. I have always thought it a good exercise to write them down. I have my top five goals/priorities written on a piece of paper and taped to the back of my door so that everyday before I leave the house I will see them. I think knowing what your desired destination is makes mapping out the trip a lot easier. It is good to have plans but when it comes to dreams Randy Pausch teaches us that they don't ever happen the way we thought they might.

Source: pintrest.com

You have to be flexible and durable to overcomes the challenges between you and your dreams. Trials will always arise. Trials are simply misunderstood opportunities. They are the opportunity to show the world that you really and truly want to overcome. Accomplishments are born out of hardship. If there was nothing to work through then it wouldn't be an accomplishment it would just be a circumstance, a road side stop. It's when you have to work for it that it begins to be valuable. If you'll notice, no one is ever commended for breathing. It's something that comes naturally and requires no extra thought to do. However, when some experiences an asthma attack, then breathing becomes an accomplishment. It becomes something that is no longer easy to do and is therefore admirable. That is what I got from Randy Pausch's last lecture. Chew on that for awhile!

Source: pintrest.com

Blog Post #7

These days technology seems to run our social lives. With apps like Spotify, Skype, Facetime and many more we should never be bored again. Having apps like this outside of the classroom is fun. But, having apps like this inside the classroom is not only fun but extremely beneficial!
With audio recordings you can let your kids record themselves reading aloud so they can listen to themselves and see if there were errors. You can access library websites to get audio for the kids so that even on their own they can experience someone reading to them. Technology allows us to take learning to a new, fun level! It is important that we learn to use it properly so that we get the full use of it. Here are the sources I learned to utilize technology with:

QR Codes

iPad Reading Center

Poplet Reading Center

Library Center

In order to be a teacher we have to remain a student. We are all learners! We all have things we can learn from one another. There is always someone with the answer is the student. You should always encourage an environment of respect so that everyone gets a chance to show what they know. They just may know something you don't!


provided by blog.florent.com

Project #7

Student Video

found on pintrest.com

Parent Video

found on pintrest.com

Project #13

This lesson provided by:
Author: Courtney Lawson
Organization: 0

Lesson Plan ID: 33543
Title: Map Drawing
Overview/Annotation: We will have several "stations" for the groups(4 per group) to go to learn map vocabulary, search for specific maps assigned to them and provide a picture of the map for the class to see and finally draw a map of their own with a legend.
Content Standard(s): SS2010(2) Living and Working Together in State and Nation 6. Identify states, continents, oceans, and the equator using maps, globes, and technology.

Local/National Standards:
Primary Learning Objective(s): Their legible map
Additional Learning Objective(s):
Approximate Duration of the Lesson: 31 to 60 Minutes
Materials and Equipment: Large blank paper to draw maps on
Markers to draw map with
stickers to use on map and in legend
Technology Resources Needed: computer
Background/Preparation: Prepare map vocab worksheet
make a list of the continents and assign them to groups
assign groups
Procedures/Activities: Station 1: Whole class at this station all at once. Push group member's desks together and provide them each with one vocab worksheet and make sure they each have their social studies books and/or dictionary to look up meaning of each word.
Station 2: Each group will get one iPad and be assigned their continent where they will looks up photos of the continent and save the picture in the project file on the iPad(labeled Map Project Continent photo) and name the photo the name of the continent.
Station3: Everyone will be provided with their own sheet of paper and markers to share amongst their group and have to draw a map of any place(real or imaginary) with a legend

Attachments:**Some files will display in a new window. Others will prompt you to download.
Assessment Strategies:
Extension:
Remediation:

Each area below is a direct link to general teaching strategies/classroom accommodations for students with identified learning and/or behavior problems such as: reading or math performance below grade level; test or classroom assignments/quizzes at a failing level; failure to complete assignments independently; difficulty with short-term memory, abstract concepts, staying on task, or following directions; poor peer interaction or temper tantrums, and other learning or behavior problems.
Presentation of Material
Environment

Time Demands
Materials

Attention
Using Groups and Peers

Assisting the Reluctant Starter
Dealing with Inappropriate Behavior


Be sure to check the student's IEP for specific accommodations.
Variations Submitted by ALEX Users: