Blog Post #16- Final Reflection

Blog Post #5 Part 2

At first, I was uncertain of the importance of PLNs. Then my PLN basis began to grow. Not only do I have Symbaloo to thank for kick-starting; but, through my observations I have been able to connect with varieties of educators. Mobile County Public School teachers, especially those from Baker High School are helping me shape my future as a teacher. The English department as well as other teachers from different subject fields. Most notable are three teachers that I observed: Mr. Rice (History), Mrs. Barbosa (English), and Mrs. Gladen (Marine Biology). These teachers have shown me a variety of lessons that are highly successful and have encouraged me to keep going on my quest. Teachers from other states and countries from our C4T assignments are being added to the list as well. Mrs. Miller from my interview with a teacher assignment is a great person for technology and its many usages in the classroom. This exercise is great to collaborate with teachers from all backgrounds, regions, and countries to see what works and what doesn't. This will prove to be a key tool in the future for my classrooms to provide viable sources to present to my students and to help drive home the lessons. EDM 310 has turned out to be the most interesting and resourceful class thus far in my education courses. It allows me to connect, collaborate, and create new things and opportunities for not only myself but the students I will one day have the honor to teach.

C4T #4

Eva's Blog


Eva's first blog post that I commented on was a poetry post. She was teaching a lesson to her students and she felt that it was unsuccessful being that some of her students require special help in order for them to learn.

This is a piece from this post:
"I had a very disappointing lesson the other day and when I arrived home I thought what I could do for them to realize or do something for themselves until the next fork appears on the road they had chosen. And I decided to go to the class with a poem. Yes, I chose The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost as I thought with a little help, they would be able to understand the poem and we’d be able to talk about our decisions. To sum up, it was a great lesson. We all enjoyed it and I think they also revised their decisions or their attitudes towards their choices."

This was my response:
"I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I am a Secondary Education/ English major. I am taking EDM 310 and have been learning about technology and students. However, it is the students that are the key part of our careers. In order for them to want to learn we must show them that we care and will do everything in our power to help them reach their goals even when they don’t see their true worth at times. Giving students the motivation they need to push forward is a skill set I wish to attain to be a better teacher for them. I really enjoyed your post and what you are doing for your students. Plus, I love Robert Frost. Thank you for your time."

Eva's second blog I commented on was a fun one. She made a game for her students and had them breakup into teams according to their grades on the previous exam. This made the students work as a team to complete this complicated but fun way of playing 'telephone'. She got this idea from one of her PLN's and it proved to be successful.

Here's my response:
"Hello again,
My name is Kelia Fagan. I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I loved how you made this a game meant for the students to work together. As well, using your resources in order to improve your own classroom by taking away something positive from someone else’s classroom."

Blog Post #14

Teaching can be a profession by Joel Klein

Issues:

• Seniority
• Professionalizing teaching

Solutions:

• Giving more options to families in regards to schools
• Using more technology
• Starting school for kids earlier than age 5
• Adopting a knowledge based curriculum

1. When Mr. Klein was asked what he would change in schools today he responded with four key points. The first, families are entitled to more options and it plays a major role in how students are educated. Parents will not always chose convenience or the closest in proximity to their home. Parents was the schools with the best ratings and reputations. Next, technology is a growing necessity for teaching and learning in the classroom. In EDM 310, as well from the many speeches from Dr. Strange, students are not going to learn the same way we did. The technological world changes rapidly an advancements are made daily. Students and teachers need to have access to these technologies to better the learning environment. Then, schools need to adopt more knowledge-based learning for students. This provides a more content based learning and gives the students more opportunity to gain the mot out of their lessons. Lastly, starting students in school before the age of 5 has already been enacted in schools around the world and has proven to be worth it for their growth. The schools doing this are adding lessons into their daycares. It is an optional thing for parents with that option. These are all of the issues Mr. Klein has stated that exist in the education system today.

2. Professionalizing teaching is another point he wanted to touch on. Holding teachers to the same standard that doctors and lawyers are held to would improve the overall environment and performances out of teachers. A way to make this even better he stated that the top third from the graduating classes should even become educators. Just having a degree in education should not be the only deciding factor in becoming a teacher. This would showcase the educator who strived to be the best and bring the most knowledge to the table for their students. Personalities of teachers matters as well. A teacher should be humble and outgoing with their students to have better more content based interactions. He even made a note about teachers' rewards being changed.

3. Seniority is a major problem in the education system. I agree wholeheartedly. The effectiveness of an educator is not always determined with the years of service they possess. The "Police" system from Shanker I do not believe would solve the problem. Testing teachers on an aptitude exam to get the job wouldn't solve this. Educators have to pass our own exams before even leaving our respected universities. I believe the depth of a teacher's lesson and how they bring it across to a classroom with an evaluator in the room would bring about a more fruitful tell of their teaching capabilities.

Conclusion: Some ideas, not all, could propose an option towards bettering the education system. I believe teachers are not given the respect or professional respect that doctors and lawyers are given. They are treated less or as a not so serious profession due to the lack of high pay they receive. One thing my parents (both teachers) always told me, "You never become a teacher for the pay. You become a teacher because you have the drive to improve the lives of the youth and leaders of tomorrow. You want to make an impact on the next generation." I don't believe seniority should play a factor when looking for a job. Only the most qualified educators should be employed.

C4K November

1. Kurt's Blog Post: "I made my costume out of a black coat, tape for the machete on my back, some filet knives, and a ski mask." He then posted two computer made pictures of himself in a trading card and his alter ego.


My response:"Hey Kurt,
I'm Kelia from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I am in EDM 310. I love your creativity of your character. You did a great job!"


2. Brandon's Blog Post:

"South Dakota Trip

My trip to South Dakota was the best trip ever. We got to see more bison than you can imagine. It was better than most of our camping trips. I know that all of my family had a good time. We also went to Reptile Garden and hold a snake and see some giant tortoise. We also got to go to a cave and see these cool crystals. But my favorite part was to go running about one mile out in the Badlands. That night we slept at this campsite and it rained on our tent and my mom kept pushing me in the puddle while she was asleep. This was my favorite vacation because we got to see so much and go and have fun."

My Response: "Hey Brandon, I am Kelia Fagan from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I am taking the EDM 310 course.

I remember going to South Dakota in high school! It was a magical place untouched by time. I am glad you were able to make those memories there. Very good blog post.

Keep having wonderful adventures!
Kelia Fagan

 

Both students were able to make the best of their situations and be creative to learn. One students used technology to help him be as creative as possible with his project. The other students was able to separate completely from technology in order to make stronger memories with his family. Whether you're using technology or not students are able to be creative with the tools they're given in order to gain as much as possible from their environment.

Blog Post #13

What did I leave out?

Over the course of this semester Dr. Strange had the EDM classes utilize a number of technologies to better the education of our future student. The technologies ranged from Blogger, Smart Boards, and iPads as well as a variety of other technology. For my area of study, Secondary Education specializing in English I never thought before that technology would play such a big role in my classroom. Before this class I believed that my students would merely read from books, discuss, put pen to paper, and type their assignments on Word Processor. However, through the course of this semester Dr. Strange has presented new technologies that would be resourceful when considering certain types of lesson plans or even to just enhance the lesson as a whole. I do not believe Dr. Strange left anything out more so that he focused mainly on Mac products which I did not mind, I was at first unfamiliar with. I think that I would use the following three products most in my classrooms due to the importance of project and team based learning and how the two can enhance English Education.

Padlet: Padlet allows students to post on a wall to create and collaborate. The students could in turn elaborate ideas from literature readings. Take a group quiz. Or even practice vocabulary and definitions back and forth. As well, if a student couldn't come to class they can log in and add to the discussion even from home.

 

 

Popplet: Popplet is another great resource I can use with my students. Here they can use an interactive word web and add ideas or thoughts with their group to better understand the central idea. This can be used in literature studies, vocabulary, or even with grammar usage. This is a fun collaborative tool that can help students formulate ideas and keep them organized.

 

 

 

Google Docs: This is by far my favorite technology to use. It is helpful to see who is working on the document as a group and who is not participating. This app allows you to make a presentation much similar to PowerPoint and share it with either your teacher, other students, or publish it to your blog. Google Docs is a great way to never lose your work as well. You can save it to your drive and either email or share it with your teacher so that you do not lose points for leaving either your flash drive or hard copy at home.

 

 

With these tools along with many others that continuously are being made and innovated I can enhance and further engage my students so that they won't be taught the way I was. This way they will be more effective learners and will go out into the world with not only more knowledge but with skills to help them in the future.



 

Bog Post #12 Part B

C4T #3

Post #1The first post I commented on was about Mrs. Morris's quest to stay in the education loop. She had a young child and was not able to be in the classroom. She also explains the importance of a learning community to help one another out in and out of the classroom. She goes on to explain how important blogging is much like the blogging we do in our class. Here is my response to her blog post:
Hello Mrs. Morris!
I thoroughly enjoyed your blog. It did get me thinking about the family life and balancing a career as well. I am a Secondary Education/English Lang Arts Composite Major with a minor in Military Sciences at the University of South Alabama. I am currently taking EDM 310 and it has given me opportunities to visit real people’s blogs and take a peek into their lives to help myself reflect on my own. Thank you for your time.
Kelia Fagan

Post #2 Here my teacher expresses the importance of quality reading for her students. Her main focus is primary; however, all teachers strive to better the reading capabilities of their students. The site goes on to talk about how students are able to read fluidly on the iPads and how it greatly improved their reading skills. Other technologies have proven fruitful in helping students advanced self regulated learning abilities. This is the comment I posted to her page:
Hello Mrs. Cassidy, my name is Kelia Fagan. I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I enjoyed your post immensely. I have never heard of Epic. However, using Kindle and other technologies and products to help improve the reading capabilities of children is remarkable. I have learned about numerous technologies that can greatly improve the outcome of students’ performances in my future classrooms. This is all thanks to the great roles models like yourself I have come across through this class and its projects.
Thank you for your time, Kelia Fagan
From these two teachers I have found a number of uses for technology in my classroom that will better the learning environment as well as students' abilities.

Project #10

Blog Post #12

Blog Post #11

What can you learn about teaching and learning from these teachers?

Back to the Future: Mr. Crosby Mr. Crosby compares the education children have before they reach his class as constricted. He uses tools such as Blogs and heavy internet access to broaden the spectrum by which students explore and enhance their knowledge. His students maintain blogs-just as we do-posting videos, links, activities and other tools to broadcast their knowledge. His students accessed and created Wiki pages to integrate them into their projects. This gave them different perspectives and had them analyze the driving question in depth. A recurring statement by the teachers we've read about before is the extreme positive impact leaving comments does for his students and others. This motivates them to want to excel in everything they do to receive the accolades they long for. The main thing I would take away from Mr. Crosby is that Project Based Learning (PBL) truly helps students learn more and that collaborating through technology is key for greater success. This is extremely helpful for students like Celeste. She has leukemia and due to this horrible ailment she is not able to always attend class. With Mr. Crosby's in depth involvement with technology she is able to interact in ways she otherwise would not have been able to. She does not get left in the dark or behind and is able to feel as normal as possible when dealing with her disease. Technology is changing our world in more than just education, it is changing children's lives.

Blended Learning: Paul Anderson Just as we assume what the future should look like with hovercrafts and flying cars this video Mr. Anderson portrays what most believe the future classrooms should appear as. Classrooms, he says, will be collaborative strictly through mobile online classes that will integrate directly into everyday life. Mr. Anderson goes through the "e's" of the learning cycle: evaluate a question, engage, explore, explain, and expand after the answer and continue to push the envelope of the question. Putting these two concepts together you in turn attain blended learning. To entice the students the teacher-instead of asking tons of questions-show a video to capture the students and get the wheels turning so that they are the ones elaborating. Students will perform lesson diagrams and then go into a review section. Lastly, they will have a summary quiz. The quiz will be a touchstone to see if the students are ready to move forward or need more practice with the subject. When finalizing the lesson you will give the students and test using pen and paper. Using Mr. Anderson's blended learning will help integrate technology and establish a great system to use when formulating lessons.

Building Comics: Sam Payne Sam Payne is a fifth grade teacher who understands the importance of internet safety and introduces to his class by way of your beloved neighborhood Spider-Man. He challenges students to be digital citizens and recognize the overwhelming power they possess when they have the internet at their fingertips. He has his students create a digital superhero. By using their laptops they are capable of completing this task. They create comic books and they analyze technology structure. They will then peer review their classmate's works. This idea Mr. Payne brings forward is a great collaborative and technologically safe project that still follows the guidelines of his lesson.

PBL: Dean Shareski These two teachers from Canada found a way to incorporate two lessons into one by way of technology. They particularly used it as a means of feedback on their English and History lessons. They concurred that students learn more when utilizing more subjects at the same time through technology. The lesson play did its job of helping expand the students' thinking.

Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program The video first reiterates the meaning and importance of PBL; it's collaborative and students work together to solve real world issues. Student's are encouraged to speak publically early on. This helps deter fear of public speaking that some adults still battle with to this day. It creates more responsible learners that self-motivate and strive to do better because they want to. PBL's push students to be more independent; but, they must still know how to work together, communicate, and solve problems. It is an adaptive style of learning that helps students in all subjects do better. It is a better way for students to learn due to the fact that it keeps them interested and interactive so that they are not stagnant. Every student has a curious streak and PBL shines a light on it.

Project #14

In this project my group collaboratively came up with a special education lesson plan. It is centered around mathematics, mainly counting coins. Together, Group #3 came up with a week's worth of activities to introduce, practice, and master counting coins. We were able to connect the project to a life skill as well. Day one, we will introduce money and its values by use of the catchy Money Song. On the next two days students will be provided with Worksheets to practice on as well as iPad Games to play. On day four students will use the skills they've learned and play a Grocery Shopping Game, this shows the connection of learned materials and life skills. We found this game and we agreed on it solely for the capability it has of changing its levels of difficulty which helps in a special education classroom due to its variety of special needs students. The final day of this lesson will end with a collaborative project where the students will get into groups of four. The students are given "$20" ($5 a piece) to work as a team to spend less than $20 on their "Grocery Shopping Trip". This will be formulated on an iPad by the instructors so that it is accessible to all students. After they complete the project towards the end of class students will be able to cash in their good behavior money they have accumulated throughout the week for a prize from the treasure box. This is a great way for students to utilize the skills they've learned while being appreciated for their good behavior. According the class size or variety of students, accommodations would have to be made in order to complete the lesson. When beginning the lesson I must first think of my students and whether or not it would be a plausible lesson for them and the outcome in either a large or small classroom.

Calendar
Project Design Overview
Rubric

Blog Post #10

First Graders in Mrs. Cassidy's Class

A Summary of the Videos: The students are fond of writing in their practice books; however, they prefer writing on blogs. This gives them the opportunity to showcase their hard work. It is rewarding to them when they have their very own family members comment on their posts. The students get the opportunity to grow and improve their writing skills via public blog pages. With these blogs the kids use it as a sort of online portfolio that shows their progress. A very strict rule that the kids enforce themselves is that when commenting you must be nice. The students organize all of their collective blogs on a class blog like our own in EDM 310. Another tool they used were Wikis, when the students didn't know something they looked it up and found the information themselves. They also utilized Skype in order to converse with students around the world.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Overview:
Mrs. Cassidy's videos provided an abundance of information about the usefulness of blogging as well as the importance of having a strong and sturdy team. She has had a successful 5 years blogging with her students. The parents especially like that it broadcasts the students hard work they also are able to keep tabs on their progress. Another great point is that it becomes more hands on with technology and enticing than the usual pen and paper. When thinking of the most important aspect of a blog for the students, Mrs. Cassidy says that they need an audience above everything else. With an audience, students then are more inclined to push themselves to perform better. My favorite little tool Mrs. Cassidy uses with her students is the cluster map tool. It shows the students where in the world people are viewing their blog to show them their impact. The lessons you are able to cover with the use of blogging are reading, writing, videos, and commenting. The use of research via the web is a wondrous tool for students. Mrs. Cassidy was asked if "Teachers need to be Technology Literate?", her response was "Yes, technology is here to stay". The growth of technology today provides bigger and better outcomes in the classroom. Using online networking new teachers can connect and advance together. Twitter is a very useful way to do so. Mrs. Cassidy says that we should always keep in touch through technology. She goes on to inform you that you should go where your interests are. This way you are educated and interested in the conversation and are able to comment and start a network amongst similar minds. She uses the term "piggybacking" which may sound negative but put into context it is not cheating off of another's works. It's a collaborative learning process using technology as its medium. A major issue she addresses which is privacy and safety. She teaches her students to not put out their last name, pictures of themselves, and to be aware of what websites they are visiting.

My Classroom:
Mrs. Cassidy definitely has a lot of great insight for future educators. In my classroom I will definitely use blogs so that students can broadcast their written works and view their progress. As well, we will use Skype. Possibly in order to Skype an author or even students around the world to teach each other about different cultures. The teachers and other experts can solidify my lessons and help drive home any subject matter we may be discussing at the time. The class as a whole can think together on a driving question to start a research quest and a discussion. I would also use Wiki so that students can research and collaborate with each other.

Project # 12

Blog Post #9

What can teachers and students teach us about Project Based Learning?

Seven Essentials for PBLs This article gives the reader two main perspectives to focus on: one that it is a meaningful task and two that it is truly an educational project. The site breaks it down into seven parts.
1. A Need to Know: This is where the teacher entices students about the project. This in turn causes the students to want to find out more about the task at hand. The teacher would do this through videos, field trips, reading an article, or handing out a newsletter. Like the first paragraph to a great paper this grabs the attention of the reader-students-and leads them towards learning more about the task.
2. A Driving Question: The teacher gives an open ended question to the students so that he or she can mull it over while doing their project. The site compared their driving question to a thesis which was a clearer analogy for me to grasp.
3. Student Voice and Choice: This piece stated that students should be given the free range necessary to utilize tools and sources to fully express their knowledge on the subject.
4. 21st Century Skills: These skills are collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and technology. With these tools-the same ones we use in EDM 310-the opportunities for different and unique outcomes are endless.
5. Inquiry and Innovation: This is a culmination of little steps used to answer one big question in the form of a project. Teachers can utilize this to answer extra questions along with everyday questions with project based learning.
6. Feedback and Revision: This is a great time to use rubrics so that students know what is expected of them. As well, peer reviews can come into play so that students can grade themselves along side their fellow classmates.
7. Publicly Presented Product: This step gives the students the opportunity to show their pride in their work. They are able to broadcast their hard work to their peers and teachers. This list of 7 is helpful in remembering steps in project based learning.

Project Based Learning for Teachers The WHAT to projects are the Common Core Standards. The ideas that make up a project and understanding are the HOW. Technology opens many doors for PBL and is a huge role in the classroom. PBL is a greatly shared idea across many websites. With it being connected to countless other sites it provides opportunities for students to branch out and explore new venues for knowledge. My favorite key point with PBL is that teachers are not there to "spoon-feed" or "hand-deliver" information. We are here to provide them with the tools and skills necessary to complete complex tasks and questions. Every student should be able to follow a rubric for the project, know the purpose of the project, be able to work in groups, adhere to the deadlines, have a process to complete project, and provide a product at the end.

Project Based Learning in PE I never thought PE could achieve project based learning activities until I read this interesting site. Using PBL helped students learn more about their bodies and were able to achieve this knowledge and pass it along to other students. This lesson adheres to NASPE as well. Through the awesome use of PBL students were able to question, analyze, and design a PE class of their own. This goes to show when following the steps for PBL it can be utilized in any subject!

What Motivates Students Today? This video is truly my favorite. The responses from all of the students are genuine and are reminders of why we are becoming teachers. It's to better a future for them. Not just a brighter future for ourselves. Giving students the proper tools will help them excel and exceed past the goals they originally thought they could never reach. Positive reinforcement is very helpful in reminding the students what they are working very hard for.

The Ketchup Bottle Case This is a cool article about students who came up with their own everyday problem and a driving question to push them towards a solution. By using PBL, their hard work paid off and now these two young students are very well known for their interesting accomplishment. They are a prime example to students and teachers everywhere that PBL is a highly effective tool in driving students towards more intense education.

Blog Post #8

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture put me in a state of awe. He explains that no matter your situation you can reach the goals and dreams that you set for yourself as a child. The "head fake" is a funny concept where students learn more than they perceive they are learning. Also, he goes on into stating that those that oppose you, your critics are your best allies. The critics will inevitably motivate you to work harder. As many teachers and mentors have taught me before, "if no one is critiquing you, you're not doing it right". He goes into talking about his life and a few of the obstacles he had to face. Many of which are troublesome and yet he never gave up on his dream and his path. His dream fulfillment factory is another fun concept. He incorporates technology to drive learning forward. With technology it opens more opportunities for advanced learning. Randy Pausch truly represents a true believer in Project Based Learning alongside the strong use of technology.

C4T Summary #2

Blog

In Mary's Blog she goes into Multi-genre projects and her inevitable success with this form of Project Based Learning. She uses this approach to have students analyze their own opinions and viewpoints of literature pieces or even their own works thoroughly. With this they are able to justify anything they have stated and this exercise provides them with more practice. Students have to validate and research their topics and create an annotated bibliography as well. This is also more fun for the teacher because she in turn doesn't have to read the same old boring research papers over and over again. However, she did state the changes between a smaller sized class versus and larger sized class and the success that went along with it. Though it was difficult at first for the larger classroom she was able to adapt and provide a more educational and fun experience for both her and her students.

My response:
Kelia Fagan said at 8:02 pm on October 5th, 2014:
Hello,
My name is Kelia Fagan I am an EDM 310 student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I have never completed a multigenre project. However, it just makes sense. I love how you brought real world easy tasks such as making a “to-do list” and incorporated it to a series of events in a rough part of the story. I truly believe this helps the students analyze a difficult series of emotions and compartmentalize them into a list that is simplistic yet thorough. I enjoyed your blog today. Thank you for your time.

Blog Post #7

Strengths: Creativity, Discussions, Open-mindedness

Weaknesses: Attentiveness, Technology, Time Management

In order to become a more efficient learner I need to organize my time wisely. Then, I will be able to read up on tough subjects I need help on. I will also be able to put in practice time using proper technology in order to advance my learning capabilities. This will keep me moving in the right direction when it comes to integrating old and new knowledge with the help of technology.

How to Make a QR Code This is a quicker way of recording audio similar to that of an MP3. It is a very useful tool for teachers to record their voice for book reading lessons so that the students can re-read the book. The teacher's voice then becomes a comfort and tutor to the student when they want to go back and read over the story. iPad Reading Center is a way for students to record themselves reading via the video recorder on the iPad. With this at their disposal they are in turn capable of watching themselves read to watch if they need to improve on certain words or if they are improving. AVL Alabama Virtual Library is a portal by which students log on to help them search for numerous things safely. With this site they are able to use search engines to find pictures, articles, audio recording, and a lot more about their own topics. Discovery Education is a site where students create a profile with a user name and password. They are able to make personalized boards on this site by adding: title, design, and videos and images. The consolidates and group of lessons into one major activity. This is a fun tool to use because it reverses the roles of students and teachers providing an opportunity for students to proudly display their new found knowledge. Board Builder This video is an interesting view of children in the classroom today with new technology. These students were given many avenues and portals to retrieve their information. The students are using far more technology that most college students. Board Builder Project This is another Board Builder Project done by students at Gulf Shores Elementary. They are utilizing PBL (Project Based Learning). With this technology the students were able to incorporate their passion to help the community and the internet to improve their knowledge on vocabulary words as well as creating a presentation. All in all it was a wonderful display of young learners expanding their knowledge via the countless possibilities that technology possesses. iMovie and AVL in this video Dr. Strange interviews two media specialists, Michelle and Elizabeth. They explain their experience with kindergarten teachers introducing iMovie process to their students. The same book trailer project we did in our class, they did as well! With AVL they are able to teach proper ways of research. It is a free site and it provide plenty of knowledge for students to use. Everyone is a Learner This is another video with Michelle and Elizabeth. This video truly speaks to my favorite part of teaching. "Everyone is a Learner", students become teachers, teachers become students, and knowledge is reciprocated continuously. They also mentioned Padlet. Another item that we are using as well as the younger students. Overall, it is a great video reminding teachers it is okay to be the learner as well.

Project #9

Project #7 Part B

For Parents



For Students

Blog Post #6

1. Project Based Learning Part 1 Project based learning has a unique audience. It is effective when it involves the community and is purely driven by content. In order to be effective, students must be able to learn all along the way. Anthony used a prevalent topic on women in combat arms to drive discussion in his social studies class that led to writing to their congressman. This is an effective and interesting way to get students involved and thinking. The students were ecstatic about their project because it had content and was centered in the community.

2. Project Based Learning Part 2 The children were assigned particular cultures such as Haiti and Afghanistan for their next project. This project was used for a Science lesson. This project brought up the usage of tools in order to complete the assignment. The students were to write a and star in an iMovie production told as if they were an child from Afghanistan. They pulled pictures from the internet to put into their project as well. Students used different mediums for their project; food, warfare, religion, and fashion were a few mentioned. One student's father served in Afghanistan and felt uncomfortable having their child participate in the project. Anthony gave the student an alternative project to be sympathetic to the parent's requests. From this video I learned that with the right tools students will prove to you that their capabilities are endless. They will always supersede your expectations and exceed limits. As well I learned to always remain flexible for my students in case a problem arises so that no one is left out.

3. iCurio Baldwin county uses this function. It is a search engine that searches text, audio, video can be saved. Like most search engines students will have their own login. It also has capabilities for storage so that they can save their items. Along with providing a spot for storage for both students and teachers it also organizes items in the search engine.

4. Discovery Ed This tool gives students visual pictures. Since, a "picture is worth a thousand words", students are able to retain more information with visual aids. Students can also look at videos and this site is good for all kinds of research. It welcomes other educators into the classroom by way of video to help students learn about subjects they may be interested in but their teacher may not be familiar with.

5. Addtional Tips A collective point that Anthony and Dr. Strange agree on is that teachers learn for fun, on their own time, like a hobby or a pastime. Teachers are then able to become more driven and excited about many subjects by presenting fun and innovative projects for students. Hard work becomes rewarding for teachers whereas others may think it's tiresome. Being creative for teachers becomes secondary and they should be flexible. Like my favorite line of the Army's Warrior's Ethos, "I will never leave a fallen comrade". This is very important to think about in the classroom as well. Never leave a child behind. Find ways and topics that interest them.

6. Use Tech Don't Teach It Technology is abundant in everyday life and it is exciting. The young people of today love technology and it should be taught in everyday curriculum. It is beneficial and is easier to grasp for students when you introduce it by creating an assignment where it is relevant. Dr. Strange made a comment in the video-as well as in class-that the 3rd graders mastered and learned iVideo and iMovie faster than his EDM 310 students. This may very well be a fact being that they grew up in a technological world with all sorts of devices whereas the older generations did not. Growing up, my generation was scuffing up their knees where the younger generations grew up playing games on their parents phones or other electronic devices. Things are changing; however, it isn't necessarily bad.

7. Additional Thoughts The last video of the series Anthony states that your lessons should consist of four layers. 1. To ensure you've met the standards for your curriculum make sure you cover all topics within your allotted time. 2. Unit Size, make note of the importance of some lessons over others and break apart into proper efficient lectures. Week, how effectively are you using the school week you are given? Are you being flexible and getting things done on a day to day basis? 4. Daily Learning, this is the evaluation of the collective knowledge children learn everyday. Collectively this is a good group of questions to ask yourself when reflecting and moving forward on your lesson plans.

Project #13

For this week's project, our group decided to make our lesson plan for a 9th grade Drama class. The lesson is a comparison of the Shakespearean classic, Hamlet, and Disney's The Lion King. In the lesson it is required of the students to research the two pieces in order to create a presentation to the class to display their knowledge. To introduce the subject to the students we will start off with a pre-quiz to test their knowledge. Next, they will conduct research. From their findings students will create their own screenplays to portray a particular scene that shows a strong comparison between the two. They will create their play on iMovie and present the final edited version to the class at the end of the week. After all presentations have been viewed the students will take a post-quiz so that they will grasp how much they have learned since the beginning of the exercise. I think this will be a fun and interactive way for students to utilize technology and to learn about a play that may be difficult for them to grasp by comparing it to a movie they know all too well.

Rubric
Overview
Checklist
Calendar

Project #8 Book Trailer

Project #7

Project #3

Blog Post #5

What are Personal Learning Networks? (PLN)?
It is a series of people who interact to form a network of continuous learners. It is an informal setting that creates a learning community that derives knowledge and experience from each other. Even though it is informal learners do tend to connect with other learners of the same subject matter.
How can they help you as a teacher?
It provides quick, instant, and various viewpoints of the same subject to broaden perspectives. The interaction helps show to students and teachers that there are different ways to coming to the same conclusion and gives more opportunity for students to grasp it whereas they otherwise might not have. Dr. Strange explains it well by comparing it to a "stream...you can dip into it, and it keeps on flowing" Dr. Strange PLN. He gives several examples of different kinds of PLN's.
Using his examples to begin formulating my PLN forum I found another site that will assist me, Symbaloo. I set up a free account through Facebook and began to explore the site. I toyed with the background and started "liking" sites that I use frequently and personalized my information.

I am really interested in moving forward with PLN's. I believe they will be a fruitful option to provide and discover new sources of information for both my students and myself.

Search Engines

1. Wolfram Alpha this search engine helps you compute equations.

2. Find An Astronomy this search engine helps locate information about astronomy.

3. Poem Hunter this search engine will help you locate quotes, full poems, or poets.

4. iSeek this search engine I really enjoyed because it has access to many lesson plans, activities, or projects. It is a safe and regulated website so that it provides the best services for teachers, students, caregivers, or administrators.

5. Ref Seek this search engine helps provide a series of approved sources and citations such as encyclopedias, text books, and web pages.

6. duck duck go this search engine provides private search capabilities.

7. dogpile this is a compiled search engine that allows several different styles of searching.

8. Bing this is a quick and efficient search engine that allows numerous options when it comes to finding information. fairy love

Blog Post #4

The dialogue between students and teachers is the focal point of the classroom. This becomes the catalyst for progress to push students forward in analyzing, inquiring, and formulating educated responses when trying to solve a problem. Methods are used so that teachers have the right tools to instigate further discussion on the subject at hand.

A favorite of mine would be CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 when relating back to discussing and analyzing two opposing views of literary pieces. This allows students to ask questions to help them grasp the differences.

Another would be collecting information from various sources. This would allow students to practice active research on a number of search engines, venues, or literary findings and would broaden their spectrum of information. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9

With a variety of ways teachers are given to ask questions this opens many possibilities of diverse reasoning and problem solving from the students.

Neutron Star, Google.com

Blog Post 3

Peer evaluation has never been a strong suit for myself. However, the blog and the slideshow truly helped cut out the "meat and potatoes" of evaluating and gave me three simple rules:
1.) Compliments: it is too easy to be brash when evaluating someone else's work. Find something positive and boost their morale and want to improve their works.
2.) Suggestions: giving your peer suggestions is easier than telling them what to do or how you'd do the assignment. This accomplishes more than berating their work.
3.) Corrections: when getting down to the actual mistakes be specific as to solve the exact issue they may have instead of giving your peer a run-around.
Paige Ellis' Blog Assignment #12 In her brief summary of the assignments, Ellis made it clear that constructive criticism is a needed and appropriate thing to endure within the classroom. The guidelines by which this was to be completed were very clear on being fair, clear, and concise with wording.
I heavily enjoyed Writing Peer Reviews Top 10 Mistakes with the children acting out the typical wrong responses to peer reviews and expressing how this simple process can go awry due to failures in communication. It is the teacher's job to ensure that all of the students understand and are well equipped with the tools and skills to properly complete assignments.
This will be an exemplary tool to use when completing group assignments. With a firm grasp of using peer review skills properly I believe my group as well as myself will make great strides in the class.

Blog Post 2

1.) The overall theme to this video is that not only learning styles are different; but, teaching styles must be adaptable to the subjects to have the highest efficiency of retention by students. I do concur with his views being that English, my area of focus, is becoming more and more difficult with the technological advances that take away from pen to paper writing. As well as lack of writing skills the face to face, verbal communications portion of English courses is vastly changing due to technology changing the way people communicate both in and out of the classroom. I do believe that his example of "What Not To Do" was a good one. I would never agree with not preparing students with the essential tools in order to complete tasks and tests of knowledge that I am responsible with conveying to them.
2.) Roberts infers about "What it means to be a teacher in the 21st Century?", I believe his main focus is engaging with the students along with making it challenging as well as relevant to the young learners. With all of the growing venues that make technology and portals within it the first source of information as opposed to teachers and other educational forums it is a growing struggle to maintain validity of information as well as proper citations that could lead to piracy or other plagiarism issues. I believe Roberts is adamant about adapting to the change in education and that others should heed the issues it may bring because of the easiness of access everyone has to the internet. As an educator I will have to adapt and engage further with students so that they feel challenged and the assignments remain relevant in the changing world they are accustomed to.
3.) The networked student still needs a guide to rummage through the piles of information they will be faced with when searching for answers to their inquiries. It is the teachers job to direct and teach students about the venues by which they can move towards their goal. I enjoyed this video I concur with their views. Though depending on the school's resources it may or may not be difficult for the students to achieve.
4.) Davis is trying to make a more technologically forward community in her rural town. By connecting the students with others around the world they are instilled with a more open mind than the world they grew up knowing. I believe this is a huge step forward to connecting the youth of the world.
5.) I definitely believe the younger generation has a head start on the learning race being that they are unhindered in their resources of technology. However, the undergraduate and graduate level students have ample opportunity to catch up and become more acquainted with new and improving technology.
6.) I would love to use the flipping method in one of my English classes to help instill that independent learning onto my students. This provides them with the skills to become more responsible and accountable for knowledge they will need for the following days class.
7.) Comparing sports to classrooms is great to incorporate a team.

Blog Post 1

1.) I was told directly by former EDM students to always have a laptop. It is a technology driven course.
2.) My main continuing fear is that I would fall behind trying to keep up with functions relating to smart board actions.
3.) I have only taken one typing course in high school and its functions were mainly to inhibit faster and more proficient typists.
4.) Coherently understanding the due dates. I'm used to a grid of due dates instead of assignments mixed into a full document of ongoing information. I will adapt.
5.) The best way for me to overcome is to adapt. Learn to change and wrap my head around it with some practice.
6.) No questions at this time.

First Practice Post

1. Introduction to what education means to me. a.) History of education and me. b.) turbulent past. c.) specification of study, English. 2. How I intend to further the Education process a.) My love for English b.) my drive to open minds c.) the joy reading, writing, and speaking bring to the world. 3. Who am I to be a Leader, an Educator a.) My poetic beginnings b.) My family history c.) My innate intellect and drive for more.

My name is Kelia Siobahn Fagan. I am a Mobile native and have grown up for the better part of my twenty years here in the south. I have traveled through most of the country on my family's endeavors to broaden my horizon. In my travels through parts of the mid-west and the north eastern region of the country I was able to have a better grasp of my home. From these travels I knew I would only want more. My life's goal is to serve this great nation and be able to see the world through my military career. My father first steered my wandering soul towards the sea. I have been a sailor longer than I could remember. Even after the winds and hurricanes have wreaked havoc on our vessel; the Reprieve will sail again. I always loved the University of South Alabama due to the fact that I practically grew up here. My father, Kevin Fagan, was a student here for the vast majority of my life. I've watched this campus grow just as I have throughout my whole life. South Alabama has allowed me to grow in ways I never thought possible. From Day 1, at Orientation, I saw the Army ROTC booth and instantly became interested. Upon, putting the uniform on my person I knew instantly this was my calling. Aside from my fruitful military career I've always loved education. Opening the minds and broadening the ideals of young minds is truly a glorious thing. Unfortunately, with the rise of technology the art of turning a page or getting lost in a book is all but lost to the rising generations. My drive and my goal is to change that in the minds of middle or high school students. For educators today it has become a struggle to gain the short attention of the fast pace students of today. I am of almost direct Irish decent. My full name is Gaelic, an almost dead language spoken by the Celtic people. I have one tattoo. I have five dogs. I work for University of South Alabama Police Auxiliary force. I'm on the Army ROTC Color Guard. "Love at a young age is a gilded youth", Kelia Fagan.

Test 2

Test 2.

My Test Post Title

Hey this is Kelia Fagan! This is my first blog! I am now a blogger with EDM 310! Go Jags!