Blog Post #10

Randy Paush's Last Lecture
After watching Randy Pausch's Last Lecture video, my first thought was of Tim McGraw's song 'Live Like You Are Dying'. The video struck so many nerves, that I truly had to reflect on my own life. The video helped me to realize that my troubles, no matter how hard they may be, are not the end of the world. What a powerful lecture.
We were asked in our blog question, to identify what Randy Pausch says about teaching and learning. To me, Randy did not list any particular teaching and learning styles in his lecture, he simply allows us to pick out throughout his lecture, the teaching and learning moments. He did this by discussing three points: childhood dreams, enabling dreams of others and through lessons learned: How you can achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others.

The part of Randy's lecture that deals with achieving your dreams, dealt with his bucket list. He shared with the audience how he achieved his dreams. He lets us know that achieving your dreams is not easy, but with the help of others, they are definitely attainable. My take on this lecture, is that if we have dreams, we can never give up on them. Randy tells us in so many words, that we have to depend on others to help us attain our dreams. Randy makes it very clear, that we should go for our dreams no matter how hard they may seem. He believes that if they are not attained, we did our best to try to make them come true. I believe this teachable moment tells us to push our students and not allow them to take the easy way out. He makes this point clear when he speaks of his class turning in outstanding assignments and him still asking them for more. Lesson learned, push our students to their highest potential and challenge them to reach for the stars.

Another lesson we should teach our students, is Indirect Learning, so he did point out a couple of learning styles. I too think Indirect Learning has to take place before anything else. Teaching a student integrity, hope, respect and fearlessness should be taught first. Head Fake Learning is also a way we should teach our students. I believe this is how my teachers helped me learn; they gave me fun ways to figure out complicated problems; making me believe I was having fun, when I was really learning something hard. Giving a child a task and allowing them to figure it out through ways that do not feel too complicated, is when meaningful learning takes place.

Randy believes that teaching can come from everywhere and be learned from anyone. Learning should come from students, teachers, parents, everyone. He believes a teacher should give students the reign to explore their imagination and we as teachers should help them to explore it. Teachers should be able to teach to different people and that a good teacher should always be able to think like a child. I guess he means that a good teacher caters to the audience they are teaching. Other useful advice that will be useful to me as a new teacher is: to be loyal, the students advocate, not a know-it-all and be apologetic when necessary. I believe he is telling us to win our students over and we will have their respect for life. I also believe he wants us to teach our students as early as possible, in hopes that learning becomes a part of them.

Again, this was a very powerful video. It is so powerful, that I watched the 40 minute interview with Randy and Diane Sawyer. I also went back and read my blog post #1 on Randy. I did not realize his condition at the time, but after this blog/lesson, I understand blog #1 much better. Brick walls are there to weed out the people who really do not want something bad enough. A person wanting something enough, will tear down the brick wall. Well said Mr. Pausch, a great deal of respect is owed to Mr. Randy Pausch and his Last Lecture video. He is a hero in my book and I intend on being a 'Tigger Teacher' in my future classroom. If you haven't watched Randy Pausch's Last Lecture here's the video,

Blog Post #9

Blog Post 9 Mr. Brian Crosby



Mr. Brian Crosby is a teacher who had the same 4th graders for three years. He had them for the 4th, 5th and 6th grade years. His students are from a low economic background but were excited about learning, because of how their teacher incorporated technology. Mr. Crosby points out in his video, that some of his students were unable to answer even the most simple questions. Many of the students did not know the city, state or country they lived in, and many did not know their address or phone number. He shared this status to point out how technology has made a difference in their lives. Mr. Crosby points out that even though a narrowed curriculum is not what educators want to teach these students, that a narrowed curriculum is what these students have been living with all their lives. After watching this video, it made our group reflect on our own lives. To us, some students, who may be very intelligent will begin school at a disadvantage. We believe some students are at a disadvantage because of the lack of opportunity due to their upbringing and childhood.
Technology definitely helps students level the playing ground for the disadvantaged students. It allows students who have not had the opportunities like we have had in our lives, or will never experience trips/vacations like we have. Technology also allows his students to visit other people around the world, on topics being discussed, that will be remembered forever. After watching the section of the video on High Hopes, we know his students learned more from releasing the balloons and watching them in real time, over what they can read in a book. Active learning is what he called it, it empowers his students to be better learners. This is a learning style we all wish could’ve been available to us earlier in our grade school years. It is a learning style we definitely intend on incorporating in our future classroom. The High Hopes lesson is one that we would like to do with our future educational classes.



Blended Learning Cycle



The podcast by Mr. Paul Anderson focused on the Blended Learning Cycle. Blended Learning is taking the techniques of online, mobile, and classroom learning and blending them together. The Learning Cycle is a excellent way of presenting material in a classroom by first engaging the question, then exploring upon that question, explaining the outcome of the experiment, expanding on the topic, and then reevaluate the question. When combining these two techniques at the same time it creates the Blended Learning Cycle. Anderson provides six steps that he uses in his Blended Learning Cycle. These steps are as follows:

• Question - When presenting to the class it is best to begin with a question to hook the students focus in to the lecture.
• Investigation/Inquiry - Teachers should allow their students time to search and experiment their topic to get a better understanding.
• Video - Using a video instead of just lecturing allows the teacher more time to interact with the class and gives the students the opportunity to learn independently.
• Elaboration - This allows the teacher to focus on explaining the topic more in depth.
• Review - At this point the teacher should evaluate the students to see if they are comprehending the subject.
• Summary Quiz - The last step is to test the students on the information they have learned to see if they understand the topic.

Mark Church is a 6th grade teacher who inspires his students to form answers to valid questions in order to promote learning. After watching Mark Church's video Making Thinking Possible it was encouraging to see how students navigated their way to find their own answers. Mr. Church chose a project for the students in order to walk them through the process of thinking through a topic. He allowed the students to split up into small groups and work on a topic that they had been discussing. The topic was where they originated from and how they got here on Earth. After being split into groups, he then asked the students to come up with a title that summed up what the students were doing. He wanted this to be a phrase that could bring the groups thought about the topic to life. Every group came up with their topic, and shared the topic with the class. Then the students were asked to begin creating the project in their groups. Mr. Church explained how much each group’s topic had changed by the end of the project. This is a prime example of how we as teachers can make thinking visible. It shows how the students got from point A to point B and formulate their own thoughts and opinions. We all thought that this particular lesson of having the students formulate something from the beginning and watching and change at the end is an excellent tool in which we plan to use in our own classroom. Mark Church's valid point of making thinking visible is a fantastic resource to see how our students will navigate themselves to their own answers. We believe that it is critical for teachers to walk students through a process similar to the one Mark Church presented.

Project #9

Blog Post #8

Blog Post #8 Finding the Right Tool
Authors: Victoria Williams, Phillip Hall, and Duane Nelson (Collaborative)



Blog Post 8 challenged us to find new tools and tell how we would incorporated them into our classroom as future educators. We did not realize when we began research on this project, that we would come across so many different tools that would be beneficial when teaching. Phillip had to learn how to incorporate technology into physical education. He thought this would be a hard task, until he did the research for this project. After collaborating as group we found many tools that Phillip could use to provide technology into physical education. We discussed how to incorporate ipods into physical education to offer music while students perform activities such as running. We also thought about incorporating tools such as the Wii Fit and Heart rate counters.
While researching this project, we came across some amazing resources/tools. The websites Phillip will incorporate into his lessons are: Electrikids for Teachers www.electrikids.com and www.peuniverse.com. Electrikids for Teachers provide teachers, parents and students, free fitness related activities to download and use. The website also provide other websites related to physical education. Electrikids include activities he intends on incorporating into his individual lesson plans. Some of the activities listed included: Traffic Cop, Body Map, Applauding Heart-rate and Bean Bag Hockey. All of these activities include helpful tips and demonstrations on how to keep our bodies healthy and fun ways to enjoy physical activities. PE University is another website found while researching this project. PE University provides PE video activities, demonstrations on how to use weight-lifting equipment properly and social media websites exclusively designed for the physical education professional. The social medial component is compared to YouTube and Facebook.

There are also many other tools that can be used in the classroom. Victoria Williams becoming a future Elementary educator and Duane Nelson becoming a Secondary Educator the possibilities of using different tools in the classroom are limitless. One of the great tools that can be used in the elementary setting is ePals. This gives students a great opportunity to connect with anyone, anywhere. This tool will allow students to explore different cultures of their own and communicate with other people globally. Another great tool that can be used in a Secondary setting is Ning. This tool allows anyone to make a personalized social network which is a great use for both students and teachers alike. The number of tools of technology that can be used in any grade level are countless. It just takes research and drive of a teacher to incorporate these amazing assets in to the classroom.

Although the tools listed above, is more than sufficient to improve my classroom objectives, I did come across another tool that I plan on incorporating in my physical education class. The tool is the Wii Gaming System. The activities on this game is directly linked to the physical education classroom. This will be a most useful tool in Phillip’s class, especially on rainy days. Phillip learned that physical education should always include teaching that will promote good health, but also include learning that is enjoyable and fun. This is turn, will hopefully help my students become life-long lovers of physical education. Wii Youtube Video

Technology Used in the Classroom
Authors: Victoria Williams, Duane Nelson, and Phillip Hall

We all became excited when discussing what all could be used in the classroom when acknowledging technology available. Many teachers are unaware of all the resources that are steadily provided to us on a daily basis. We plan to use iCurio for our students to look up important people they are interested in doing research for that is relevant to the lesson. Victoria discussed how using iCurio in her elementary classroom would be a safe way for her children to navigate the web without stumbling upon negative or inappropriate material. Discovery Education is another beautiful resource to use especially when engaging in science. Discovery Education allows students to watch science in life action and bring the pages of a textbook and what students are reading to life! The SMART board is one of the latest innovations at the moment which we all can not wait to have the opportunity to use in our classrooms. The use of the SMART board is crucial to all of us because we did not have the opportunity as students to learn through an engaging process using technology, which the SMART board demonstrates so effectively. All of these resources have been discussed in our EDM 310 class so we took it upon ourselves to discuss resources outside of what has been brought to our attention in EDM 310. We discussed the many reasons that we could incorporate cameras and camcorders into our classrooms. Cameras and camcorders could be a wonderful asset when applying project based learning. We recently wrote a Project based lesson plans on for third grade science about insects. Cameras were used in this project/lesson. Which can be found on our blog. Cameras and camcorders could also be used in the classroom to engage students in participating in a learning scavenger hunt. There are endless possibilities to incorporating cameras and camcorders into the classroom. To be the best teachers that we can be it is a necessity to keep up with the latest technology and learn how to incorporate it into our classroom. Students will be more willing to learn material when they are using devices and experiences that many use on a daily basis.

C4K Summary

The first C4k assignment was for a 10th grade student by the blogger name, American Eagle, at Baldwin County High. His class blogged about, how working hard pays off in life.

My last C4k was for a student named Zach, who's in the 6th grade at Robertsdale Elementary. Zach's class blogged about something very interesting, why birds don't get shocked on power-line. In his blog he why birds dont get shocked when they perch on powerlines.

Blog Post #7

What Can be Learned from Conversations with Anthony Capps? Author: Victoria Williams, Phillip Hall, and Duane Nelson (Collaborative)

What is project based learning? How can it be used effectively in the classroom? Can a teacher that uses project based learning confirm that this form of learning is more effective? These are all questions that many may have questions when thinking about Project Based Learning. These questions can be easily answered in the interview Dr. Strange held with Anthony Capps Project Based Learning 1 - Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher and the conversation continues with Project Based Learning 2- Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher. Anthony Capps is a 3rd grade teacher in Baldwin County in Gulf Shores. Mr. Capps uses projects as a method in which students learn. Anthony Capps said it best when he said "It is not only a means to show students of what they have achieved but a method used to teach students how to learn. As Anthony Capps said " Project based learning allows children to engage in learning.  Project based learning allows students to get excited about what they are learning and giving students the opportunity to OWN what they have created through the learning process. The goal of a good project is one that has an authentic audience (so that the kids are rewarded for the work that they do and motivated to do good work). One that has student interest and is relative to the student's life. The best is to have the project relate to the community some how because it relates to the real world experience. Students are driven by content. Content standards that are based from the ACCRS, which is the content the state expects each grade level to know." Project based learning is the MOST effective way for students to LEARN. It has been proven by many including Confucius and Aristotle who first practiced project based learning. Students LEARN more when they are learning by doing, and having a hands-on experience. iCurio in the Classroom

Mr. Capps presents a fabulous way to incorporate iCurio in our future classrooms. This can be found by watching the interview Dr. Strange had with Anthony Capps iCurio. What is iCurio?How do we allow our students with the opportunity to search through the internet for projects? iCurio easily provides a safe search engine and prevents children from viewing things that are inappropriate. When using iCurio as a search engine in the classroom it allows students to not only be able to view text but also images and videos as well. iCurio possess a storage capacity that allows students and teachers to store material that they find valuable. iCurio is a very effective way for students to easily organize their work. Anthony Capps brought up a resourceful tip when he mentioned that in the classroom their are sudden changes that cause students to have to come to a complete stop. This means having to stop and go to lunch, or recess, ect. iCurio presents students with the opportunity to pick up exactly where the student left off and saves the progress that each student has made. iCurio is also a wonderful tool for ALL students including students who face disabilities. For example, iCurio make this possible by providing opportunities where students can click a button and hear the material read out loud. This is a wonderful tool to use for someone who faces challenges with reading or someone who is blind. iCurio incorporates diversity into the classroom and provides students with individual resources, which they can use to learn. Discovery Education in the Classroom

Anthony Capps reviews how to use Discovery Education in the classroom in Dr. Strange's interview Discovery Ed. What is Discovery Ed? Discovery Education is a beautiful resource in project based learning. Anthony Capps said "Well, I think there is a phrase 'a picture is worth 1,000 words, and a video is worth a million. Discovery Ed is worth every but of that!" Discovery education provides the text book to come to life through videos and pictures. It could not have been said clearer when Mr. Capps said "Discovery Ed brings other people into the classroom via video". Dr. Strange made a wonderful point when stating "Often times students learn by listening and watching versus reading and writing due to the technology that is accessible to our students and society." Discovery Ed is a program that goes hand in hand with reading and allows the experience of reading to be more enjoyable process. For example, Discovery ed gives students the opportunity to watch a video on sharks instead of just listening about sharks, they are provided the resource to WATCH how sharks react in real life. We are sure that this provides a wonderful experience for students and gives them the opportunity to learn through Project based learning. Discovery Education allows students to learn in a fun and exciting way, one process in which many of us were not given the opportunity to learn as a child.


Additional Thought About lessons
Author: Phillip Hall



Anthony stated that a lesson is 4 layers thick. The first layer of a lesson consist of the school year the teacher has to work with. As an educator, ask yourself, how will you incorporate all the content standards, and have you written a map that makes sure all the standards get covered. The second part of a lesson is the unit size. The unit size is a layer within the first part of the lesson. You should unfold the unit into a stair step, which stretches the lessons out to make it easier for the students to comprehend. The objective of the stair step is not throwing all the material at them at once. This layer should be meaningful and connected in some way. As you approach the end of the lesson the students should be able to master the outcome which should take 6-8 weeks. The third layer is a week scale. You should ask yourself, how are you devising your week? So that you can accomplish day by day goals for that week. The final layer consists of daily lessons. Daily plan's are how you deliver the lesson to your students that particular day. Daily lessons should catch the students attention and engage them to learn for that day. At the end of the day, you should measure what they've learned during that day to know where to pick up on the lesson the next day. All these components are equally important to making a great lesson.


Preparing yourself as a Teacher
Author: Duane Nelson

There are many aspects that all future teachers should follow to prepare themselves as a successful educator. Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange provided many great tips and points as a guideline that will help up and coming teachers in the classroom. Many great tips when preparing oneself as an excellent educator are as follows :

• Be a Constant Learner- All teachers should keep the drive of constantly wanting to learn even after becoming an educator.


• Teaching Never Ends- Remember when working and playing work is not separate from play. Hard work is very rewarding for you and your students.


• Be Flexible- Always keep an open mind when teaching because the unexpected will happen.


• Start with a Goal- Always have a lesson plan so you can reach your achievements.


• Engage 100% of your Students 100% of the Time in 100% of their Projects- As an educator you should constantly figure new ways of keeping the students interested in the subject topics.


• Reflect, Revise, and Share Work with an Audience- When producing a topic in a curriculum setting a teacher should always review and edit their work multiple times before sharing to the class.

Don’t Teach Tech – Use It
Author: Collaborative Duane Nelson, Victoria Williams, Phillip Hall

Technology in the classroom is still a controversial topic even in this modern age. Technology should not be a question on use but a necessity that all students should be able to have access to on a daily basis. Regardless of high income or low income areas technology is present in a student’s everyday life. When using technology in the classroom allow the student to explore the device and learn on their own. At this time of age technology is natural for students and they will enjoy the curriculum even more. Referred to by Anthony Capps technology should not be taught as part of the curriculum but used during the curriculum. This will let students use their own thought process and ideas to create an original made project. By letting the students work off their own skills students will be proud of what they have achieved and will proud of their new skills. Hopefully sometime in the near future technology will be used as an everyday tool in the educational setting.

Project #13

PBL Lesson Plan Authors: Victoria Williams, Phillip Hall, and Duane Nelson

This is a 3rd grade science project based lesson plan. The name of the project is titled "It's a Bugs Life!". The object of this lesson plan is for students to learn abot insects, and how to classify an insect and it's main features. Students will be split into groups of four, and each group will capture their own insect. Students then will collect research in their groups using iCurio. Last students will produce a presentation as a group using google slides. Please view our project based lesson plan and Rubric below! Project Based Lesson Plan Rubric

Progress Report on (PLN)

Professional Learning Network

For my PLN, I downloaded Symbaloo. After watching the video of the 7th grade student and seeing how organized she was because of this tool, I decided to use it also. I have a long way to go in building my PLN, but I plan to build it throughout the semester. I have added Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Skype and Pinterest to my Professional Learning Network. I hope to follow people like Mr. Michael Fawcett, a teacher from New Zealand on Twitter and use Symbaloo as a tool to help me stay in tune with the digital world. Since a PLN is never complete, I intend on allowing it to help me with my organizational skills while attending The University of South Alabama. While looking at all the videos on creating a PLN, I agree with some of the experts, it is the teacher and administrator who needs to learn how to build a PLN, because the students have already built their community and network. I do not know if I will ever achieve the PLN of the 7th grader, but I will do the best that I can. It was encouraging to know that a PLN does not have to be perfect; I'm sure mine will not be.