Blog Post #5 Part 2

My Personal Learning Network was created with Symbaloo.

Final Project

Final Project

2nd Grade Lesson on Clouds and Weather

Blog Post #16

Final Reflection

Blog Post #13

What Did I Leave Out?

For Blog Post #13 I have created an assignment titled, "How can Technology be used in a classroom with English as a Second Language Learners?" The assignment is to watch the videos and read the articles listed and then answer the driving question. To complete the assignment myself, I created a Symbaloo Webmix before answering the question. 

1. Watch the video Visual ESL/EFL Learning With Technolgy
2. Review the Top 5 Technology Tools for ELL Teachers
3. Read Support ELL Learners with Scannable Technolgy
4. Read Literacy Through Photography for English Language Learners
5. Read Blogging for English Language Learners

How can Technology be used in a classroom with English as a Second Language Learners?

After watching the video Visual ESL/EFL Learning With Technolgy I learned that most ESL learners are visual learners. They learn best with images and graphics. Visual learning can help them understand vocabulary and content. Some of the technology that can be used with ESL students are:

• Tablets
• Laptops/Computers
• Smartboards
• Movies/Video Clips

In Top 5 Technology Tools for ELL Teachers we learn about the top tools for teaching ESL students. These tools are beneficial to any classroom. We need to make sure we are teaching for the future and not the past and our classrooms should reflect a 21 century classroom. We need to increase comprehensibility, interaction and thinking skills. Listed are the top resources for ESL learners:

• Twitter
• Blogging
• Skype
• Web 2.0
• Apps on iPads

Support ELL Learners with Scannable Technolgy explains how scannable technology such as iPads or phones with the QR app can be beneficial for students learning English as a second language. One way to use the scannable barcodes is on a word wall. The students scan the word and then listen to an audio clip on how to pronounce the word. Vocab words can also be scannable. Students are given a list of codes to scan and study. Sometimes they have video clips to support the words.

In Literacy Through Photography for English Language Learners we are shown a different approach for teaching literacy to ESL students. The students analyze pictures instead of text. Students examine the photos and describe what they see. It helps them improve their storytelling and writing.

Blogging for English Language Learners explains why blogging is beneficial for ESL students. Blogging gives the students a voice and an audience.In an ESL classroom blogging can also help with:

• Clarifications
• Understanding
• Communication
• Language development
• Parent-student engagement

Blog Post #12

What assistive technologies are available to you as a teacher?

Symbaloo Assistive Technology

This was a collaborative project by, 

Sarah Sanders

Mercedi Thomley

Patricia Tremblay 

As a group, we discussed the many options for adding assistive technology to the classroom for students who are visually or hearing impaired. We created a Symbaloo Webmix Page, where we then each contributed useful and informative information. All of our research can be found here with links.

Some of the resources and products that I found helpful were:

• Dragon Dictation App- is an easy to use voice recognition app that allows you to easily speak your text or email messages.
• Braille Touch App-This app allows users to type on their touchscreen using braille.
• eBeam Interactive Education Solution-The eBeam is like a portable Smart Board and can be played on any type of surface.
• Snail-Braille Reading Tool-The Snail is a small rolling device that quickly and easily translate Braille into spoken words.
• The Readot-Touching Pictures Scanner- is a scanner that takes in images and text, the raises the appropriate series of dots on its tactile surface to recreate the original.
• Resources for the Educational Use of Ipads- This is a great website that list some different iPad technology for the deaf and blind and also has webinars to learn how to use them.
• 15 Best Ipad Apps for Blind Kids- This is a great article about apps for small children who are blind or visually impaired. Several of them help with cause and effect and visual attention.

C4K Summary for April

Mrs. Lombard's 7th Grade Class Blog-Oklahoma

Mary S.

Mary's blog was about a book called "Summer Promise" by Robin Jones Gunn. Mary described the book without giving away the end of the story. She really enjoyed the story even though she described some of the parts as "cheesy". 

My Comment:
Hi Mary, my name is Patricia Tremblay and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. I think you did a great job summarizing the book without giving too much away. I am intrigued to know what the adversity was. Keep up the good work.

Ms. Thomas's Class Blog-Prince George, MD

Sean

Sean's blog was titled My Grades. He wrote: I really like the way my grades are looking but I will like to change some of my grades.

My Comment:

Hi Sean,  my name is Patricia Tremblay and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. I can relate to your blog about grades. I also feel like my grades are looking good, but there are a couple of subjects where I need to improve my scores. What will you do to improve yours?

Ms. Thomas's Class Blog-Prince George, MD

Gabby ily

Gabby ily's blog was titled Kindness. She wrote: When I didn't say a nice thing about Londyn but she was cool anyways. 

My Comment:

Hi Gabby ily,  my name is Patricia Tremblay and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. I'm glad that you recognized that you said something that was not nice to your friend. We all do that sometimes. You have a good friend if she showed you forgiveness. Sometimes we say things and are joking but it really does hurt the other person's feelings. I'm sure you said you were sorry. Continue to work on saying nice things to your friends and I am sure you will be friends forever.

C4T#3 Summary

Summary of Kathleen Morris's Blog Post #1

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Kathleen Morris blogs about her last week teaching before her maternity leave. She is looking forward to being a mom. As she cleans out her classroom she is reflecting back on teaching. One of the things that make her cringe is all the busywork worksheets she used to create. Now she feels that worksheets do not make an effective calssroom. She wonders what the future classrooms will look like. With technology most work a\can be stored on computers. Students can create their own projects and find their own resources. She also explains that more time should be spent in the students direct work environment than on classroom decorations and bulletin boards.

My Comment:
Mrs. Morris, My name is Patricia Tremblay and I am taking EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading your blog and found a lot of useful information. I like how you pointed out that worksheets are "busy work" and that hands-on, authentic, collaborative, open end tasks have a much bigger impact. I hope that in my future classroom that I will be able to use the same theory.
EDM 310 Class Blog
My Blog

Summary of Kathleen Morris's Blog Post #2

There's Blogging and There's Blogging

Mrs. Morris writes about how classroom and student blogging should be done. She believes students should write in a class blog before having their own. She also feels that there should be structure and that standards should be set high. The blog's purpose should be to help the students improve learning outcomes. She also says to monitor that the students skills are growing and that they are also commenting on other blogs. 

My Comment:

Mrs. Morris, My name is Patricia Tremblay and I am taking EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I also agree that the students should be blogging to help improve learning outcomes. I think that it will be important to monitor the students as they are blogging and to make sure they are growing their skills. Thank you for the great advice and I hope that I will be able to use it in my future classroom.

Blog Post #11

What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From These Teachers?

• Brian Crosby
• Mr. Paul Andersen
• Mark Church
• Sam Pane
• Dean Shareski
• Roosevelt Elementary PBL Program

In Back to The Future by Brian Crosby we learn about teaching kids to be passionate. Brian demonstrates how he uses project-based learning in his classroom. When Brian starts the school year most of the students don't even know what country they live in. Brian gets the students involved and excited to learn. They use blogging to connect to other students around the world. They get excited to share what they have learned. Some of the tools Brian uses in his classroom are:

• Class Blog
• Skype
• Flickr
• Videos
• Class Wiki

Brian points out that we need to stop "racing kids through school". We need to make it meaningful and motivating.

Mr. Paul Anderson's video the Blended Learning Cycle explains how he uses the blended learning cycle. Mr. Anderson explains that his class is made up of online, mobile and classroom learning. He created an antonym on how he creates a lesson and makes sure that his students understand what they are learning. 

QUVERS

Q- Question-What is your hook?

U- Investigation/Inquiry-Students research and discuss answers

V- Video-Watch videos to learn more

E- Elaboration-Use diagrams and read the text

R- Review

S- Summary Quiz

Making Thinking Visible, is a quick video by Mark Church. Mark Church exemplifies how we can get students to use critical thinking. He has his students work together in small groups to answer an important question. Two weeks later he returns to the question to see if they still feel the same about their answer.

Sam Pane is teaching his students to become digital citizens in this video clip Sam Pane 4th Grade. Sam asked his students a question and has them whisper at their tables. He then has the students create their own superhero teaching digital citizenship. The students have fun creating characters. He explains that it allows them to feel ownership and is a meaningful activity. They then share their characters and what their characters have to say about digital citizenship.

In Project Based Learning Dean Shareski shows us that we can combine different subjects into one project. Several teachers collaborate on a project for their students. This allows the students to have more time to spend learning. It gives the students a deeper understand. 

After watching the video Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program, I learned that Project Based Learning teaches real world problem-solving. Students learn public speaking at an early age. Some benefits of project-based learning are:

• Student Choice/Student Ownership
• 21st Century Skills
• Community Participation
• An instructional Approach/Multiple Intelligences
• Student Engagement

Blog Post #10

What Can We Learn From Mrs. Cassidy?

In Little Kids...Big Potential we watch Kathy Cassidy's first-grade class in action. The children are excited to use technology in their classroom. They enjoy writing on their blog because other people can see it and comment on it. The students also use:

• Web Searching
• Wikis
• Videos
• Skype
• Nintendo DS

In the three interview videos with Dr. Strange and Mrs. Cassidy, we learn how Mrs. Cassidy uses technology in her classroom. (Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 1, Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 2, Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 3) Mrs. Cassidy uses a classroom blog for her students. Depending on the year and the amount of students she has they use the blog once or twice a week. The blog helps them with their reading and writing. It also helps them connect with an audience. Mrs. Cassidy explains that the children feel proud of their work when they know other people are looking at it. Her Blog is also a way that the students parents can see what they have been working on. I really like how Mrs. Cassidy has a class website. The website is a hub for the students to start out at. From there they can click on the different links that Mrs. Cassidy has provided for them. I think that I would like to try this in my future classroom. I think that some parents and myself would be concerned with internet safety. I like the tips that Mrs. Cassidy gave:

• No last names
• Always say positive things when commenting
• Do not click on sidebar links
• Do not add names to pictures

There are many benefits to using technology in the classroom. Technology is not going away and this is the world that these children live in. We can teach them how to find information and how to use the internet safely. The children learn to collaborate and share. Students are able to connect with other students and experts from around the world.

C4K Summary for March

Mrs. Maslowski's 10th Grade Class Blog-Illinois

Period 8 Mike

The blog assignment was to choose a picture exemplifying black history month. Mike chose a famous professional football player, Barry Sanders. Mike wrote about Barry Sanders as a "former American football running back who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League." He wrote a short biography and pointed out several of Barry Sanders accomplishments.

My Comment:

Hi Mike, my name is Patricia Tremblay and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. I think you did a great job on your blog. I didn’t see the title that represented the blog assignment, but I believe it was for the black history photo challenge. I like how you clearly summarized Barry Sanders football career. He had a lot of great accomplishments. Keep up the good work with your blogging!

Our class blog http://edm310.blogspot.com

Mrs. Maslowski's 10th Grade Class Blog-Illinois

Period 6 Richard

The blog assignment was to share their experience of taking the standardized test called PLAN. 
Richard reflects on taking the PLAN test. He said that he studied but not the night before. He explains that you would be tired if you studied the night before and he thinks you need rest. He said if he took it again he would bring something to eat and drink.

My Comment:
Hi Richard, my name is Patricia Tremblay and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. I think you did a great job on your blog. I think that is great advice to not stay up late studying the night before the test. I agree that sleep is more important and will help you think clearly. Keep up the good work!

Mrs. Lombard 7th Grade English Class-Oklahoma

Treasure W

Treasure wrote a review of the book Requiem by Lauren Oliver. Requiem is the third book in the trilogy Delirium. Treasure did an excellent job summarizing the book and explaining that it is an adventure book with a love interest. She said that she loved the book so much that it was hard to put the book down.

My Comment:
Hi Treasure, my name is Patricia Tremblay and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. I loved your summary of Requiem! I am definitely going to read the Delirium series now! I also love these types of books and I am currently re-reading the Legend series by Marie Lu. Keep up the great work!

Blog Post #9

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

In the Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning  by John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller we learn that it is important to make projects meaningful. There are the seven steps that are recommended to accomplish this.

1. A Need to Know-Educational Purpose-An entry event can get the students interested
2. Have a good driving question
3. Student Voice and Choice
4. 21st Century Skills for project presentation
5. Student Inquiry
6. Feedback and Revision-critique each other's work
7. Present Project to a real Audience

Project Based Learning For Teachers by Tony Vincent gives a good overview of standards and PBL meeting standards. Vincent emphasizes having a driving question, collaboration, and communication skills. He also points out that students develop critical thinking skills and career skills. Questioning, investigating, sharing, and reflecting are key steps to project-based learning. Technology also plays a huge part. Students will use power point, Glogster, class dojo, moviemaker, meeting words and more to work on and present their projects. "Students take charge of their learning". I think this is a great way for students to really absorb new information and learn to problem solve and think on their own.

In What Motivates Students? we hear from students talking about what their teachers do to motivate them and what personally motivates them to do well in school. A lot of the children want to make good grades so that they can get a good job when they grow up. I enjoyed hearing the different rewards that teachers give their student for doing well. Some teachers give candy and some give trinkets such as stickers and pencils. I like the reward system of earning pretend money and then buying things from a class store every Friday.

Michael Gorman writes about collaboration for PBL projects and tools on the web in Ten Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration in Project Based Learning. 

• Titan Pad
• Wall Wisher
• Corkboardme
• Google Docs
• Microsoft Live
• Today's Meet
• Will You Type With Me
• Linoit
• Skype
• Quick Screen Share  

This is a great resource of web tools that I will look back to when teaching in my future classroom. Most of the tools I had not heard of.

In Two Students Solve the problem of Watery Ketchup By Designing A New Cap  video we students who came up with their own driving question. The boys both love ketchup and both wanted to solve the problem of watery squirts of ketchup. Their first step was to brainstorm and sketch out some ideas. They came up with a solution and created it. The boys were proud of their work and talked about how they enjoyed the class. I think this type of project-based learning is a great way to get students to use critical thinking skills and be proud of their work.

Project #13

Project Based Learning Plans

Cloud Report

Lesson Plan

Calendar

Checklist

Rubric

Cloud Slide Show

Project #9

Video Book Commentary

C4T#2 Summary

Summary of Kathleen Morris's Blog Post #1

The 2014 New School Year

Kathleen Morris is a teacher in Victoria, Austrailia. It is January and their school year is just starting. Mrs. Morris just had a baby and will not be returning to teach this year. To stay in the education loop, she is using online tools such as blogger and twitter. She also lists some helpful websites to get teachers started on classroom blogging.

My Comment:
Mrs. Morris, My name is Patricia Tremblay and I am taking EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I think it is wonderful that you are getting to stay at home with your baby. I also stayed at home with all three of my children and have returned to school to become a teacher. Thank you for the helpful links for starting a classroom blog.
EDM 310 Class Blog
My Blog

Summary of Kathleen Morris's Blog Post #2

Blogging and the Literacy Curriculum

Mrs. Morris explains that classroom blogging should be planned for and added to the curriculum. When her students first started blogging they were squeezing it into transitioning times and not making enough time for it. They were also able to provide all students in her class with a device in the classroom to blog. She explains that having enough resources is important. They use their blogging time as part of their literacy block and focus their blogs on what they are currently reading or writing.

My Comment:

Mrs. Morris, My name is Patricia Tremblay and I am taking EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I think it is great that blogging has been worked into the curriculum of your classroom. I am looking forward to using a classroom blog in my future classroom. Your information has been very helpful.

Blog Post #8

What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning?

The Last Lecture/Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

After watching Randy Pausch's video called The Last Lecture or Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, I learned about enabling the dreams of others. Randy doesn't only speak about how to achieve your own dreams but how important it is, especially as educators, to help others achieve their dreams. His talk is really an inspirational story about how people should live their lives. Randy explains that people should:

• tell the truth
• be earnest
• apologize
• focus on others
• show gratitude
• don't complain just work harder
• be good at something
• work hard
• find the best in everybody

Randy talks about teaching a course at Carnegie Melon and the things that he learned from his students. I like how he said, "The best way to teach someone is to make them think they are learning something else." I think this is where technology comes in. Children are using technology at home. It is something that they can relate to. If we use it in the classroom they will be learning and having fun at the same time. Pausch explains that we need to break the mold, have fun and set the bar high!

Project #7 Part B

Parent Video

Student Video

Blog Post #7

How Do We All Become Learners?

As a teacher in my future classroom, I will continue to learn from my students. In the 21st century, children are using technology even more than adults. I loved in the video with Dr. Strange and Elizabeth when she said, "barriers go down and we all learn". She was talking about a kindergarten student teaching her how to take a picture of herself with her iPad. Before I graduate I hope that I will have a good understanding of most of the technology that is being used in the classroom now. As a teacher and a "learner", I will always look for the newest way to do things and always be willing to learn from and share with my students as the technology changes.

In Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten, we learn that iMovie is being used in the kindergarten classroom. Kindergarten students are using iPads to take pictures of the books they are reading and then use the app iMovie to make a book trailer. This is a center in their classroom. The students love to create these projects and share them with their peers. 

We also learn that the students are using AVL. AVL is the Alabama Virtual Library. Anyone with a library card from the state of Alabama can use this free service. Students use this website for research.

In We All Become Learners, Dr. Strange, Elizabeth and Michelle talk about how sometimes the students teach the teacher. In this video, Elizabeth talks about the kindergarten student that taught her how to take a picture of herself. They use an app called Padlet. Sometimes the librarians teach the students how to do something and then the students explain it to their teacher. They are all learning from each other.

In iPads in the Classroom, we learn what an ipad can do in the classroom. Some examples were:

• Virtual field trips
• ABC magnetic alphabet app
• word processing
• Iconverse (used for special ed)

The special ed students took a trip to the grocery store and used an app called Iconverse. It helped them with their shopping list and at the end of their shopping trip helped them thank the clerk.

In Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education, we learn 10 reasons why technology is important to the future of education

1. Students love it! (Engaged!)
2. Engages 4 Key Components (active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, connection to real-world experts)
3. Professional Development
4. Makes Life Easier for Teachers
5. Improves Test Scores
6. Helps Students with Low Attention Spans
7. Learn from the Experts
8. Encourages Homework
9. Saves Money
10. Removes Obstacles

C4K Summary for February

Comments for Kids #1

Mrs.Weils 4th-grade Froggies (Kansas)

Winter Weather by Maddy S.

Maddy wrote about winter weather. She said that she loves the snow. She likes to go outside and make snowmen and play with her family.

My Comment:

Hi Maddy!  My name is Patricia Tremblay and I am a student at The University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I like your blog post about winter weather! Making a snowman with your family sounds like a lot of fun! We don’t get a lot of snow here in Mobile. Last year it snowed just enough that we could make a teeny, tiny snowman! My favorite weather is a nice sunny day in the summer! I like to go to the beach with my family.  What do you like to do in the summer?

Here is a link to my blog: Patricia Tremblay EDM310 Blog

Comments for Kids #2

Ms.Leatherwood's 8th Grade Language Arts Class (New Jersey)
Planet Eclipse Etek 5 Paintball Gun by Kevin
Kevin wrote a very detailed review and description of the Planet Eclipse Etek 5 paintball gun. He wrote about the benefits of using this particular paintball gun. Kevin concluded his blog by writing that any professional paintball gun player would recommend this gun.

My Comment
Hi Kevin,
My name is Patricia Tremblay. I am a student at the University of South Alabama. You can find our class blog at edm310.blogspot.com. I think you did a great job writing about the Planet Eclipse Etek 5 paintball gun. You gave a very detailed and descriptive review of this gun! I have never played paintball but would love to try. Do you play on a team? 

Comments for Kids #3

Mrs. Hartman's 4th Grade Class (Pennsylvania)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Aiden

Aiden wrote a summary of the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. He ended his blog post without spoiling the story. He asked, " What do you think will happen to Harry do you think he will not get expelled and not get his wand broken or do you think he will?"

My comment:
Hi Aiden,

My name is Patricia Tremblay and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. You did a great job summarizing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I like how you didn't give the ending away! I also love the Harry Potter series! Do you like the movies too? If so, which do you like better the books or the movies? I like the books because there is so much more detail.

Comments for Kids #4

Mrs. Hartman's 4th Grade Class (Pennsylvania)
The Maze Runner by Taylor

Taylor wrote about the book The Maze Runner by James Dasher. Taylor is still reading the book but gives us a description of what is happening to the character Thomas. Taylor thinks that Thomas is brave.

My comment:
Hi Taylor,
My name is Patricia Tremblay and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. I think you did a great job describing the character Thomas in The Maze Runner and relating him to yourself. I haven't read the book yet, but it is on my list! Did you see the movie before you started reading the book?

Blog Post #6

Conversations With Anthony Capps

In Project Based Learning Part 1 and Part 2 with Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange, I learned what project-based learning is. Anthony Capps says, "When students are engaged, they are learning.". Project based learning is different than traditional learning, Anthony explains how he creates lessons for his 3rd-grade students meeting the standards of ALCOS. He list four things that his project based lesson must do:

1. It must have an authentic audience
2. It involves the students interests
3. It involves the community
4. Its content meets the required standards

Anthony gives an example of how he had his students research a topic using the computer and then write a letter to their congressman. The students used peer editing to choose the best letters to send. I think by engaging the students in these activities the children really had to think about what they were doing and learning. It is an excellent way to involve them in the learning process and get them excited to learn while still meeting the standards.

Anthony Capps also teaches us about icurio and Discovery Learning. Discovery Learning is a resource that teachers can use to supplement their lessons. I have used this program many times while subbing. If the students are learning about Pilgrims they would read it in their history book, do a worksheet and also watch a video on the Discovery Learning website. The icurio website is a safe search engine used by schools.  Everything has been placed there for the students. The students can then organize their research into folders on the website.

Anthony and Dr. Strange give us some additional advice in his interview The Anthony- Strange list of Tips for Teachers Part 1:

1. Be interested in learning yourself.
2. Teachers learn to teach in their free time.
3. Be flexible and creative!
4. Always reflect on your teaching.

Anthony explains that we should not teach technology in the video Don't Teach Tech - Use It. He explains that we should slowly introduce different tools in the classroom. The students will learn the tools and then add new tools slowly. He explains that it is a scaffolding technique.

In Additional Thought About Lessons Anthony list the 4 parts every lesson should contain:

1. How does it fit in with your standards?
2. How to unfold the unit using scaffolding properly.
3. How are you devising your lesson throughout the week Monday through Friday?
4. How will you deliver the message in a daily lesson?

My Sentence Videos

My Sentence is...

My Passion is...

Blog Post #5 Part 1

PLN's What Are They?

What are PLN's?
PLN’s are personal learning networks. You have probably been using them all along and didn't even know it! In Developing a Personal Learning Environment, Dr. Strange writes, “It is those people, places, organizations and activities which enable you to learn.” I have groups of people that I know or follow to help me with certain types of information. I also have different websites and applications that I use. Tying these sources together and creating a network is a PLN.

How are they formed?

In A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment, we learn how to use Symbaloo to create a network of applications such as Twitter, Facebook, Evernote, YouTube, and Delicious. The girl in the video has all of her saved information in one place. I had never heard of Symbaloo and decided to create an account. I think it is a great idea to have all your personal interests and information in one place.

How Can you create your own PLN?

You can create your own PLN by signing up for Symbaloo or Netvibes. Another way to create a PLN would be through Blogger or Twitter. In Michael Fawcett Discusses his PLN, we learn that following people on Twitter can give you new opportunities to learn, communicate and collaborate. I have also recently signed up for Twitter and have enjoyed following people who are interested in the same things that I am.

Who will be the first additions to your PLN?

The first additions to my PLN will be classmates and staff from EDU 310. I will also follow other educators on twitter and follow their blogs. I will be able to keep all this information together by using Symbaloo. On Symbaloo, I will add Facebook, Twitter, Google, Evernote, YouTube and more to keep all the important things I am learning about in one place.

Blog Post #4

Asking Questions: What questions do we ask? How do we ask?

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher?

In The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom by Ben Johnson, he gives a better way to make sure the class is listening, paying attention and being prepared to answer a question. Johnson explains that usually the same children raise their hands to ask questions.This system has caused other children to stop paying attention. A way to get them engaged it to equally call on the students so that they will listen and know that they will be called on. He also explains that you should wait 3 seconds before calling on a student to give them time to think of the answer. I like Ben Johnson’s idea and plan to use an adaptation of this idea in my future classroom. I like the idea of using equity sticks in a small bucket or can. The sticks would have the students names written on them. I could then pull the sticks and place them back in. A way to make sure you call on everyone would be to put a smaller bucket inside of a bigger one and once you pull a stick you put it back in between the two buckets. If the students don't know you are doing this they will always be prepared to answer a question. I would also wait a little longer than 3 seconds before calling on someone. If  a student does not know the answer I would make sure to move on so I would not embarrass the child. I would keep in mind that I would need to make sure they understood.

In the video Asking Better Questions in the Classroom by Joanne Chesley, she talks about how it is better to ask open ending questions rather than closed-ending questions. A closed-ending question can be answered with a yes or no answer. An open-ended question requires a more detailed answer. For example, if a question started with, "what would happen if...?", then the response could not be yes or no. I agree with trying to give open-ended questions because it encourages the students to be more thoughtful with their answers.

After watching the video Questioning Styles and Strategies, I learned about several types of styles and different types of techniques for asking questions.

Questioning Styles

1. Mastery (Describe)
2. Interpersonal (What do you like?)
3. Understanding (What was the effect?)
4. Self Expressive (Draw a picture)

The teacher in the video thoroughly explains and shows different styles of questioning. I like how he randomly called on different students. They were all prepared with their answers and gave it their best shot. He also asked a student to call on another student from a different table. I think by using all of these styles the students will have a better understanding. Students learn differently and this allows them to have every chance to absorb and interpret the information being taught.

Project #4 C4T#1 Summary

Summary of Principal Vincentsen's Blog Post #1

Capturing Struggling Readers

Principal Vincentsen feels that audio books are a great way to help struggling readers. She feels that a lot of children are discouraged when they are not able to read the same level books as their peers. Audio books make it possible for the students to listen to the same books. She gives several websites to find audio books such as; Audible.com, BookShare and Learning Ally.

I agreed that I thought it is a great idea for some children to use audio books to help them read the same level books as their peers. They are a great choice for children who need something different to help encourage their love of reading.

Summary of Principal Vincentsen's Blog Post #2

Thank You Dr. King

Principal Vincentsen wrote about taking a moment to reflect and thank Dr. Martin Luther King. She shared a letter that she wrote to the families at her elementary school. Principal Vincentsen feels it is important to teach our children about, ”the values of peace, equality and inclusion”. She had a link to a video Martin Luther King Tribute and a link to a website called Wonderopolis for more information.

I commented that I felt a lot of people recognize that Martin Luther King Day is for celebrating and that it is a day that they don’t have to go to school, but they are not remembering the true meaning. I agreed with her that we need to remind people how far our country has come so that it doesn't ever happen again. I will keep both of the resources in mind for my future classroom.

Project #15

Search Engines

1. Bing-Bing is a search engine that is a lot like Google. You can search for information, find the news and look for images. There is a search box in the middle of the site to type in what you are looking for. At the bottom of the site is recommends articles for you to read. I feel there is a lot going on with this search engine and prefer something a little simpler. I do like the recommendations at the bottom.
2. Ask-Ask is an interesting search engine because it has a tab to click on for questions and answers. You can ask your own questions or search through others. You can also find information, news and videos on Ask. I like the clean layout of Ask and feel it is easy to use.
3. Yahoo-Yahoo is a search engine like Google. You can sign up for an email address. You can search for information, news and videos. Yahoo has a lot of other uses as well. You can find groups for people with similar interests, movie reviews, food, travel entertainment and more.  The site is very busy. I would not use yahoo as a search engine because I don’t need all the additional features.
4. Dogpile- Dogpile is a search engine where you can find information, images, video, news and more. It also has a tab for the white pages. I like the clean and fun look of this site. The search results come from Google and Yahoo.
5. DuckDuckGo-This search engine is a simple search box with no bells and whistles. It claims that it is “the search engine that doesn’t track you”. I think that is a great privacy feature. I am constantly getting advertisements online from websites I have visited. This search engine is one I will defiantly try!
6. Webopedia- Webopedia is an online technical dictionary. You can search your word at the top of the page. This site would be used by IT professionals, and educators. I feel this engine is a little too busy. It recommends words and shows other searches. It also has a lot of advertising on the site.
7. Mahalo- Mahalo is not your typical search engine.  It is a “How To” website where you can search how to do anything and find an answer in articles or videos. I like the layout of the site and like how it is organized into different categories such as health and education. Mahalo uses real people to review other websites and then post their results to be searched. I like that Mahalo uses real people because we get less spam and malware using their search engine.
8. WolframAlpha- WolframAlpha is a computational knowledge search engine.  The search engine says that they are “more than a search engine. It gives you access to the world's facts and data and calculates answers across a range of topics, including science…”  I really like the simple look of the site.  It has a search box in the middle of the screen. This is a great website for educators and students.  I especially like all of the help with math, I don’t think there is another search engine like this and I am excited to use it.