Sunday, April 27, 2014

Comments for Teachers

On March 18, 2014, Kelly Tenkely, author of iLearn Technology, blogged about the many uses of Google Story in the classroom. Google Story Builder allows the students to learn about a subject and still be entertained and engaged, because Story Builder requires the students to be knowledgable about a subject before creating a movie. Tenkely explains that Google Story Builder "allows students to demonstrate... understanding in a fun, easy way". I believe that this is a great resource for teachers to use in the classroom and I explained that to Kelly in my comment on April, 13, 2014:

"My name is Megan Long and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. Before this class, I never really explored all of the resources that Google has available for free. Now, I am using Google Mail, Google Drive, and Google Calendars. I have never heard of Google Story! I believe that this is a great resource for teachers to use in the classroom, especially for visual learners. I will definitely explore this resource more. Thanks for sharing!"

Kelly Tenkely received a product from Orbitek called Sphero, and she explained how exciting and innovative this technology is. Sphero is a a sphere that is controlled through an app that is downloadable on smartphones/tablets. This device will roll around where you direct it to, and you can video students' reactions and activities. Students can interact with Sphero as well, and it makes learning fun and educational! I commented on Kelly's reflection of this device and explained what I thought about it:

"This is a great tool! I have never heard of Sphero, but I am always looking for new technology that is fun AND educational. We, as educators, must make the learning environment exciting and this seems like a great way to do so! I can't wait to explore more about this great resource."




Sunday, April 20, 2014

Blog Post Thirteen

The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.In elementary school, children are prepared for middle school, and in middle school, students prepare for high school. Once in high school, students prepare for college, and then every college student needs to prepare for life after college. Through all of the research and references that I have made this semester through EDM 310, I have not prepared for life after college. Yes, EDM 310 has taught me so much about technology in the classroom, but I am never going to reach a classroom if I do not receive a teaching position. In EDM 310, I believe that we should have to witness technology in the classroom. Through field service, students will not only build real life relationships with teachers, but every student will see first hand the positives and negatives of teaching with or without technology.

Blog Post Directions:
Complete 20 hours of field service in your school of choice throughout the semester. For your final blog post, you must reflect on the use of technology that you have witnessed during your field service.
1.) Where did you perform your field service? What technology did the teachers use in the classroom?
2.) What are the benefits of using this technology in the classroom?
3.) What were the negatives of using this technology in the classroom?
4.) Do you believe that the use of technology is appropriate for the classroom?
Answer the questions in a blog post that adheres to the standards found in the ACCRS.

My response to the directions I provided for the blog post:
Mimio in the Classroom

At St. Luke's Episcopal School, the use of technology is strictly up to the teachers' discretion. Every teacher is provided with a Mimio, a device that turns the whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard. With this device, a teacher can use the whiteboard normally, but by turning on the device, the board immediately turns interactive. Along with a laptop, this is the main source of technology that the teachers are provided with.


Although I believe that there are many positive and many negative aspects of using technology in the classroom, but Mimio is a very positive asset to a classroom. I believe that the teachers should be required to attend training sessions about the device, so every teacher is aware of the uses of Mimio. Once the teachers are aware of how to use this device, the teachers of each grade should meet to create lesson plans. This allows every student to receive that same usage of technology in the classroom.
Although I do not see too many positive effects of the use of technology in a classroom, I have, in fact, learn how the use of a Mimio is a great learning tool.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Comments for Kids- April





On April 4th, Venetia, a student at St England School in New Zealand, writes about herself. She says that she is always first to the mat and great at thinking. She reflects on how she can improve on managing herself. She simply says she gets excited about learning, but sometimes she wants to be first. I responded to Venetia and explained how she should always work on improving: 




"My name is Megan and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Al, which is in the United States of America. I love the fact that you love to think. I love thinking, as well, because no matter where I am at or who I am around, I can always think whatever I want to think. Managing yourself can be difficult if you are eager to learn, but it is something that you must learn to do. It is fantastic that you are eager to get to the mat, but make sure you are wanting to sit on the mat because you want to learn, not because you want to be the first one there. It is great that you love thinking and learning. Great Post! Keep up the good work!"
As a teacher, I will have to allow students to reflect on themselves in order to improve. I believe that having students honestly reflect on their actions is a great idea.


Cops and Robbers

On April 11th, Amethyst, a student at St. England School in New Zealand, blogs about a game that she played called Cops and Robbers. The object of this game is to find the cop, which is done by inserting possible coordinates in which the cop may be. If your guess is incorrect, a number will be given that states a number that indicates how many coordinates you are away from the cop. I commented on Amethyst's blog post and told her that the game is a great idea!


"Hello! My name is Megan and I am a student at the University of South Alabama, which is in the United States of America. Thank you for posting the link to this game. I am a future teacher, and I can definitely use this game in my classroom one day. Did you play this game in order to learn about coordinates? Thanks for posting!"

I will be able to use this resource that Amethyst posted on her blog in my classroom one day!


I commented on another students blog, but the post was deleted so nothing is showing up. I am having technical difficulties.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Project Twelve- SmartBoard Lesson Plan

Dr. Seuss/Cat in the Hat
My group and I created a SmartBoard lesson plan based off of a previous lesson plan that is centered around Dr. Seuss. We used the SmartBoard and Smart Tools to teach our students about geometry and math, incoporporating the Common Core State Standards CCSS.MATH.CNTENT.1.G.A.1 and CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.3. Due to technical difficulty, the video can be found here.



Thursday, April 3, 2014

Blog Post Eleven



Brian CrosbyBrian Crosby explains that, in order to be successful teachers, teachers need to not be afraid of the standardized tests, statistics, and labels that come with certain classes and schools. Incorporating students' personal beliefs along with a variety of subjects and standards is a great way to assist every student. Teachers need to have passion and creativity in order to empower students to be active learners. The most important lesson that can be learned from Brian Crosby is to be prepared to change lives! In the elementary classroom, teachers influence students in a variety of ways, so it is our responsibility to be great role models and be prepared to change the lives of our students.

Paul Anderson combines mobile, online, and classroom styles of learning in order to accomplish his style of learning- QIVERS. Each student must complete one letter of this acronym before moving on the the next, with the end resulting in a test. First, Anderson creations a hook (question) which catches the students' attention. Then, he performs an investigation to learn how the subject matter works. Anderson, then, creates a video which further explains the topic, and the students can view this video during free time. Before doing a review of the material, Anderson elaborates on the topic by using a variety of diagrams. Once all of these are completed, each student must pass a summary quiz prior to taking the final exam. This form of learning includes the 5 E's of the learning cycle- engage, explain explore, expand, and evaluate. The use of Anderson's blended learning cycle is great for any classroom, from elementary to high education.

Mark Church's style of teaching and learning is very simple- allow students to work together. Mark Church explains that when students work together in groups, not only do students learn the assignment better, they learn gain a variety of perspectives that other members of the team have. Although simple, Church's teaching style allows the students to be better learners.

Sam Pane is an advocate for student safety on the internet because he uses a variety of technology resources in his classroom. In order to teach this to his students, he develops a lesson on superheroes, where the students create an internet safety super hero. The major lesson that Pane teaches, that every teacher should teach, is that the students must be safe, responsible, and respectful when using the internet. If educators emphasize this, students will be able to use the internet in a variety of ways in order to more productively learn.

Dean Shareski uses project based learning to create responsible and educated students. Project based learning engages the students and creates a better understand of the material that is covered. Technology is also used during the projects, and Shareski's form of teaching allows for more time in the classroom. Having more time in the classroom allows students to develop a great product which the student can be proud of. Having students actually care about what they are learning and making the learning process enjoyable is how Shareski creates a successful classroom.

Roosevelt Elementary creates a learning environment throughout the school that is centered around project based learning. Using this form of learning throughout the entire school allows teachers to collaborate with each other in cooperative groups. Students must working together to understand real world problems, and they are encouraged to make decisions individually. This teaches the students life skills that can be used outside of the classroom which students enjoy. Using this form of learning allows students to love learning and that is how teachers need to teach. If the students are enjoying what they are learning, the classroom will be more successful.



Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Comments for Teachers Number 3- Dr. Paige Vitulli


Puerto Rican MaskDr. Paige Vitulli, a professor at the University of South Alabama and an advocate of arts in the classroom, posted a blog post on her blog about mask making. She explains that through mask making, and art in general, students can learn many subjects, such as social studies and history! Mask are found all over the world, from a variety of cultures, so students will be able to explore the many cultures of the world, which, in my opinion, can teach the students lessons on character. I am currently a student in Dr. Vitulli's class, and I just made my mask. I can honestly say that I will do this project with my class one day because of the variety and depth of lesson plans that can be taught through this activity. I responded to Dr. Vitulli and explained to how much I enjoyed this project and her blog post, but also how I enjoy the use of art in classrooms.


Puerto Rican Mask
Hello Dr. Vitulli! Although I am in your EDU 301 class, I am responding to this blog post for Dr. Strange's EDM 310. I love all of the lessons that can be taught by the use of mask making. I have learned many new teaching techniques by being in your class, and I hope to learn even more as this semester concludes. Art, especially mask-making, allows students to research, but also to be creative. As teachers, it is our responsibility to allow our students to be creative, because that is how they learn. Thanks for sharing! If you are interested as to what I am learning in Dr. Strange's class, follow my blog- longmeganedm310.blogspot.com.



On International Dot Day, Dr. Vitulli allowed her undergraduate and graduate students to make quilts! International Dot Day is inspired by Peter H. Reynold's book "The Dot", a story about how one dot can turn into a collection of art pieces, simply because a child gains confidence and courage. Her students designed on square of paper using crayons then crumpled the paper several times to create a fabric texture. The class, then, connected the squares to create a quilt. This is a great lesson that can be taught in the elementary classroom! I explained how much I enjoyed reading about this activity.


"I love the quit making idea! Ever since you have read "The Dot" to our class, I have been purchasing books similar for my future classroom. This book is so inspirational, and so many lessons can be learned and taught from it, especially in an elementary classroom. The process is so much more important than the product and this book teaches it!"