Sunday, November 30, 2014

C4T #4

Final C4T
pinterest.com

C4T
Whatedsaid
In the text post he talks about how to incorporate science into a meaningful lesson. He posted how important it is to incorporate technology in as well. He showed pictures of the students performing hands on activities and interactive field trips around the school. He stress how important it is for students to connect real life meaning to their learning experience. 

Response:
I really enjoyed reading your blog! I think it is very important for students to be life long learners and what better way for them to do that than to incorporate real life meaning into their studies.

Blog Post #5 Part 2

My Final PLN
By: Chelsea Powers

My PLN has become very useful to me throughout the weeks in EDM 310. It has helped me keep organized on the various different websites I use in this class. I hope everyone found this as useful as I did. Here is a link to my own personal PLN.

Chelsea's PLN

Monday, November 24, 2014

C4K November


C4K November
snowvillageinn.com

C4K
Post#8

11/2/2014
Naveen
Naveen Mr. Wigmore's Class
100 word challenge.
One day I was walking I saw a dog and it had a broken bone and the dog was crying. :( I helped it but it was a cat no!! because it attacked me .It was on green grass and it dug a hole and all the mud came on me “yuck ” the cat was swimming so I was going to catch it in the water and it would also take the mud off of me. then it was lifted by a big wave and I fiannly cauht the cat. It was crying :( I felt bad so I took it to the veternarion then it went back in the wild “yes “.

11/2/2014
My response:
Naveen,
Great job on your 100 word challenge. I really enjoyed reading your story! keep up the good work and I cannot wait to read more.


Post#9
11/9/2014
Maitrylin
Have you ever wondered what Veterans Day is? I am going to tell you what is Veterans Day is and why do we celebrate it.

Veterans Day is the day when we Americans, honor the people who served the Armed Forces. When died or alive should still honor them for protecting our country. They also make it better everyday by saving America and making it a place to live in. Also, to honor the people who wake up every morning and doing their job as protecters of our country.

The reason why we celebrate Veterans Day is because it is the day to honor the people who sever America.Also, the day when we thank them for all the hard work they have done. They also risk their lives for us, their families and our freedom. They make America a safe place to live they are the hero’s of our country.
This is what Veterans Day is and why we celebrate it.


Response:
Marilyn,
I am a student at the University of South Alabama and I am studying to become a teacher. What a great post in honor of all of our Veterans. Most people forget about the brave men and women who serve our country everyday for our freedom. Keep up the good work!


Post #11
11/20/2015
Leah Wrote:
What happen this first quarter?
This first quarter is almost over because this is the last day of the first quarter and I will tell you what happened. It has been the first quarter since the beginning of the year and so far we have learned so much and done so many projects. Most of the projects we did were in science: like testing gobstoppers in different liquids such as nail polish remover, like me and my friend Emily did. And we also made different weather detectors such as barometers, and rain gauges, ect. I am ecstatic to finish the rest of the year.

This year is much much better than last year. I have made more friends and learned more about the Catholic faith. It is interesting to learn about because I am Lutheran and so now i know much about the difference between both faiths. I am a novice at writing this year large paragraphs and stories in language. Language is one of my most favorite subjects because I get to practice my writing and I love writing books.

I am about to write a new book about a girl named Lilly that finds out her school is closing down their playground because there is sand hornets there. Lilly finally finds out a new chemical-like solution to get rid of the sand hornets as the school thanks her for her free choice of the school to go to a field trip anywhere she would like. She decides they should go to a art museum. As they get to the museum they stroll around for a bit as Lilly finds out something suspicious. She finds one of the painting’s important character is missing. She goes there a week later with her parents and finds out that it is in a different painting by the same person and tells somebody at the museum. Soon they fix it and she is thanked by the museum and earns something very special.What could it be?

Thank you for reading my newest blog. Please mention any ideas i could put in my newest story!


Response:

Hi Leah,
My name is Chelsea and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. It looks like you have been pretty busy this quarter. I can't wait to read your story! keep up the good work!

Chelsea



Sunday, November 23, 2014

Blog Post #14

Teaching Can be a Profession by: Joel Klein
Teaching Can be a Profesion

Pick from the best:
Joel Klein states that we have let virtually anyone become teachers and that we need to recruite teachers that are in the top third of their graduating class. Mr. Klein also discusses how we must change the way we award teachers.

Seniority Distraction:
Mr. Klein explains how the schools focus on seniority instead of a highly qualified teachers. This is a problem because there are plenty on incompetent teachers that do not perform as well and still have a job because they have been there the longest.

Radical Change:
Shanker talks about a major change where teachers would have to be evaluated and take exams. He also went as further so children would have a choice of where they wanted to go to school instead of their mandatory school district.

My opinion:
By: Chelsea Powers

Mr. Klein has a very good outlook on what the school systems should do. It would take a lot to make all of these changes. I have to agree that teachers should be awarded based on their performance instead of seniority! I have seen plenty of teachers that are not qualified whatsoever to teach a child at all and then I see a new teacher just out of school that is so much more qualified and she is the one to get fired because she is not "tenyard". I believe all teachers should take some type of exam to make sure they are up to date on all the new technology and ways to help benefit on how our students learn. In order for all this to take place you would have to start from the ground up. In a perfect world I can see this happening but lets face it, we do not live in a perfect world.


Sunday, November 16, 2014

Blog Post #13

Common Core Standards
By: Chelsea Powers

What is Common Core Standards? What are some pros and cons of Common Core Standards? What is your opinion on Common Core Standards?

thenewsdoctors.com


Common Core is a rigorous set of standards for the English Language Arts and mathematics curriculum that has been developed based on the best practices of schools and organizations around the country and the world. The standards were created using the feedback of K-12 teachers, college-level educators and experts in the fields of civil rights, English-language learners and students with disabilities.




Pro's:
The Common Core Standards will allow states to compare standardized test scores accurately.

The Common Core Standards are internationally bench-marked.

The Common Core Standards will decrease the costs states pay for test development, scoring, and reporting.

The Common Core Standards will lead to the development of higher level thinking skills in our students.

The Common Core Standards will increase the rigor in the classroom and thus better prepare students for college and global work success.

Con's:
The Common Core Standards will be a tremendously difficult adjustment for students and teachers initially.

The Common Core Standards are vague and broad.

The Common Core Standards will likely cause many outstanding teachers and administrators to pursue other career options.

The Common Core Standards assessment will not have an equivalency test for students with special needs.

The Common Core Standards currently only have skills associated with English-Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. There are currently no science or social studies Common Core Standards.

Pros and Cons Of The Common Core Standards

There is a lot of controversy over Common Core Standards in the US. There is a lot of parents and teachers that wonder if the common core is right for our children. Of course we want our children to be nationally average compared to everyone else. But how does this actually work? As a parent it is hard for me to help my child with his homework because he is not learning or being taught the same way I was when I was in school. When I do try to help him it confuses him. I can see where this can be beneficial with helping our children becoming college and career ready. I guess nobody really likes change but we have to embrace it and take it for what it is, especially for future educators to learn new ways to teach our future citizens.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Blog Post #12

Assistive Technology for Students with ADHD
By: Chelsea Powers
friendshipcircle.org
In todays classroom there is a growing rate for children with ADHD. This can be very difficult for a teacher, parent, and other classmates. It also requires a lot of patience, I say this speaking as a mother with a child that struggles with ADHD. I chose to find assistive technology for students with ADHD. I also use some of the programs and strategies at home to help with his homework. There are a bunch of resources for students and teachers in the classroom that I have listed below.

A word-prediction program that requires a few keystrokes to generate word lists can help students with severe spelling problems, who do not benefit from spell-checkers. Graphic organizers, on the other hand, can be helpful to students who can't generate ideas and organize their thoughts. Such as this website Aurora Systems

und.edu
Clickers
Clickers are remote control looking items that record student’s
answers to questions. They can be multiple choice questions or polls. It is a great way to get immediate feedback and data on student’s knowledge of the material. Clickers are engaging for all students especially those with learning disabilities. They provide instant feedback for the student and involves technology It engages the student while maintaining focus on the lesson and task at hand.

Text to speech programs
The programs and tools that create text to speech are great for students who are auditory learners, struggling readers, or have visual impairments. This allows the students to listen to the text while following along with the reading. The student is no longer focused solely on word recognition but now focused on the content and main ideas. WordQ is another program that helps students proofread their work.

Noah Armstrong
Speech recognition software
In my research I came across a few technologies that are designed to help physically handicapped students, but one stuck out because it is something that would help people like me with forms of dyslexia. Speech recognition software was designed to help use a computer without using the traditional mouse and keyboard. Software like “Dragon” can recognize sounds spoken by the user and convert them into commands for the computer. This allows someone with limited use of their hands to operate a computer with their voice. This allows people with limb abnormalities or amputations to be free of the need for an aid to do the typing for them.
Using this software one can also dictate to the computer what they wish to type. This can help not only the people who find it hard or impossible to type but also those that have problems spelling, like those with Dyslexia. These programs are almost 100% accurate when it comes to spelling and recognizing speech. This allows them to make up for their handicaps.
Speech recognition may not be in itself a learning tool but it levels the playing field so that those with the inability to use a computer normally can have a way to do it on their own without help. This is not only a tool for school work but also for the real world that is now run by computers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/guides/factsheets/factsheet_VR_intro.pdf
http://www.nuance.com/dragon/accessibility-solutions/index.htm
http://www.ngtvoice.com/services/assistive/peel.htm

Melissa
AT for the Deaf and Hearing impaired student. During my search for assistive technologies available for the hearing impaired or Deaf this disability was often paired with blindness as well. It was explained that both of these disabilities account for the smaller part of the disabled population so maybe that is why they were often paired together. Another reason could be that a lot of times when a person has one disability it can be accompanied by another or sometimes multiple disabilities reside within one person. At any rate I concentrated on the Deaf. The Deaf community and members within consider it offensive to call them hearing impaired or to say that they have suffered a loss of hearing. They consider ASL (American Sign Language) to be their native language and English their second language. Some do not speak by choice however most of the Deaf learn to speak in order to effectively communicate with the general public.

I will move from older to newer technologies as some of the older ones will still be in use but not for long I am sure as smartphones are getting smarter every day.

In the classroom setting the interpreter was at one time the only way a teacher could communicate effectively with a Deaf or hearing impaired student. The interpreter stands to the left and a little bit behind the teacher and signs what the teacher says in sign language for the Deaf student to see and understand.

Hearing aids can be used by some students with hearing impairment however, do know that the aids amplify ALL of the sound including background noise which could still make it difficult for the student to hear the teacher. Use of FM systems (the same kind as presidential security or McDonald's drive through) where the teacher wears a mini microphone and the student wears a pair of headphones is extremely useful in these cases because the student hears ONLY the teacher.

Sidekick is a mobile communication device that allows the user to receive Instant Messages (IM) and Email. Of course this device is being replaced by the cellphone.

Video instruction and televised announcements with closed captioning can be effective tools. The student can pause or review any forgotten or missed parts of the video instruction avoiding misunderstood questions or answers due to language/communication barriers.

Photo experience books created by the student offer a visual tool to communicate personal experiences with a hearing person without the use of spoken language.

Power point presentations are great for the hearing impaired and Deaf students. It is a computer program that is offered through Microsoft. The program allows the teacher to add pictures and text to slides eliminating the need for the student to hear what is being said.


A vocalization to visualization tool is available for free through a computer program called Winamp media player. A microphone is used and auditory sound is turned into visual fireworks on the computer monitor. This is used to represent the sound that is going on in the room as well as to teach the Deaf student how to speak.

The top assistive technology by far within the Deaf community is the smartphone and texting. The junior high and high schoolers especially like this because it completely eliminates the need to speak. They can communicate clearly and just as quickly with text as their hearing peers.

All of these technologies can and are used in real world situations and like I said earlier the smartphone is quickly replacing a lot of these technologies as I type. resources are on next page.
https://nationaldb.org/library/list/40 http://www.atia.org/files/public/ATOBV5N1ArticleSEVEN.pdf
http://www.lynda.com/academic?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search-GrpAcad-Classroom+Technology&utm_content=55572288666&utm_term=%2Bclassroom%20%2Btechnology%20%2Beducation&gclid=CMDfgcCN6sECFW4V7AodyRQAjQ

Kathryn Ortmann-AT for the Blind and the Visually Impaired

Students that are blind or have visual impairments are going to be vulnerable to falling behind in a classroom setting. Meet Mason. He's a first grader and suffers from a vision impairment. Mason's parents were worried when he first started school that he would not be able to keep up with others and he wouldn't be able to go to a normal school.

To help solve some of Mason's complications, his school purchased a Mountbatten Brailler for him to use during class so that he can learn to write and read Braille. The Mountbatten Brailler is the complete Braille learning center for children and their teachers. As a professional resource, the Mountbatten Brailler offers exceptional connectivity and software to support flexible teaching and educational needs. The Mountbatten is a simple tool that can be used to develop awareness of Braille symbols and characters. The clear audio response reinforces learning and tells the student which commands are being entered. The Mountbatten is the first and only Bluetooth Smart hard-copy Braille device that communicates wirelessly with iOS Bluetooth Smart Ready devices. Mason is able to learn Braille at an early age, so as the grade level increases and the difficulty of subject matter increases, Mason can keep up with his fellow classmates.

Mason uses an iPad and the Smart Board to increase his learning. The iPad allows Mason to participate in fun games and learning exercises that teach him how to read and spell. There are many apps that allow students to listen to words and spell using the sounds, so that they do not really have to see what is happening to learn. The Smart Board, since it is so big, allows a visually impaired student like Mason to be able to participate and actually know what is happening on the screen.



Tori Hudson
Today I am going to share with you an app called Proloquo2Go that is available on iTunes. This is an app that gives a voice to people who can not speak through the use of symbols. This is an amazing tool for kids who have trouble with verbal communication. Instead of trying to guess what they want or need, they can click on the appropriate symbols to tell you exactly what they want. When a symbol is clicked, it says the words out loud on the app as well. In this video, you will meet a 10 year-old boy named Nick. He was diagnosed with Autism and has trouble with his verbal communication. The video shows his mother and other people who work with Nick through out the day using Proloquo2Go and they talk about how it has drastically changed the ease in which they communicate. Nick will often try to verbalize what he wants but when/if it does not happen he uses his iPad to press the symbols which make sentences stating what it is he wants, needs, or feels. Most of the time he will also repeat what the app says which is strengthening his verbal communication skills. The app is availiable on the app store for $219.99. That may seem like a lot of money for one app but when it comes to being able to communicate with a child and the child better communicating with the world, I believe it is worth every penny. If you visit Proloquo2Go, read the reviews from people who have bought it. They all have touching stories about having children or students with disabilities of all kinds whose lives have been made so much easier because of this amazing app that enables them to communicate more effectively.






Sunday, November 2, 2014

Blog Post #11

What can we learn about teaching from these other teachers?
By: Chelsea Powers


Back to the Future
In this video Brian Crosby really knows how to get his class motivated. I have learned a lot from just hearing him speak. Mr. Crosby talks about empowering kids to learn on their own just like we do in EDM 310. He promotes hand on learning such as the project with the hot air balloon that his students did. The hot air balloon seemed to really get the class motivated and work collaboratively in groups. Mr. Crosby also involved the community and made this really a big deal for the students. The most important thing I learned from his video is that whatever the context is that you are teaching make it meaningful and motivational. This video also taught me the importance of technology in the classroom when he talked about Celeste that has leukemia. This is a little girl that cannot attend school because of her treatments and instead of just sending work home for her Mr. Crosby takes extra steps and has her on video in the classroom so she can interact with other students. It was a very touching story! This is a teacher that really cares about his student’s education.

Blended Learning Cycle
Paul Anderson Incorporates all aspects of a good Lesson. The picture that he shows in his video at first was very good understanding of how people thought that the future classrooms would be like. Mr. Anderson tells us how important the power of questioning is for their students. He starts off by getting the attention of the class with the disk that does not stop spinning. He then moves to a driving question and figures it out. They then investigate and experiement. He uses small group activities that involve collaboration with each other. Mr. Anderson also uses paper and pencil quiz to measure the students content knowledge of the subject. I believe this is important so that you can have a record of what the student has learned and what they have not. Mr. Anderson uses The five E's and Oilers disk to explain his techniques.

Making Thinking Visible
Mark Church demonstrates students having a deeper thought process about the content. It is very neat to see what the students think about the content before they actually review it. This also gives the teacher an idea on how to teach the content and different way of questioning. It is very interesting on how their outlooks change after reading and learning the content. This promotes critical thinking skills and group collaboration.

Building Comics
Same Pane taught his students the importance of using internet safety by letting them create their own Superhero digital citizen. This was a really engaging activity. He talke about making good choices when it comes to using the internet. I think this is very important for students to learn. As a parent and a future teacher I want my child to know how important it is to use the internet safely.

Project based Learning
In this video it shows the importance of teacher collaboration. They call this integrated studies which means deeper understanding. It combines technology, English, and History. By doing this it gives the students more time to blend ideas, content and quality feedback. They teach beyond the curriculum to give their students real life scenarios. By the teachers combining technology with English and History, this gives them ownership their work. They get feedback from all over the world which makes them want to do a better job on their assignments. This video shows me how effectively teachers should work together and collaborate to benefit their students.



Roosevelt's Project based learning
Roosevelt Elementary School seems to be a very community oriented school. They keep the parents well informed of what is going on with their children and in the classrooms. The teachers come together using state standards. The Teachers at Roosevelt believe posing real life problem solving skills for their students will make them not only become effective learner but good citizens. By teaching their student PBL they are taught how to work on a project from start to finish. It also teaches them public speaking skills by collaborating with each other. They are taught decision making by the teacher giving them choices on their projects. They are learning so many different learning styles which is truly amazing. There are so many different ways I will incorporate what I have learned in this video into my future classroom.

Project # 14 Project Based Learning Plan Part 2

Project Based Learning Plan
Part 2


By clicking the link below this will re-direct you to our Project Based Learning Plan Part 2.

Project Based Learning Plan Part 2