Blog Post #5

Did you learn the same thing I learned?
After watching Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange I gained a better picture of what Project Based Learning (PBL) looks like in the classroom. Historically, projects were what students did at the end of a lesson to show what was learned. Now PBL is a means of achieving skills and discerning knowledge.
Anthony's 4 Steps To A Good Project
1. Have an authentic audience.
2. Keep it relevant.
3. Involve the community.
4. Focus on ACCRS and Common Core.
His golden rule in PBL...Provide opportunity to revise and review.

Really, Project Based Learning can be fun?
In the following video Anthony said that teachers should never limit their students by what teachers want students to do. He believes teachers should create opportunities for students to go beyond what they want them to do. He also taught me that giving students choices is crucial to successful PBL, and giving them a choice creates fun and an engaging relationships.

The Internet Gets a "Children's Section"!
I had never heard about iCurio. This information is both fascinating and freeing. If you do not know, I am concerned with children being exposed to inappropriate material as they innocently search for information online. In essence, iCurio is the equivalent to the "Children's Section" in a library. The opportunity for students to find appropriate literature, video and audio in the "Children's Section" of the internet brings great comfort to teachers and parents who are fearful for the same reasons I was. The added benefit of storage makes iCurio even more student friendly. Now I know where my personal children will search for information on future school projects. Maybe I can actually cook dinner while my children search the internet with iCurio!


Discovery Education brings experts into the classroom.
I think students love field trips because they get out of the classroom, and they get to hear another person's voice. Teachers like field trips for almost the same reasons. They get out of the classroom and another person gets to teach the children. Discovery Education is the best of both worlds. Children get to go on mini field trips, an expert on the subject they are discovering discusses the content, and the teacher does not have to study vast amounts of information in an attempt to become an expert in subjects they may have little or no desire to explore. Discovery Education brings the expert into the classroom in a format that combines listening and watching to teach, explore and engage students in content in an in depth manner that would be difficult for a lone teacher. Discovery Education is a virtual extension of the classroom teacher.


A New Teacher's Top 5 Things to Ponder
Anthony and Dr. Strange came up with this list of 5 things a new teacher may want to consider. I have a feeling the next 5 things will be coming soon.
1. Be interested in learning.
2. Teaching is hard, but combining work and play makes planning fun and teaching fun.
3. Be flexible, creative and ready to respond to spontaneous situations.
4. Start with the end in mind. Consider what outcome you desire and find content that motivates students.
5. Reflect on what and how you are teaching.


Technology... don't teach it, introduce it smartly.
I have to defend my generation for a moment. Yes, technology can be difficult to learn and intimidating to utilize. The stages of life, primarily parenting, make it difficult to dedicate time to learning new things. I have used this as an excuse and, even today,have to come up with creative ways to carve out time to learn and use technology. I am thankful that EDM 310 is forcing me out of the nest. This class is a wonderful tool that not all folks have access to. Ok, my rant is over.
It seems like the gist of this conversation is another motto for EDM 310, new teachers and those people stepping out of the analog age and into the digital age. "Introduce technology smartly and do it yourself, first, so you will understand the problems students/others are having as they begin using it."


Don't try eating a meal in a single bite.
When planning lessons begin with the yearly snap shot as a road map. But it is in the daily lessons that students board the life long learning train. Anthony gives 4 practical suggestions when considering lesson planning.
1. Have curriculum in mind to ensure all content standards are covered.
2. Consider the unit being taught and the ways you will unpack the lesson.
3. Look at your weekly goals and how each day will allow you to accomplish your goals.
4. Consider the daily lessons. This is how you will deliver information to students and measure what they are learning.