Major project post #3

This week, I demonstrated how to crochet a hat. I had to do several takes as I kept messing up the design and messing up as I was explaining what to do. But I eventually got it! I just need to edit my video and it's done. I did not have a template for the hat design, so I watched a video on YouTube and took notes for each step. Then, I used those notes to create my own video. I did not use the exact tactics from the original video because I wanted to make it more my own and also because I did not have all the necessary tools, so I improvised. Everything turned out ok! What I did on the first time I watched the original video was make a hat with the instructor, the second time I took notes, then I was able to demonstrate myself. For my next post, I will clean up my notes and type them up on here, so I can put them with the video for a different form of instruction.

Before I learned how to crochet, I was a little scared because seeing the templates on paper was overwhelming, but then it all made sense once I watched videos. The terminology is ridiculous, but learning it comes with practice.

Now I am able to work with my students on learning how to crochet. I may have to watch videos during the process, but I am able to pass this skill onto the next generation and the kids love it. I went from just learning myself to being able to teach others.

I used YouTube for video lessons, Pinterest for pictures and templates, I used my personal video camera to capture the demonstration, and I used Movie Maker to put together and edit my video.

Formative and Summative Assessments

This week, I learned about different types of assessment: formative and summative. I already knew some about them, so this was not news to me. My philosophy on assessment is that assessments come in many shapes and forms. Attending school to become an educator has taught me that learning does not always have to come from reading and studying the books, it comes from the application of yourself. This is why I love teaching because I actually get the chance to apply my knowledge to further understand things rather than just trying to memorize terms. I was previously a nursing major, but I switched to teaching and I now see why. It is hard to grasp content if you cannot apply yourself. Back on topic, there needs to be a variety of assessments: observation, quizzes, feedback, a chance to rework an assignment, etc. I got this from Rick Wormeli. What I just described were all formative assessments. Summative assessments can be final projects, final exams, SATs, anything that has high point value and the assessment is over content students have already learned.

My impressions about the 2 formative assessment technologies (PearDeck and EduCanon) were that they are easy to use and interactive for students and teachers. To explain what they are, PearDeck is an interactive presentation tool in which students or teachers could use. EduCanon is online learning environment where teachers provide interactive video lessons, so basically like live chat or a pre-recording. These forms of technology are not trying to drive teachers away from using summative assessments, but just use more formative assessments, too. Students cannot learn from a test that is taken at the end of the year, but it does show where students stand when advancing to the next grade level. They need feedback during the school year, so they can improve themselves and so teachers know where their students' comprehension stands. Scott Kinkoph expressed this in his video about supporting formative assessment, but did not take the importance away form summative assessments. As a teacher, I have to make it an everyday goal to include formative assessments in my classroom because it has proven to not only increase test scores, but also improve student engagement and comprehension. Formative assessments need to be used as much, if not more than summative assessments, but they both need to be used.

Cool Tool Review #5 Major Project Post #2

For my last cool tool review, I chose YouTube because for my major project, I had to learn how to crochet. I watched many different videos but here is a video that I did watch. YouTube does everything. You can find a video tutorial on basically anything and it is so helpful. YouTube is not just for video tutorials, it can also be used for teacher lesson plans, movies, television shows, funny videos, etc. 

I would use this tool in the classroom for lesson plan ideas, as I also use Pinterest for this too. I can use it for games if I need an idea, or I could upload an activity that my class did. I can put the students in charge of making their own video. I watched this video from a class the other day about phonics. I want to use that activity as it looked fun for the students, yet was effective in teaching them about phonics. 

I am not learning how to crochet by myself, I am also working with my students as well. Two of my students started working on making a granny square to learn how to crochet. They really enjoy it. How I teach them is I look for a video on YouTube and we crochet the pattern together so the student can watch the video and me, just to get a different perspective as I am not a pro yet.

Here is a picture of a granny square that a 9 year old made (Her first time every crocheting).

Students could use this app to create their own digital media artifacts as it is similar to having a class blog. Students can upload videos, watch videos, etc. It can be difficult to use as you have to have a YouTube account to upload videos and for elementary students, they would either need their parents' help or their teachers' help. In this case, they may not always have someone available.

Here is a picture of a baby hat I learned to crochet from using YouTube.

Flexible Learning Spaces

If learning space is not inviting and comfortable for students, they may not be as engaged in learning and participating. Learning space in the classroom needs to move away from the typical desk and stiff chair. I liked how in flexible learning spaces the students had swivel chairs to sit in. These chairs help students pay attention better because they are able to move around and are not confined to the typical stiff chair. Incorporating swivel chairs and comfortable furniture, letting the students arrange it how they want to gives them the opportunity to sit comfortably to learn and participate more. 

Google apps for education purposes gives students the opportunity to access important information from the teacher. Lets say that a student is absent on Tuesday and typically, students will not get their homework until the following day. The use of google apps give the student access to Tuesday's lessons and assignments so they are on the same page as the rest of the class. If students submit their homework or major projects through the app, they can save their work to look back on or reference later on, too, rather than projects getting thrown away or lost.

The assumptions we should challenge as we design learning spaces is that students will not learn, be too distracted, and the classroom will be too chaotic. Also, we should not just design the classroom one, we should provide several different designs that way we can accommodate for students with different learning styles. For example, this picture I tagged has many different table designs of varying heights and comfy couches. The students are able to sit on the floor, in a chair or swivel chair, or on a couch.

For The University of Akron , the only way I have seen informal learning spaces being used is the use of swivel chairs. In my Educational Psychology class, we have those kinds of chairs. And I admit, I enjoy sitting in that class more because I can move around, lean back, and can turn to talk with other tables easier. I am constantly moving because I have back problems, and there is nothing worse than sitting in a stiff, hard chair, so these swivel chairs are a nice change.

Puppet Pals Cool Tool Review #4

For my cool tool review #4, I chose the application Puppet Pals.

This app lets you create movies using videos, images, animation, etc. I found a video on YouTube that explains how to use it. Students can use this application on their own, too. 

I would use this tool in the classroom as I want to teach second grade. The students would be at an age in which they would be able to create their own puppet show with instructions. This would be a group project for students to do. Puppet Pals give students a chance to use technology in the classroom and is a good method when it comes to TPACK.

I would use Puppet Pals in the classroom because students need a blended classroom, with technology incorporation, so they are able to do things on their own. If students are just sitting in desks listening to the teacher instruct, they may struggle retaining the information. Puppet Pals give students the chance to apply their writing and reading skills to make their show. This is similar to ebooks, and I am all for ebooks and the purpose of them.

This application is easy to use because the instructions are simple enough that students can grasp the concepts easily. Students may struggle with creating their own story behind the puppet show. It is easy just to use words from a book, but in order for students to use their writing and reading skills, they have to think outside the box and create their own stories.

Ebooks Impact the Writing Process!

Many times that students are assigned writing prompts, they are not motivated to write because they are not contributing to anything. They just receive a grade. They may not feel that what they are writing is important as after the grades are received, the writing assignment is no longer needed. There is a way to motivate students and that is with the use of ebooks. Ebooks give students opportunities to write about their experience on a specific topic and put their work out into the world for others to see. Students can provide advise and their perspective on things and that makes them excited. Ebooks allow students to leave a legacy which makes an impact on upcoming students, according to Jon Smith. As teachers, we are constantly pressured to incorporate technology in the classroom and using ebooks is a major part of that.

The benefits I see from students creating ebooks in the classroom are that they are learning how to use technology, they are more engaged in the writing process, and they feel that they are contributing or helping others with the information they provided. I am excited to try out ebooks. Although I may not use it as much because it is so time consuming, I will use this idea occasionally to give the students a different way to express themselves through writing. My biggest concern is as I just mentioned, ebooks are so time consuming that we may lose track and get behind on other subjects. Also, students may become so interested in ebooks that they may lose interest in other subjects. It would be hard to gain students' interest back to other subjects, hence why making class ebooks would be an occasional thing.

The most striking thing I took away from Jon's presentation was that he was able to help all teachers of any grade level and even children with autism. It just goes to show that ebooks make such an impact on students of all ages. No matter what age ebooks are introduced, they dram in student interest for the writing process. I have never been big on technology but ebooks are a must to have in regular lesson planning. The article about Ebooks and TPACK explains how children already know so much about technology that we need to fuel the thirst with more technology and how students love to create their own stories.

What to crochet?? Major Project Post #1

For my major project, I chose to learn how to crochet. I will be crocheting a hat, but cannot decide between the crochet puff stitch hat or the cable twist hat.

Power My Learning

For my Cool Tool Review #3 I chose a Differentiated Instruction strategy. It is called Power My Learning http://powermylearning.org/

This cool tool can be accessed by educators to create content for the classroom, by parents, and by students to participate in class activities. The best part about this tool, it is comprised of Common Core, so it is not just a bunch of random games, but it is all related to what teachers have to teach in the classroom. Power My Learning gives teachers opportunities to design their curriculum online for many learning styles. There are thousands of Common Core based games, activities, quizzes, etc.. for Mathematics and Language Arts. There are many other subjects on the website, too, including foreign languages.

I can use this tool in the classroom as my integrated technology piece. It provides a different way for students to learn. This tool allows me to use differentiated instruction because I get to design my playlist how I want and I can include activities from Kindergarten through 12th grade. If I have students who cannot grasp the content as easily, there are easier options for them. If I have students who are more advanced, there are higher level activities for them to do as well. Power My Learning is a useful tool when it comes to TPACK (Technical, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge) because it is a tool that the teachers can design in which Common Core is already included in and the students are able to learn the material or apply their already learned knowledge through technology. I would use this tool in my classroom because for some students, learning in a classroom can be difficult, so integrating technology helps to give all students a chance to learn. It is also helpful that the parents have access to this app or website. It provides tools for teachers and students. There are also parent resources for nearly anything they would need to know, including learning about Learning Disabilities. This website is very informative.

Students can create their own digital media artifacts. It is easy to use because teachers are the ones who individualize the games for the class. The students do not have to choose between the thousands of games to play as teachers narrow the selection down according to which games or activities relate to the content that is being taught in the classroom. Students may face some challenges with these games or activities as some are Common Core assessed, so they may be difficult, but there are other options in grade levels, too. There is just so much to do on this website that it could get overwhelming to students and teachers, but there is a search engine on the main page to help navigate.

Copyright

As a teacher, I have many responsibilities when it comes to the use of images with copyright, public domain, and creative commons licenses. I remember in school seeing pictures on slide shows having copyright or CC in the bottom corner and I always wondered why, until now. I just thought, why can't you just copy the picture online and use it for your slideshow? That is what I did when I had to prepare a project for school because I was never taught about this in school. I thought anything on the internet was free for me to use, but that is clearly not true. Although I was not taught in school how to properly use images on the internet, it is very important that teachers thoroughly explain why students need to understand copyright and how to use it. For teachers to use images with copyright, they have to seek permission for the original person who shared the images, and it usually costs money to do so. Images under public domain are not subject to copyright, so anyone can use them and nobody can claim them as their own as they are public access. For images with creative common licenses, teachers can use these images free but have to follow the rules that come with them. There are a variety of rules to go along with creative commons licenses and if you are curious to know what they are, visit this video link. 

Teaching students how to use images from the internet in their work needs to be configured into lessons. Technology has been taking over the world and is continuously growing. Education is requiring teachers to integrate technology as a regular activity. It is the teacher's responsibility to model how to use anything from the internet. If an image or video is included in a slide show, the teacher should take a minute to explain how he/she was able to use it, not just copy and paste because it is way more complex than that. Teachers need to get in the habit of explaining the importance of working with CC, public domain or copyright images, videos, etc. As of now, the only reason I know any of this is because of this class. I will make sure I gain a firm grasp on the concept, so I can teach the students how to do it as well. 

The ethical issues around music and movie downloading is that it is occurs so often that people do not view downloading as unethical or against the law. There are fines and jail sentencing involved, but it is so easy to download illegally that people do not care about it. One bad thing about it is the people who make the music or movies need to make money, and people are essentially stealing from them. As teachers, we need to make students aware of the consequences of music and movie downloading. Like I said, the people who make the music and movies need to make money, and free downloading takes away their income. If downloading becomes completely free, many people will not have a job. Students need to be made aware of that. It is worth it to pay for such things, so that people can continue to make music and movies.

Below is a good link to use when learning or teaching students about copyright. It provides questions to ask yourself or others to see if the image, video, etc qualifies for copyright.

http://libguides.uakron.edu/wayne_copyright