EDM 310 Blog Post 6

What do you learn from these conversations with Anthony Capps?

     One of the first notes I took from the interview with Anthony Capps was when he discussed what entails a good project.  He says, "the goal of a good project is one that has an authentic audience, has student interests, involves the community and most importantly, they are driven by content.." (Project Based Learning Part 1).  To often I think that in classrooms throughout all levels of education projects and view more as a chore than anything else. Your students should be genuinely interested in what they are doing, it shouldn't just be busy work.  By having work involve the community and allowing your students to be driven creates a connection that strengths the project.  I had never thought about the way a project should be done and after listening to Anthony I really enjoyed his take on projects.  He has working knowledge and hands on experience that I could really take some notes on.

     Prior to this assignment and watching the talks with Anthony I had never heard of iCurio, however after listening to the brief discussion between the two, I imagine that iCurio may be an excellent tool in order to help educate students.  The ability to "allow students to safely search websites that have been pulled and filtered for educational uses." (iCurio: Conversation with Anthony)  There is so much information out there on the internet that can be view us unreliable.  By using this type of technology we are not only able to have our students find information online, but the right information.  Anthony also explained how iCurio could be used to organize and maintain helpful information.  After the explanation I found that iCurio gives students the ability to use a search engine that will give them genuine information.  It is important now is this growing technological world that we can introduce this material as early as possible to allow students to become accustomed with technology.  I am interested in finding out more about iCurio.

     After viewing The Anthony - Strange Tips for Teachers video I learned a lot about the teaching profession.  There are two different points of views in this video.  The ideas of the more experienced teacher and the ideas from the much more wet behind the ears teacher provided excellent insight on the profession.  I liked Anthony's idea , which Dr. Strange summarized, that "It's hard work but fun at the same time if you let it be fun, it never ends and it is very rewarding." (The Anthony - Strange Tips for Teachers Part 1) Teaching is a profession in which you have to constantly adapt to new things, whether its new teaching standards, a new group of students you have to instruct or dealing with an ever changing technological landscape. I took from his idea that you have to embrace the volatile nature of the profession, you need to constantly learn what will work and what wont. You may have to try a new method, but you make your work your own and embrace it.  Teaching in my mind is a wonderful profession because you are able to impact so many people.  I think that the ability to help others learn and make it fun for them may be hard work, but it is a great reward.

My Sentence Videos

My Sentence Is...




Quotes from G.R.R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones"

My Passion Is...

EDM 310 Blog Post 5

What are Personal Learning Networks?

     Defined by Dr. Strange on his website (Dr. Strange's PLN Page)  as "people, places, organizations and activities which enable you to learn",  these networks are constantly changing while you are with them.  It is a large collaboration that does not belong to any one person; it is a joint effort.  In order to have it work and make it successful you have to be able to learn from it as much as you contribute to it.  It will change your ways of thinking, but you have to let it. I believe that it is said best when described as " a Personal Learning Network is the replacement for the classroom which no
longer works as it did in an earlier day and time. It is a revolutionary change in education!" (1, Dr. Strange's PLN Page).  They are a new way of educating ourselves by hearing others, who are more well rounded in a given subjects ideas. We can learn new things from people and they can learn new things from us.

How can they help you as a teacher?

     I think that a personal learning network would be a major help as a educator.  Because the world of education is constantly changing thanks to new age technology, for one person to believe they know the best ways to do everything is absurd.  By creating or joining a learning network, I would be able to see what others have done with their skills in order to create a learning environment or how they were able to use technology to help further their students educations.  Having the ability to go and find almost anything through the use of a learning network would be extraordinary.  I think it would help because you would be able to learn so much from people who have more experience in the field than you and they can help you to learn innovative ideas.  I think PLNs are wonderful to all educators looking to expand their borders.

How are they formed?

     The first thing that you have to if you're going to establish a PLN is to find an area that you personally are interested in.  Then you begin to identify sources like "people, places, organizations and activities through which you might learn." (2, Dr. Strange's PLN Page) You have to identify with different sources through social media websites or other things like blog posts. You have to be able to dig beneath the surface and draw information at depth.  You also need to interact with people on these sites in order to bring out even more information.  I think Dr. Strange said it best when he said " You are more detective than student. A LOT more like a detective!".  I think that this quote is perfect in describing the extra effort you must put in when using these networks.

How can you create your own PLN?

     If I were to create my own PLN first I would, as previously stated, have to find my field of interest.  Then I would create profiles on social media in order to follow the exact people who had the knowledge and ideas I was searching for.  Then I would begin to save all these ideas and put them on my social media.  I'd have to constantly update my information and look for new more influential ideas to keep it fresh.  I would also make it to where other people looking for my type of ideas would be able to readily find them throughout post, articles and social media.

Who will be the first addition to your PLN?

     The first people I would add to my PLN would have to depend on what my interest was in.  Considering I would be using this to find more about how to further my ability to educate my students it would have to be other educators.  They would be technologically literate and able to fluently use social media and tools like blog posts to show how they are able to further their students knowledge.  If I added them to my PLN I would have to ability to look at all their methods and the skills they use.  I think they would have to be the first people for me to follow, because I believe they would be the most helpful to me.


http://www.apa.org/Images/carousel-ptcc-network_tcm7-139679.jpg

Search Engines

WolframAlpha

After using the WolframAlpha search engine I found it to be quite a useful tool.  With it you have the ability to solve advanced calculations through use of a search bar.  You also have the ability to look up more information about an equation or theory as well.  All you have to do is type your formula or equation into the search bar and it will begin to do the calculating for you.  I think this is a great way to find help with difficult mathematical problems.

WolframAlpha Search Engine


Bing

Bing would be most useful for minding prevalent news information.  When you go to the cite it already has popular stories for you to click on.  If that is not what you are interested in then you can simply use the search bar to find what you are looking for.  This is a great alternative to Google and I've personally never used this source, I'm sure it would be helpful to those looking to find interesting and relevant news stories.

Bing


DuckDuckGo

The DuckDuckGo search engine was quite similar to Bing.  You simply go to it and you are then presented with a search bar.  You then type into the search bar whatever you are looking for and the website will pull up different web pages concerning the topic you searched.  Also it will bring up an example or definition if what you are searching for asks for this.  The engine also advertises that it is the "search engine that doesn't track you", so if you like that then this is certainly for you.  I think this is a useful engine that can bring up information you're looking for quite well.

DuckDuckGo


Dogpile

Dogpile is a search engine that combines multiple search engines.  All you have to do type in it's search bar whatever you want and it will bring you multiple pages across the web.  This is a good engine to use in order to find articles or websites with particular information, however it may not give you that quick hit of information that you would want from just a small search.    I'd recommend using this to find websites with particular information you're looking for though, because it pulls in a large amount from multiple search engines.

Dogpile


Yahoo!

Yahoo is both a search engine and also a main news source for people.  When you go to the page you see the typical search bar, but there is also a flood of news information.  This search engine is wonderful for looking up information and finding websites and also being able to see important news information without having to go buy a newspaper.  Either go search what you will in the search bar or simply browse the news as it cycles through on the page, Yahoo! is a wonderful search engine to use to gain information.

Yahoo!


Ixquick

Ixquick advertises itself as "the world's most private search engine".  Much like DuckDuckGo, if you're into the privacy of using a search engine then this engine will be for you.  It's a simple to use search engine.  All you need to do is type into the search bar whatever information you're looking for and you are given the best results from your search.  I would recommend this only if you're seeking to be private, because in my opinion there are better search engines for you to use.

Ixquick


Ask.com

Ask.com is quite a useful search engine.  You may think by the name that you must imply a question, but that is misleading.  Go to the site and type into the search bar whatever you are looking for and you will be given links to the best sources to find what you are looking for.  It also will give you a quick hit of information if you're question is easily answered.  I would recommend this search engine definitely.  It is quick and easy to use and provides reliable information every time and it also poses a question of the day, which is fun and gives the search engine a bit more life.

Ask.com


Aol Search

Aol Search is a quick and easy to use search engine.  When the page loads up you're presented with a search bar.   You just type in what you're searching for and it will bring up the most relevant pages and articles for what you're looking to find.   The search engine is also enhanced by Google.  I would recommend this if you're looking to find good information and articles.  It doesn't have as much liveliness as other pages, which may offer a fun question or pose news articles, but it is still a good information engine.

Aol Search



image provided by www.pauseweb.org

C4T 1

     For comments for teachers, the blog I was given was title "Quantum Progress".  In the first blog post I covered, "Best Class Ever - when I leave the room" for my teacher John Burke, he had posted a video of his students, who were filming themselves solving a problem.  The trick to this was that he was not in the room, he was away at a meeting.  He had given them a difficult question  The video showed how the students worked together and could learn by working together in a large collaboration.  The students seemed to flow as one, working together to think of ideas and challenge each other to solve the problem.  When Burke came back, an interesting shift occurred.  Students no longer spoke aloud and seemed more nervous. I think this was due to the teacher being in the room and the fear of being wrong in front of them creeping into their minds.  Burke was astounded by how well his students worked together on the problem when he was out of the room however.
     In the second post, "Back to blogging with my best class ever", Burke had videoed a discussion among his honors physics class.  The group worked together in an open discussion about what do to solve the particular problem.  Burke proceeds to join the discussion only to ask questions that further the thinking of his students.  They ask questions that are intelligent.  Even when Burke explains that they are wrong, they begin turning out new ideas and come to some interesting conclusions.  Burke comments on how this task is draining mentally to the students and how at the end he is doing a lot of the meaning.  He hopes that he will eventually have it where he turns more of the responsibility over to the students.
     My comments for both the blog posts were similar.  Burke's method of teaching in my mind is something that should be looked into further.  I commented on how the idea of students discussing with one another can lead to a further understanding of the material.  With a teacher present, their is the fear of absolutism, in a sense that if a student doesn't give the correct answer than they are completely wrong.  Because they are working with fellow classmates this fear isn't as prevalent as it would be if a teacher were in the room.  I also said how the blog showed that students have the ability to reach certain conclusions and answers on their own and with the help of a teacher's guiding hand, it can further deepen their understandings.  I believe that what Burke is onto with his open classroom discussions and teaching methods are wonderful ways of instructing students.

For a further look into Burke's blog follow this link.  https://quantumprogress.wordpress.com/

EDM 310 Blog Post 4

What Questions do we ask? How do we ask them?

     And important thing about being an educator in this day and age is to always expand your students knowledge by asking questions, but no just yes or no questions, ones that invoke response and debate. This can be difficult on new educators, who may have difficulty finding out which questions they should be asking.  In the video "Asking better questions in the classroom" by Joanne Chesley she says that educators do not ask questions that open "extended or thoughtful kinds of responses". First we have to be able to distinguish the two types of questions.  The first type of question is close-ended.  Close-ended questions are ones that can be answered with a simple yes or no.  You can imagine that these questions can hinder the ability of students to come out of their shells and truly interact with, because they can simply nod their head.  The other type of question is an open-ended question.  In these the teacher poses a question in a way that "leaves the form of the answer up to the person that is responding", as defined by Chesley.  By asking these questions we are to get more of a response and discussion out of our students.  By doing this we open up more pathways of communication and can have students learn more.  I feel like as an educator it is important to ask as many open-ended questions to my students as possible.  The worst thing in a classroom is the dreaded silence after a teacher poses a question.  It is important to learn how to ask these questions.  You have to pose them in a way that makes the students voice more of their ideas that anything.
     The way of formulating your questions can be difficult for you.  In the article "Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom".  The author Maryellen Weimer takes us through her process of developing better questions to ask for your students in the classroom.  Her first step is to prepare questions.  Often times educators enter a lesson with a variety of questions that they are going to discuss as the class progresses.  Weimer suggests that instead we formulate ideas.  She says we can "make it clearer, not just the wording, but clearer conceptually".  The idea is to plan out how you can make it easier for you students to understand the question and answer them in the best way.  The next step is to play with the questions.  In a classroom when teachers give the correct answer, students' minds immediately go on the the next question.  Playing with the question means "leaving it unanswered for a while and using some strategies that encourage students to think about it" as Weimer would define it. This continues to let the students formulate ideas and generate great ideas and further their thinking process.  The last step is to preserve good questions.  You may find in your teaching that their is always a question that gets a great response from your students time and time again.  These are the questions that should be saved in order to help out later students generate the same ideas.  By these methods teachers can better ask questions and increase their teaching ability.
     By reading on these ideas and theories I have learned how to better ask questions for my students.  I've learned the right way to ask questions.  After reading these articles and watching these videos I've made strides to increasing my teaching ability.

Joanne Chesley video : ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFMfEVdfDys)
Maryellen Weimer's "Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom"
(http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/three-ways-to-ask-better-questions-in-the-classroom/)

EDM 310 Blog Post 3

Outline :
A. Watch "What is Peer Editing"
B. View "Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial" slideshow
C.  Watch "Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes"
D. 1. Answer questions about what I believe peer editing is.
     2. What I believe the best way to approach peer editing is.
     3. How I will go about peer editing for my fellow EDM 310 classmates.
     4. What I believe the importance of peer editing is.
     5. Reflection upon what I learned from the resources.



       Peer editing in its most basic form is simply having your work reviewed by your fellow students and having them give you feedback on what they think would help make it better.  I think that the best way to approach peer editing would be just like it is stated in "What is Peer Editing", "Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes" and in the "Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial" slideshow.  In these sources the spoke of the three simply steps to peer editing.  The steps include compliment, suggestions, corrections and each has its own importance to the process.  I think that this process should be universal in a sense.  Peer editing should be helpful and should take away from the pressure of having an instructor grade your work.  Your peers should be encouraging and compliment what they like about your work.  Then they should build off this with suggestions in order to make what you've done become more clear.  After this they should help to make corrections to what the author has done in the sense of grammar and spelling.  I find this the to be the best way of editing because it helps to build a bond with your fellow student while also helping to better your work.
     When I go about peer editing for EDM 310 I will stick to what I learned from the already mentioned sources. I would be as constructive as possible. The last thing that I would want to do is make a fellow peer feel as if I was attacking their work. This can lead to my fellow peers not wanting to actively participate in later peer editing.  I would make sure that suggestions that were made would help to clear up and strengthen the message sent by the author.  People don't like to have everything in their work knit picked.  The only corrections I would help make would be with grammar and any spelling that the author may have missed in their own revision.  I think that peer editing is important because it takes the stress away of having your teacher grade it.  The corrections feel less severe and it seems to be more personal because you have a stronger relationship with your peers.  This also helps you to have connections with fellow classmates.  Peer editing is a useful tool in the classroom because it helps to build positive relationships among students and help them better themselves through editing one another's work.  I grasped my ideas about peer editing from the numerous sources I was told to view before writing this blog post. They helped me to realize that you should take the criticism presented by your peers not to heart, they are only being constructive towards you and your work and when you are helping editing work you simply need to compliment, suggest and then correct.