Blog Assignment #6

What Do You Need to Know About Questions to be an Effective Teacher?

“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”-Voltaire

Voltaire was certainly on to something there. In reading Ben Johnson's "The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom", Mr. Johnson appears to be "on to something" as well. Mr. Johnson gives us an overview of the mistakes teachers often make when asking questions. Then he describes Mary Budd Rowe's research on questioning strategies. Mr. Johnson explains that simply asking a question, then pausing for a short time, then calling on a student is an effective strategy that we can use in our classrooms. He states it's effective because it causes all students to engage in the process; the students do not know if they will be called upon. Therefore, each student is thinking of the answer during the pause provided. This seems to be a perfect solution to get all students involved in the critical thinking process. However, what are the questions that we should ask?

Dr. Maryellen Weimer gives us advice on how we can structure and prepare our questions in her article, "Three Ways to Ask Better Questions." She recommends three actions that can improve our questioning. The first is to prepare our questions by asking ourselves; "Is this the question that needs to be asked?", "When is the best time to ask the question?", and is the question clear enough? The second action is to play with the question; Dr. Weimer suggests that after asking the question, it should be left unanswered for some time. This allows the students to thoroughly think the questions through. The third action is to preserve good questions. You could hold a question for a different class, or revise and refocus a question based off the feedback you received from students.

The aforementioned articles contain great information to consider when asking questions in our own classrooms. How can we start asking good questions today; why wait to practice until we have our own classroom? I have found asking open-ended questions is a great practice to get anyone's wheels turning. Paula Denton models the use of open-ended questions in her article here, "Open-Ended Questions." Paula gives us a real life example of the benefits of using open-ended questions in the classroom, and we can use these same tips in everyday conversation. Learning about the strategies of asking questions has led me to understand that there is no right way or wrong way; rather, there is a perfect way for each teacher, and we each need to find what works in our classroom for any given student.

Project# 8 Book Trailer

"The Tale of Peter Rabbit"

Blog Post Assignment #5

Using iCurio and Discovery Ed to Enhance Your Classroom



*For a better experience, utilize the full screen option when viewing this presentation.

My Sentence Videos

My Sentence Is...



My Passion is...

Blog Assignment #4

Why Podcast?

Podcasting can be an effective teaching tool that encourages students to actively participate in the education process. Langwitches –Podcasting with First Grade opened my eyes to the talents of our young students. In this post, first grade students “interview” characters from a chapter book series being read in their classroom. The students asked questions concerning the book, and their questions, along with answers were written into a script. Later, the script was used to assist students in recording the information; the recordings of all the students were then combined into one recording to make their class podcast. The students were excited, cooperative, and attentive throughout the process; they learned many skills including listening, speaking, presenting, technology, comprehension, and oral fluency. I really enjoyed this presentation, and I now have a new appreciation for podcasts. After reading about this project, I can see how beneficial it is to get students involved in project-based learning. The students learned so much more doing this project as opposed to simply gaining additional reading comprehension skills. I also learned that an audience is important at any age! The students appear to have been excited by their audience and the feedback they were getting. In addition, this was a great way to actually present their knowledge with the entire world. I will take many lessons away from this, but most importantly I will note that all of our students have a voice and want to be heard.

The Flat Stanley Podcast was very inspirational. I had never heard “Flat Stanley’s” story before, and the podcast gave me a very energetic presentation of who Flat Stanley was. The students then illustrated their own “flat adventure.” I was amazed at how the students narrated their journeys. Everyone who participated in the project truly researched the place they visited; using their words and my own imagination, I had a wonderful experience. This project awesome! The students not only learned about new places, but they also learned about the use of technology. From this project, I learned students are more likely to participate in the learning process if they have a “choice and a voice;” this is classic project-based learning. This is a great example of how we can get our students involved in the learning process, and I have bookmarked this project for future reference.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom was a presentation that showed me how I could use podcasting in different ways, including real life situations. For example, it showed how to use podcasting when students are out sick, and it also showed how parents can view their child’s progress as well. This presentation also showed the reality that students are already familiar with technology and how to use it, and with minimal guidance on tools they already have access to, students can easily excel in creating podcasts. I personally enjoyed this presentation, and I particularly love the idea of using podcast for students who are absent from class. This ensures that students do not miss out on classroom discussions, and it keeps everyone connected. Podcasts are not a foreign concept to me; however, I have always been hesitant to try and create my own podcast. The presentations listed above have made me a believer in podcasts, and I cannot wait to create my own. So, why do we podcast? To enhance our learning and then share that knowledge with the world in an engaging way. How do we do a podcast? With the right software, we simply record what we have learned and wait for the world to respond!

Project #2 Presentation

Comments For Teachers #1

C4T#1, comment 1

I was assigned to review and comment on Dianne Krause’s blog. Dianne provides “Daily Digital Discoveries” in each of her blog posts. I found all her posts to include many resources that I had not previously encountered. The first post I read (Daily Digital Discoveries 8/26/2013) included a link to Digital Citizenship for students, this provided information on how to help our students become good citizens of technology. Another resource she provided was the Graphite website. This resource had many listings of recommended educational tools that could be filtered by apps, grade level, subjects, and price. In my comments to this post, I expressed my enjoyment of reading her daily discoveries and thanked Dianne for sharing her knowledge and resources. I then expressed my satisfaction with Graphite, as the site was easy to navigate and loaded with useful information

C4T#1, comment 2

The second post I reviewed in Dianne’s blog was Daily Digital Discoveries 8/14/2013. The information in this post was again informative; I was particularly drawn to “How to Use Google Forms to Create Your Own Self-grading Quiz.” I found this resource very interesting, and I plan to utilize the instructions in the near future. I commented to Dianne regarding this particular section and advised the instruction was very informative and appreciated. The link Dianne provided included step by step instructions using Google Forms, and this gave me a greater appreciation for Google and Google products as a whole.

Blog Assignment #3

Peer Editing

Peer editing is a wonderful tool that should be utilized when available; the difficult task is knowing what is appropriate when peer editing. Can you go too far? Are there rules to follow? These are great questions; fortunately, some great answers were found in the assigned readings/viewings of Paige Ellis’ Blog, the What is Peer Editing presentation, the Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial, and the Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes video.

In Paige’s blog, she presents her own conundrum of the reviewing of a peer’s blog, and she provides the outcome of performing her own peer review. Paige first showed her concern with whether or not to correct a peer publicly (commenting on blog) or privately (via e-mail). Paige then gives us her resolution after consultation; Paige shows that she responds publicly with general suggestions that would not cause humiliation. Then Paige states she sent a separate comment to her peer’s e-mail pointing out areas where mistakes were made. This approach that Paige suggests seems a perfect combination. She provides suggestions publicly and corrections in a private setting.

In the presentations, What is Peer Editing as well as the Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial, we see concise and effective ways to perform peer editing. The presentations provide quick and easy ways to remember what to include in your peer editing tasks. However, there seems to be something lacking regarding how we should deliver this method to our peers. Luckily, the Writing Peer Reviews Top 10 Mistakes video shows us exactly “what not to do.” This video provides several "mini lessons;" to name a few, it shows the realities of being too loud, too mean, too demanding, and too picky. The examples shown in the video bring to light common forms of peer reviewing that I am certain we have all experienced one or more of. While I enjoyed the straightforwardness of What is Peer Editing and Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial, I found Writing Peer Reviews Top 10 Mistakes to be hilarious (the truth about how we truly act is often hilarious) in the way it was presented. The acting was spot on in regards to what is typically experienced in peer editing, and this video was educational in the way it showed us “how not to act” which actually revealed to us “how to act.”

The four presentations combined give a great understanding of peer editing; however, the situation that Paige outlined in her blog is a reality of what I will face in this class. As a veteran of the “corporate world,” I have always been one to praise another for great work publicly and/or offer suggestions in front of their peers. However, when providing correction/coaching to another, I have found providing this type of feedback one on one (face to face or via email) to be the best format; it builds trust and invites future collaboration. This format has proven for me to be effective. There will be times when it is necessary (group/collaborative assignments) to provide and receive criticism or correction publicly and this may seem difficult to deliver or accept. In these situations, I will heed the advice of each of these presentations.

Blog Assignment #2

Professor Dancelot
Authored by: Jo Davis, Secoria Burks, and Lindsay Stewart

Professor Dancealot is not your ideal teacher. Was he knowledgeable about his subject? Yes. Was he knowledgeable about being able to effectively teach his skills to others? No, if anything, the professor provides an example of what not to do in teaching. Professor Dancelot did utilize one form of technology (PowerPoint) in his classroom; however, the subject he was teaching could have benefited from a more “hands-on” style of instruction as a dance class by nature should be interactive. Even though the professor used a PowerPoint, it did not engage the students as it was only words with a few diagrams. With the technology available today, even adding a video in his lessons would have made his teaching slightly less depressing for his students. Professor Dancealot attempted to teach his students the different types of dances including form and movement; however, Professor Dancelot stayed behind a long desk the entire time. This prevented his students from seeing the necessary moves for each respective dance, and when the students attempted to participate, the professor advised them to remain seated and quiet. The students stated they felt as if they were not learning anything, and they showed no comprehension of the material taught. This is because they were not allowed to practice the skills being taught nor were they able to see the skills performed correctly. Professor Dancealot’s teaching style leaves much to be desired, and this style could be aligned with the “burp-back” education method that today’s students see far too often. Professor Dancealot could benefit from a semester in EDM310!

Teaching in the 21st Century
Authored by: Lindsay Stewart

In Kevin Roberts’ Prezi, he expresses his views for what it means to teach in the 21st century. Kevin views the changing landscape of education to be one that is evolving into an environment of technology, networking, and collaboration. Kevin describes how traditional education is becoming obsolete. He explains how students can now get the information they need on any topic at any moment via the internet (through various sources). Kevin suggests that teachers should become “filters,” because students can find the information they need; however, someone is needed to help the students break that information down and use it effectively with all the available technological tools. Kevin’s views on the future of education may in fact one day be the norm, and in some educational settings, it is being used on a smaller scale. While I agree with Kevin on many of his points, I also believe there is more work to be done in providing all students with the kind of technology that Kevin presents in his Prezi. There are still many locations/communities that do not have access to a high-speed internet service; in addition, how can we get more funding for our schools to stay on top of the ever-changing technologies? Today, many schools are working on outdated technology equipment (if they have access to any at all). These are issues that merit consideration, as our current education system has certain standards to be met for students at different grade levels. How can we measure a student’s progress if they do not have access to the same tools as a student from a school/community that has the latest technologies at their fingertips? If Kevin is correct in his analysis, education as we know it will never be the same. Students (and adults) crave knowledge, and this desire cannot and should not be stifled. Kevin’s break down of teaching in the 21st century is certainly something we should contemplate, and when possible, we should utilize these concepts when teaching others.

The Networked Student
Authored by: Secoria Burks

Connective learning gives students the ability to teach themselves in a very real and interactive way. Through the use of social networks and the internet, the student becomes his own instructor, there are no books, and the teacher barely lectures. The idea behind this type of teaching is that learning is done with connections that can be acquired through technology. Essentially the student would make their own virtual textbooks. They would use databases, message boards, forums, and expert sources to create a knowledge base on the subjects they are studying. Classmates would then share their findings on a blog that can be seen by the world. The teacher might seem useless at this point but their role is to teach the student how to build and manage their newly acquired knowledge. The teacher would give guidance and teach how to effectively communicate with potential experts on subjects. Teachers would also help students navigate away from propaganda and stick to the facts, and they would advise how to start the search for information. I can appreciate this way of teaching, it gives the student the real ability and responsibility to teach and learn for themselves. However, as a person who enjoys more of a human connection between student and teacher this would probably not be the best style of teaching for me. Students in the 20th century,like myself, are more accustomed to learning with books and hand-to-mouth notes. Students in the 21st century who would have grown up with these new types of technology would be better suited to connectivism. Thus I can see how students in the 21st century would benefit more with form of teaching.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
Authored by: Jo Davis

Edutopia’s video on “Harnessing Your Students’ Digital Smarts” showcased Vicki Davis and her fantastic take on the teaching and application of technology in school. Technology classes such as Vicki Davis’s are the future of our education system. We absolutely need more examples like this class and teacher in schools all around the world. It was made a point to say that Davis did not let the fact that she lives and teaches from rural Georgia stop her from being technologically literate. She has a passion for teaching future generations to be well versed in using technology and getting them to have a desire to explore it themselves. The fact that her class was completely hands-on, and even had the students instruct at times, ensures that the students have an actual understanding and are developing their skills. The use of tools like blogs, online-partner based projects, and even a class wiki provides great opportunity to learn how to utilize technology in various ways. Another thing I found very interesting is at one point in the video the curriculum director speaks on how Vicki Davis has gotten them connected to the whole world. The curriculum director being the one to say this made me think about how due to the fact that this class is being connected to the whole world, it is very likely that the standard of their curriculum is being raised to match that of an international level, not restricted to that of a rural area. This technological interconnectivity results in more culturally aware thinkers! This is a very exciting indication of the future of education and how it will mold the minds of generations to come. Simply giving children access to this kind of technology and then providing the opportunity to learn tech skills is a wonderful thing. Davis even at one point states that she learned how to terraform in the class software from the students. Early introduction of technology into everyday life for these children is first step for education in the Information and Post-Information Age and its limitless possibilities. Forward thinking pioneers like Vicki Davis, and even sites like Edutopia, are what get me excited for future of education.