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Sunday, July 13, 2014

Blog Posts #14 and #15

Blog Post #14
What do you have to do in the next year and a half (or the time before you graduate) to get ready to be a teacher using Project Based approaches to learning in situations where students have the tools they need to participate effectively in such instruction?

I think the main thing anyone needs to do when they are unsure of something that they have to work with is practice, practice, practice.... A lot of things in my EDM 310 class were all new to me when I started class back in May. Through trial and error and a lot of practice, I was able to learn so much. Some of the things we were able to use were so much fun. That is the key to most things we like, it is fun! I have to admit I have not always been a big fan of working in a group setting. Especially when I have to depend on someone else to help me earn a grade for an assignment. However, I do like the idea of each member in the group being able to fill out a rubric for each member in the group. I will have to prepare myself to help students when it comes to working in groups. I am sure I am not the only one that has issues with group assignments. As for all technology and programs that are available and will come available between now and the time I become a teacher, I will always have a reason to learn something new. Students are not the only ones that learn, teachers have to continue to learn everyday. I look forward to learning new things and using some of the things I have learned this semester in EDM 310.

Blog Post #15
How to Make an Audio QR Code

In this video by Michelle Bennett, she discusses two websites that can help you make an audio QR and also can record a students voice as he/she reads. The web site that will record a student's voice is www.recordmp3.org. The teacher could record their voice as they read a book. It's just like the teacher is tutoring the students. After you click record, you will want to wait a second to begin talking. Then you would hit stop when you are done. Play it back and if you like how it sounds then hit save recording or hit start over if you do not like it. When you are done it will generate a URL. The site www.qrcode-monkey.com will help create a QR code. Hit the button set for URL.Then copy and paste the URL from www.recordmp3.org as your URL in the box on the web site www.qrcode-monkey.com. Hit create a QR Code. Then you will open Word Doc. and copy and paste the QR code into Word. You can then make the image smaller and type the student's name. You can make a copy for yourself and one for the student or the student's parents. Parents can get a free QR Scanner App and download it.

iPad Reading Center


In this video by Michelle Bennett, she discussed how Ms. Ginger Tuck, a Kindergarten teacher at Gulf Shores Elementary School, made a center in her classroom where the iPad records the student reading. Then the child can replay the recording as they follow along in the text. This gives the student the chance to see if they made any mistakes.

Poplet with Ginger Tuck

This is a free app that you can download. It makes squares and when you pick a word, you can make a web around the chosen word. The students used the word veterinarian and they uploaded pictures of a veterinarian helping a bird. Then the students would type in text "some vets care for zoo animals." It keeps what they learn on the internet.

AVL and Kindergarten Students

In this video by Michelle Bennett, the children first learn how to log on to the library. They download an app for the library. Then the students can pick a subject such as transportation. Then different types of transportation would pop up. They could then choose a bicycle. The child can then draw a picture of the bicycle and write a sentence about the picture.

Tuck iMovie Trailer for Kindergarten

In this video by Ms. Tuck, she discussed how she learned to make iMovie Trailers while at the Alabama Reading Conference. To begin, you would hit the new trailer button and at the bottom of the screen their music options will pop up. According to Ms. Tuck, it is not a good idea to show the children the genres of music because they will not choose by the songs that they like. They will pick the music that they like the most simply by listening to the choices. Once they pick the music they will hit create. Then the student would enter the movie title or the name of the book. The student would list the characters in the book and then enter their own name in the space for directed by. The author's name would be entered in the space by written by. After everything is filled out, the student would then go to the storyboard. When the students are taking pics of the book, they may need a second student to help them so that they can get the best quality pictures. The students can reuse pictures and words throughout the trailer. Take the pictures first and then add the words. The students can edit the trailer as they go. To add words to the trailer, the students would erase the example words and add their own text. This activity is so much fun for the students. It will make them want to read to create a book trailer. This is also a great way to do class projects. Once the teacher does this with the class, the students will want to do it by themselves.

Tammy Shirley Discovery Education Board Builder Moon Project

In this video by Michele Bennett, Ms. Tammy Shirley's 1st grade class at Gulf Shores Elementary School shows us how to create a Board Builder. After watching a video on Discovery Education about the moon, The students wrote facts about the moon. Then they worked together and created a board on Discovery Education. The students would log into Discovery Education and click Board Builder. Then they can choose the background and give it a title. The students then press continue and add. The students were able to create a board with the information that they found about the moon. They can also add videos or images. To search Discovery Education for images or videos they typed in what they were searching for. A list of videos or images popped up. The students would tap on the plus sign by the video or image that they wanted and could go to quick list to pull up all their videos and images. Then they would go back to their storyboard and press board builder to pull up the saved board. They clicked on the moon which led them to their board about the moon. They could then drag a picture from quick list and it went on their board.

Mrs. Tassin 2nd Grade Students Share Board Builder Project

In this video by Michelle Bennett, Mrs. Tassin's 2nd grade class shared a Board Builder Project. They did a project on whales. One of the resources that they used was Safari. They had fun doing the research for the storyboard.

Mrs. Tassin Students Share Board Builder Project

In this video, Mrs. Tassin's students created a Board Builder Project which they named "Loose Change for the Haven." They showed why it is important to accumulate loose change for the Haven. Some of the resources that they used were Word Hippo, Safari, and Google. In Word Hippo, they typed in the word and it gave them a bigger word for it.

Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten

Alabama Virtual Library

In this video by Dr. Strange, he talks with Ms.Elizabeth Davis and Ms. Michelle Bennett. Ms. Davis is a teacher from Daphne Elementary and Ms. Bennett is from Gulf Shores Elementary. Ms. Bennett talks about Mrs. Tuck's Kindergarten class making iMovie trailers. The children writes scripts, takes pictures and writes a statement about each picture. The iMovie is one station in her classroom where the children get to reinforce their learning. Once they see an example, the children take off and make it their own projects. They do not want to quit editing their trailers. Ms. Davis then talked about the Alabama Virtual Library. It is free to any resident in the state of Alabama. It is a great way to teach the students basic research. Give them a list and each week they search a word.

Twitter for Educators

In this interview by Dr. Strange, Ms. Davis and Ms. Bennett discuss how Twitter is changing the way teachers are learning (teaching themselves). There are Twitter Chats every night of the week. They mention Jerry Blooingarten, who teaches others how to use Twitter. They also mentioned Tom Whitby, who talks about how educators have to learn the 21st Century.

We All Become Learners

This video was conducted by Dr. Strange as he interviews Ms. Davis and Ms. Bennett. Ms. Bennett said that using a device of some sort changes the way a classroom runs. Everyone becomes a learner and a teacher. Ms. Bennett said there was a student that showed her how to take a picture with the iPad. They discussed Poplet and taking a picture of yourself and putting it up. They also discussed Padlet where the student can make a poster board. In PBL everyone becomes learners in everyone's own learning network. It makes it more exciting.









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