Project #3 Presentation

C4T #1

The control group listed on Manaiakalani’s Blog seems great. I love how they have advanced that particular group in basic subjects such as math.  In this particular blog it talks about how they use two different groups of students and teach them using different teaching methods. One method was very  personal and focused in on more detail while the other was a set schedule and not as detailed ( in other words when the teacher felt they had taught the subject well enough the class moved on). 

Later on in the post it shows how the progress in the two groups were very different . Of course those who recieved more attention and detail their test results were  higher. This posed the question how are we able to get all of the students on this level which is found on the blog in resources. Through the last post there has been more evidence that control groups have become popular and the advancement in Manaiakalani schools have been great. 

Their latest post was on the advancement of the education community. The post included the video found below. The video showed how their ancestors simple way of transportation (sailing) has become a sport and part of their culture and continues today. Simply saying that if the education program continues in the direction that they are going that the sky is the limit.

Blog Post #4

       With the advancement of Technology today, most teachers are incorporating technology into the class room. One popular way for this to take place is through podcast. Podcast are multimedia digital files that are made available through the internet to be downloaded to any portable media player (iPhone or mp3 player) or computer.  Through podcast teachers are allowed to explore different teaching methods and use it as a source for the students and their parents.

        As shown in the video, The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom, a social studies teacher uses podcasting to not only record each lesson so if a student misses a day they can visit the teachers blog and get the lessons from that day but he uses it to help teach a lesson on slavery. Podcast allows the teacher to do readings in character making it fun for the students. The three major benefits from using podcasting in this form is more teacher and student interaction, student learning is more memorable, and parents can see what and how their kids are being taught. 

         The plus side of podcasting is that any age group can use it. It helps teach any subject while advancing everyday skills like oral fluency and comprehension. Podcasting can be one of the greatest things for today's student. It is appealing and persuasive in a way that intrigues those involved in the advancement of teaching methods in education. 

Blog Post #3

     Peer Editing is defined as helping someone your age or in your class to revise, edit, and improve their writing. Before you can complete those steps one must remember three key tools to peer editing which are compliments, suggestions and corrections. Compliments are necessary because you want to maintain a positive atmosphere while assisting as well as to show the positive sides of your peers paper. Suggestions are an ideal way for the editor to not only show errors but to relate the issues across to their peers. Successfully giving suggestions allows the process of correction to begin.

       Corrections include revising, editing, and improvement of one's paper. Revising is a tool that can be used to correct spelling and grammar issues, as well as, to allow your peer to go more in depth on the subject at hand making ones work ready for editing. Editing is the process of allowing one to think of different ways to convey the information being written and making sure one's assignment is ready for presentation or is acceptable. Following these key tools will allow the process of peer editing to have taken place and to also be effective.

Blog Post #2

Mr. Dancealot
 -Carla Young, Nathalie McCarty, Danya Croft
     
             Subject matter is a very important concept to consider when thinking of how to construct classroom time and energy. Your teaching methods have to be customized to fit your expectations and goals for the class. The lesson plans and activities should be designed and executed in a way that is going to efficiently help the student grasp what you are trying to teach them. For example, a dance class should contain instruction as well as practice. Mr. Dancealot has presented a dance class where the students are to take notes of proper dance steps and techniques without ever getting a feel for what it is like to do it. It is extremely important for the students to know the fundamentals of each dance and maybe a brief history of the origin of the dance. However, the teachers main problem was reinforcing the knowledge moreover the practice needed to perform those steps. It would have been a good idea for him to have had a certain amount of time set aside for discussion and the rest of the time set aside for practice and application. Teachers sometimes seem to forget that students learn more through participation rather than lecture alone. We are not only meant to teach the facts, but we are meant to teach the skills as well. Skills cannot be learned unless hands on experience is allowed, encouraged, and rewarded. Dancing can be easily compared to riding a bicycle. Our parents can tell us what is needed to stay upright on the bicycle, but until we know what it feels like to do it then we will never really learn how to do it.

 Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
    -Nathalie McCarty

      In this video the viewer learns how one can introduce technology to not only teach a class but to allow the class to teach themselves. Teacher Vickie Davis not only allows the kids to learn modern technology using any form of technology, but she shows them how they can learn basic skills that have only been taught with pen and paper. She has taken the advancement of technology to make sure that no child is left behind. This ability is by her learning each and every student and knowing what will help them as an individual best As you watch the video she actually shows you how the students connect with the world through a blog and with each other in the class through aviators allowing them to connect while studying as well. Basically, if one (teacher) is open to different teaching methods not only can they reach more of their students but the students can learn from each other.


 Teaching in the 21st Century
    - Danya Croft

     I have never thought of teachers as mere filters rather than relayers of facts, but that is exactly what we are. We are not the ones who came up with the information and we are certainly not the only avenues that students can take to get to that information. So often we forget that we need to teach our students how to find the answers they seek for themselves. We need to teach them subject matter as well as incorporate the skills to find additional information. Let’s face it, no matter how little or much that I know and can teach there will always be information for which I am unfamiliar. Students need to understand that they can depend on themselves to find the information as much if not more than they depend on us to teach them. As teachers, we need to remember that true education comes from the engagement of a child. If you can engage a child in a project that you have assigned, you can be sure he/she will invest themselves in it and learn from it. I really loved the part of the video that stated misuse of class materials can come from pencil and paper just as it can come from iPads and computers. However, if you assign projects that are interesting to children and make them want to research then misuse of technology should be a non-issue.

 The Networked Student 
    -Carla Young

           After watching the video The Networked Student, the question “Why does the networked student even need a teacher?” has been raised. Personally, considering this is the field I am going into, I have thought long and hard about this. I honestly do believe the future of schools and learning is going to be a collaboration of technology coupled with the aid of a teacher. Times are changing, children have phones in their pockets that can do almost everything their computer at home can do. The way children learn is also changing and students are becoming more independent learners than they were in the past. Technology is a big part of today’s world and it is quickly making its way into the classroom. Students need to learn different skills now than they did in earlier years. Being technologically savvy is a must to keep up with the advancing times, and it is important for students to be exposed to this as early as possible to be successful in today’s society. The term “Connectivism” has recently been introduced to me and I believe that it is going to be a valuable method of learning not only for future students, but also a valuable tool for me as a future educator. I have been intrigued by the idea of students building a network with other students from all over each contributing ideas and things they have found about a certain subject they are researching to help each other learn. The thought that teachers may be unneeded or not as essential as they are in present day did cross my mind. So, why does the networked student need teachers? After giving it much thought and going back to what I heard in the video I asked myself another question, “Who is going to teach the students to build this network?” The idea that students will be learning through connectivism is based off of the students building a network to learn from. Knowing how to build this network is a skill the students will have to have. Like most skills, they have to be taught. Things are much more clear to me now, the teaching methods and tools may be different and teaching in general may not be anything like what it is now. Teacher may be considered as more of a guide or an aid, but the concept is still the same; providing students with the necessary knowledge and tools needed to be successful members of society.