Digital Text

   I explored three different links for Chapter 2.  One, MediWiki which is the software that Wikipedia uses to run its site.  I could use this to create a wiki site for my classroom that can become a great resource. Second, I looked at Wikispaces which is the software that Dr.Theresa and Dr. Grace both use to manage their classes.  I can also use this in a similar fashion as Dr. Grace and Theresa and make it a way to manage my classes.  Also, I could use it to create a WebQuest.   Lastly, I picked this very site, Blogger because I have spent a lot of time on it between Dr. Grace's and Dr. Theresa's class.  This can be used to see how my students felt about each class and show what they have learned or disliked.
   MediWiki is easy to navigate.  It gives you a sidebar, links (or tabs), and user links.  The sidebar gives you easy of use to get up and down the page.  Links (or tabs) also make it easier to navigate on one page and even get to other pages.  User links is a collection of personal links on your own page. Wikispaces provides that same type of service except you can upload documents pictures, and video to it!  Blogger is easy to setup and use.  Yu can tag any post you want and the site will automatically keep track of which blogs have the same tags.  Its a great way to organize your thoughts and posts!  You can make it as public or private as you wish as well!

Parent Involvment

My parents were involved in my education.  They were a part of fundraisers, helped me with any homework as much as possible, and attended every parent-teacher meeting.  Any chance they had to be involved they were.  I am very grateful to have parents they were very active and involved in my education.  I don't think I can say I would have them do anything differently.  i thought they were perfect with the amount of involvement they participated in!

To This Day

I really like the "To This Day" video.  I was bullied a lot when I was younger.  It really hit home in more ways than one.  I believe we should do everything in our power to make sure bullying is coming to an end.  It's getting harder to deal with because you can't run away from it today.  It's in the classroom and online.  No one should be a victim of bullying.  Everyone is different in their own way and that should be admired not laughed about.

Chapter 10: Going Beyond the Classroom

    The main theme that jumped out to me was making connections.  Connect what students have taken initiatives of learning on their own and advance on it in anyway possible.  Also, relate material to things outside of the classroom to make it more understandable to students. 
    Literally go beyond the classroom.  Get outside and apply the learning that was discussed in the classroom.  Being able to see instant results of their learning is really gratifying to students.  Showing the meaning of lessons and that its not just a waste of time can really open their eyes and make them more open to learning.
    Conveying meaning of what is learned in the classroom and applying it to real life is something I will look to do often.  I don't want my students to sit there and say "Why are we even doing this?"  I want them to see the fruits of their labor in the real world and not just get used to seeing letter or number grades.

Chapter 9: When Things Go Wrong

     The clear message lies at the end of the chapter.  Don't give up.  A lot is going on in the lives of young teenagers.  They are trying to find out who they are and what they stand for.  Not to mention juggling class work with it.  It can be overwhelming and every person handles it different, but as teachers we can never give up on a student no matter the situation.
     As rebellious as teenagers can be, they want to get to know adults.  If you are real with you class then you will gain their respect.  If you are understanding of their lives they will do the same for you.  To get respect you have to give it.  Make it worth their while being there not just for academics, but for life lessons as well.  Be the role model everyone is looking for.
      I really enjoyed this chapter.  i think it is important to never give up on students.  Teachers and students will all have good and bad days.  But being there for one another through the good and the bad it what its all about.  Mixed in with some fun and interesting academic work, the school comes together as a mini community. 

Chapter 8: Teaching Teenagers Who Are Still Learning English

    Respect is the one big reoccurring word in this chapter.  A lot of ELD students have cultures that a founded upon respect.  They want to be respected and not treated like children trying to speak for the first time ever.  Just because they are from different background and can't speak English well doesn't mean they should be treated any differently.
    A lot of ELD students want to make friends, but don't know how.  If they attempt to talk to people whose first language is English they get laughed at or shied away from.  Teaching an ELD student is very challenging, but you can't hand them anything they didn't earn and they wouldn't want it any other way.  Sometimes, ELD students take higher level classes just to hear extensive vocabulary so they can learn the vocabulary and not necessarily the material.  
    I can slightly understand their situation.  i took Spanish for eight years and I had friends whose first language was Spanish.  I learned more from hanging out with my friends than I did in class.  I could learn five vocabulary words each class or fifteen from hanging around with my friends all day. 

Chapter 7: Teaching Difficult Academic Material

   Encouraging active learning to help break through barriers of difficult material.  Don't forget that everyone learns in different ways.  Even when new material is slowly introduced it can be difficult to understand if their learning styles are not met.
    First, don't assume students are total blank sheets on certain topics.  Find out what they know and the results might be surprising.  If the material is especially difficult then break it down as many times as necessary until everyone understands it properly.  Try multiple activities to teach to every type of learner.  Also, make connections between older material and new material.  Using examples of how it can be connected to everyday life is helpful as well.
    Breaking down difficult material until everyone understands it is necessary in my mind.  Even if that means you didn't cover everything you planned on I would rather have my students concretely understand everything they learned than have a vague concept of everything taught.  Presenting hard information in a variety of different ways can make it easier for struggling students to understand and not be left behind.  

Chater 6: Motivation and Boredom

    The last page of the chapter really summarized everything rather well.  The few things that really stood out to me in order to keep students interest and motivation high were being passionate about your material and work, make connections to real life, show pride in students good work, and provide good exemplary roles models.
    If you don't show interest as a teacher in the subject being taught, then why in the world would the students be?  Also, things become a lot more interesting and important to learn when students feel like they can use whatever it is they are learning and connect it to their everyday lives.  No one is going to sit and listen to something they think is going to be a waste of their time.  Whenever students do well we should show how proud we are and this will keep their confidence and motivational levels high.  Providing roles models whether they are local or celebrities can show students why it is important that they are learning whatever it is they are learning. 
    I agree with all of this information.  I didn't pay attention or put my full effort into anything that I thought was going to be irrelevant to my life.  I want to make real life connections with anything I teach to better capture students attention.  I will always tell my students when they have done a good job.  Nothing would make me happier than to praise my students good work all day long!

Chapter 5: Teaching to the Individual, Working with the Group

    Having different levels in one class is the one thing that really stuck in my mind on this chapter.  A classroom is full of students with different potential and capability.  Some might be highly motivated and intelligence and some might be lazy, but highly intelligent.  There are many different combinations.
    We have to be careful to not make our students feel insignificant or dumb.  If we call on a student who doesn't know the answer, we should ask anyone else in the room if they would like to help answer the question.  It's better to get help from a peer than be told you're wrong by the teacher followed by the teacher lecturing about how wrong the student was.  Also, don't use the one student who raises their hand all the time.  They become a crutch that the rest of the class differs to if they don't want to participate.
     I couldn't agree more with this concept.  I used to be lost in all my math classes and my teachers would do a lack luster job of making sure I understood the material.  I think they were catering to much to the higher level kids in my classroom to ensure they didn't become bored.  That didn't help me at all come test or quiz time.  As a teacher, I'd rather work on something that everyone can master than just a handful of students in my classes. 

Chapter 4: Creating a Culture of Success

      One thing that jumped out at me in this chapter is letting your students know its okay to fail sometimes.  It is really great when a student knows they don't have the right answer, but isn't afraid to participate.  I don't think enough teachers make this clear enough for their classes. 
      In this part of the chapter it talks about getting students to take risks.  The risk of being wrong shouldn't ever stop a student.  It's our jobs as teachers to make students feel comfortable no matter what to participate in their own learning.  If they get something wrong we should work through it with them in a non demeaning way until the answer is clear. 
      I choose this part because I never felt comfortable enough to participate in school unless I knew I had the absolute correct answer.  That's not a good learning environment to be in.  Everyone should have confidence within themselves and as teachers we should be fueling that confidence, not smoother it.  It's alright to be wrong because everyone has been wrong at some point in their lives. 

Chapter 3: Classroom Behavior

       In chapter 3, what really jumped out at me was the fact that even if students act like they don't want you to ask about their problems, they really do want you to.  It's difficult for a teacher to approach an apprehensive student knowing the strong possibility of being totally reject, but simply asking them shows that you care and respect their feelings.  Treat students with respect and understand they they have a lot going on in life. 
        I think this jumped out at me because I've always been unsure on what to do with those students who show on the outside that they don't want help, but on the inside they really want and need it.  I want to be able to distinguish that type of emotion.  I will always ask a student how they are doing every once and a while, but I also know there are times when students really don't want to talk about something.  Finding that proper balance is something I really want to achieve.  I think it's worth getting attitude every so often from someone who doesn't want help in order to discover those who really want the help.  I just don't want to put anymore stress on a student's situation that isn't needed.

Inspiration

Inspiration has a lot of great ideas to model in the classroom.  One idea I liked a lot was the Research Paper Graphic Organizer.  This takes the subject of a research paper and breaks it down into five different categories.  Under each category it provides two or there criteria under each heading that a student can look at as a checklist or rubric type of deal.  It give structure and a visual map of how to be successful at writing a research paper.  I would most definitely use this in my class because I feel it would give students more security while they do their work.  If I were to modify it I would keep the same structure, but I might change the categories and criteria to fill the needs of my assignment.  This is a Substitution technology.  This could be written on the board or photocopied and handed out to each student.  

The next idea was similar to the last, but more in depth.  This was a Multimedia Project Graphic Organizer.  At the top of the page was from left to right; Today's Date, the assignment, and then the due date.  Under the assignment it had the topic of each criteria or checklist and to the left of it were the details on how to complete it.  Now, this is different from the last idea was the part on goals.  To the right of each criteria were separate dates that each criteria was supposed to be completed by.  I like the idea of setting goals and breaking up a project.  I would use this in my classroom because it ensures quality work to be done if it is followed correctly.  I would be able to tell the differences between those who actually followed this model and those who did their project in one night.  I would again, modify the criteria and and keep the same structure. This is also a Substitution technology.  This could be written on the board or photocopied and handed out to each student.

http://www.inspiration.com/inspiration-thinking-and-planning-examples

SAMR Model

My examples of technology usage and how they fit into the SAMR model are as follows:




Printer - Most students have used printers in their careers and they are a technology at the Substitution level.  It's an upgrade from copying a piece of work multiple times by hand and allows you to print out multiple copies in just seconds.  It replaces hand written copying.

Laptop - This is definitely in the Redefinition category.  Laptops give students access to content and information way beyond what their text books, and even teachers can teach them.  Blogs can be made that allows people from around the world to comment and input their diverse opinions on.  Presentations can be made using special software like Prezi.

Projectors- Projectors are a Substitution level technology.  Displaying worksheets that could be handed out, or a teachers notes that could be written on the board are clear examples of just pure substitution.

Buzzers- While playing a game like Jeopardy, buzzers can be an Augmentation for raising ones hand.  It replaces the fact that you are making a gesture to be called upon, but it also makes noise so it con be easier to determine who wanted to "raise their hand first"

Glasses -  I know this isn't a typical thought when we think of technology, but glasses in my mind are an advancement in technology that helps students in the class room.  I myself, used to have glasses and the difference in my performance was very noticeable once I could see fully.  Glasses are another type of Augmentation.  It just improves the functionality of your eyes.

This blog entry was based off of the SAMR model presented on iTunes U.  https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/as-we-may-teach-educational/id380294705
     

My MEL experiences.

• Student/teacher relationship: I had a very strong student/teacher relationship wit my former high school A.P. U.S. History teacher.  He was also my freshman football coach.  He always created a positive environment and had a good attitude going into every single class.  Much of his class was based off humor which I loved.  He always provided a safe environment to learn though and knew the right and wrong amount of humor and critique to tolerate.  He never made anyone feel like an outcast.  Anyone who was willing to learn and have fun doing it was more than welcome to his classes.
• Learning styles: Unfortunately, this was an aspect during my grade schooling that didn't have much emphasis.  I was never given an assessment to understand what type of learner I was, well not that I can remember anyways.  A good thing though is that my teachers always differentiated for me and my fellow classmates.  If we needed deadlines pushed back, to redo assignments, or be provided with multiple options on completing an assignment, my teachers have always done an excellent job.  
• Helping students succeed: I am not very good at math, but I have one of the best memories from it.  I had been struggling my freshman year with pre-algebra and I was close to failing.  My math teacher spent so much extra time with me before and after class, assigned me extra practice problems, and would even provide me with more time on tests in order to keep me from looking a the clock every two seconds.  I didn't do well overall, but the big part is I didn't fail either.  I am certainly assured I passed solely from the help of my math teacher.  Some of your worst struggles can be your best stories.  
• Hands-On: I've never had much hands-on experimentation outside of science classes.  I remember doing many experiments in my chemistry and physics labs.  My favorite memory of hands-on experience was creating our own rocket prototypes and actually launch them to see whose design went the furtherest.  There was also only one instance I can remember outside of science classes dealing with hands-on experiment and it comes from an unlikely subject area, social studies.  We had a Revolutionary America day at my high school where we went out onto our athletic fields and learned how to be an American Revolutionary soldier.  We learned how to march, formations, lifestyles of camp, cuisine, and there was a demonstration with actual older rifles from the revolutionary era of how they fired.  This was an experience I will never forget.  Seeing the teacher in my history department dressed up in old style military outfits, marching around, and shooting off blanks of old rifles.  
• Context: One of the worst experiences I had as a high school student was with my physics class.  We had a teacher who had his doctorate and formerly taught at universities and then decided to go back to high school.  He rushed through all of our physics problems and rushed through how to get the correct answers.  He would leave all of his work on the whiteboard, but it looks like hieroglyphics to me because he didn't properly explain the meaning of the content.  I was bad with math to start with and the last thing I needed was a college professor teaching his high school class like it was a college class.  This was my sophomore year so I was young and very intimidated by this teacher.   

Learning Style Inventory Results

    According to the learning-styles-online.com, I am foremost a social and aural learner.  This is very different from what I have come up with during class surveys.  I would like to think this one is more accurate since there were 70 questions used to evaluated.  However, I know I like to move around a lot while I learn and the results from here put physical learning second to last.  I don't think that that is very accurate, but I do like music quite a bit and I do like to learn with others.    

Google Earth

       Google Earth is an amazing tool that is really fun to play around with.  i had used it before this assignment so i knew how to use it pretty well.  The one thing I did learn though was using the watch feature to see what used to be and what is currently.  I learned that through this assignment.
       I would definitely be able to use this in my classroom.  If I wanted to teach my students about the battle of Bunker and Breeds Hill I could take them them while inside that classroom!  I could show them an overview of the area and explain the strategy of both the colonists and British.  It really helps give a visual aid to those who would have trouble picturing it or just looking at it on a map.

Maine Memory Network

    While on Maine Memory Network I explore my own town of Waterboro.  It was really fascinating to see town parades in 1900, a railroad station from before 1908, and a picture of the first collection of jurors.  As a History major, I love looking through all this stuff and especially since its about my town.  I love seeing the methods of operating daily life way back when.
    I would use Maine Memory Network in my class to help give visual representations of the past.  Also, there are valuable example of primary sources for students to see.  When I was on Maine Memory Network I read a lesson plan on the burning of Falmouth.  Not a lot of people new that the British actually opened fire on Falmouth (modern day Portland) and actually burned it down because of the capture of a British officer.

Wes Fryer Chapter 1

     In the first chapter of Fryer's book I thought there was a lot of information I already knew.  However, he does bring up a few points that I agree and disagree with.  First, I agree that as teachers we need to encourage more creative learning in the classroom and not learning to get a good grade or avoid punishment.  I also agree that we need to stop putting so much emphasis on standardized testing.  It seems that students are learning more about how to pass a standardized test these days rather than actually learning valuable content.  I happen to disagree that we as teachers, should accept and integrate cell phones into the classroom.  I think that technology in the classroom is great, but a personalized device will become too much of a distraction.  Students don't view cell phones as  assets to learning, but toys to play with.  I like the reference that Fryer makes when he says that we learn best play playing and being creative like when we were all kids.  We do naturally learn about our confusing world by playing around and becoming creative.  We need to be more creative in the classrooms today.  There are ways to teach information that will be covered in a standardized test in a creative way.  I think technology is too big to ignore and will  undoubtedly play a huge role in the classroom.  

iPad Personalization

       I had always wanted to use an iPad for a while to see if I wanted to buy one for myself at some point.  I have an iPhone and iPod Touch so I am quite familiar with the operating system.  I do like the bigger screen on the iPads.  I feel that the picture is a lot clearer, but I didn't notice much of a change in the loading and processing feature between the iPad and iPhone.  The feature I liked most about the iPad is using annotation.  Being able to highlight, circle, and jots notes electronically on a PDF is a really cool feature.  An annoying aspect of the iPad was the wideness of the keyboard.  It made it very hard to hold and type at the same time.  I didn't always have the time to put it down and type and doing so while holding it proved difficult.  The battery life I found to be spectacular even running multiple apps all day.  I only found myself charging it once every three days or so and I used it heavily.  Overall, I didn't see enough differences besides shear size to convince me to buy one for myself.  Annotation isn't worth $500.

Chapter 2: Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness

In this chapter, it really jumped out to me that students have so many expectation of a teacher from the moment they walk in the classroom.  We as teacher have to get to know them as students and as individuals.  We need to reveal a little about ourselves to them too if we wish to get anything out of them that will be useful for us as educators to use while educating.

Teachers are expected to as the list states on page 35 "Let us know what to expect from you and from the class, know your material, push us to do our best- and push us equally, do your part, make sure everyone understands, grade us fairly, understand that we make mistakes, don't denigrate us, keep your biases to yourself, don't treat us like little kids, listen to what we think, care about what's going on with us, and don't betray our confidence."  Thats a lot for a teacher to process and practice all at once, but the teacher that care enough will make this all happen to better the students learning experience.

Chapter 1: Knowing Students Well

The part that jumped out at me is that you can learn a lot about a student by what they don't do just as much as what they do do.  I never thought to recognize what they are not doing to learn more about them.  

The amount of information a teacher can know about a student in order to make the classroom more comfortable really stood out as the theme to me in this chapter.  Learning about their hobbies, neighborhoods, and daily schedules make it much easier for a teacher to teach.