Project #13

The Timeline Leading Up to the Declaration of Independence

Students will be taught about the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. After instruction, students will be divided into groups and each group will create a presentation of one of the events. Once the presentations are complete they will present them. Following all presentations, a student from each group will come represent their group for the signing of the Declaration of Independence.



Here are the links to our project materials:

Project Overview
Project Checklist
Project Calendar
Individual Evaluation Rubric
Group Evaluation Rubric

Blog Post #7

Classroom instruction is constantly changing and improving due to technology. In order for technology to be effective an educator must be willing and anxious to learn and teach with it. For me as a college student and future educator, it is important to me to know all that I can about the technology that is being used in schools today and could be used in the near and distant future. In order for me to learn more about the technology being used for classroom instruction I need to not only research them but also use the tools myself. I need to get familiar with how they work and all the features that they contain.

In the video, Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten, it is said that kindergartners are already using iMovie to create book trailers for books they have read. Being a Senior in college and knowing that I just learned how to do this myself makes me realize that my generation, is in fact, extremely behind. I think it is absolutely wonderful that kindergartners are allowed to be so creative with technology and that they love to edit their book trailers. When a student is eager and excited to learn, it makes an educators job not only easier but more rewarding too.

We All Become Learners was a great video! I believe 100% that even though we are educators, we are also learners. Just like the student teaching Ms. Michele Bennett about using the camera on the iPad, she was a learner in that moment. We never stop learning from others, even if we intend to or not.

I enjoyed watching iPads in the Classroom. Seeing educators taking advantage of the new technology provided to them and their students is proof that it is a good thing. I hope that all schools will be able to implement the technology used in the video soon. I especially loved that the iPads were used for special needs learners who have trouble speaking.

I like that the video, Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education, pointed out that using technology in the classroom is an initial cost up front but it is worth it in the long run. The first reason that is given is one of the most important to me, which is that students love it. Since students tend to always be up-to-date with the technology outside of the classroom, it is fun for them to be able to use it in the classroom too. This gets them excited and more willing to do the projects assigned to them. It sounds silly now, but when I was in grade school, I remember being thrilled to use a computer, even if it were only to take a test on a book that I read. I can only imagine what it is like now for students getting to work with technology to complete projects and other tasks in the classroom.

C4K Summary for February

C4K #1
Keiana

Keiana's blog post was about Senator Crawford coming to visit their class. She talked about how Mrs. Crawford spoke to them about her job as a senator. Keiana learned how she passes bills and that she works at the Unicameral. She loved that Mrs. Crawford's favorite color was blue because their school color is blue.

My Comment:
Hi,Keiana,

 It seems like you were excited about Mrs. Crawford's visit! It is always fun to have visitors come into the classroom to teach us new things. Knowing how bills are passed is important in learning how the government makes decisions for our country so I am glad you had the opportunity to learn this from a senator! Thank you for sharing this post! I really enjoyed reading it!

C4K #2  
Hanna D.

In Hanna's blog post, two classmates and herself made a video for nouns. The video consisted of them walking around the school showing the audience examples of nouns. They visited the library and showed you everything including the actual library were nouns. They even went to several classrooms and asked teachers if they knew that they were nouns and what they thought about that.

My comment:
Hi Hanna,

Your video was awesome! I like how you guys walked around the school showing examples of what nouns are. Great job on making learning fun and creative! It seems like you guys had a great time making the video!

C4K #3
Hailey S.

Hailey talks about homework in this post. She believes that homework is a good thing in small doses and that it will get you into good colleges. Too much can really stress a student out! Being assigned homework doesn't bother her like most others. She actually likes doing some homework so she can be prepared for upcoming tests.

My Comment:
Hi Hailey,


Great post! I agree that too much homework can stress you out! You are also right that having some homework is a good thing, though. Doing homework shows initiative and proves that you want to succeed.

C4K #4
Jorge

Mrs. Maslowski asked her students to participate in the Black History Month Photo Challenge. Each student was to write 100-200 word post about a person or event that was an example of Black History Month. Jorge chose to go with an influential black male, Martin Luther King Jr. He explained that he was an inspiration to everyone, especially African Americans. He said that he was thought of as a god and made African Americans feel safe and happy. He also pointed out that he is still remembered today and will never be forgotten.

My Comment:
Jorge, this is a great post! You are right, Martin Luther King Jr. will never be forgotten. He was a brave man that changed so many lives by speaking up for African Americans. He made the world a better place by fighting for what he believed in!

Project #8- Book Trailer

Blog Post #6

I enjoyed getting to know more about Project Based Learning, especially since it is coming from a current 3rd grade teacher that is close to home. The fact that I just started hearing about PBL, it makes me happy to know that it is being implemented in classrooms near here. PBL is the future for educators and I must say that I could not be more on board with it. I can see that Anthony has a blast using it in his classroom by how he explains his class' projects in Project Based Learning Part 1 and Project Based Learning Part 2. That makes me excited to learn more about it and use it when I become an educator.

The Anthony- Strange Tips for Teachers Part 1 was my favorite video. What really spoke to me the most was the first two tips that were given. The first being that in order to be an effective educator you need to love to learn and the second being that you need to make learning and teaching your hobby outside of the classroom too. I truly believe that you do, in fact, have to love to learn to be an educator. If you didn't love to learn, how could you expect your students to effectively learn and be able to use what they learned in a positive way. Making learning and teaching a hobby outside of the classroom helps you become a better educator as well. Having those as a hobby can help you come up with innovative ideas and projects for your students.  

Project #3 Presentation

Project #7 Part A My Sentence Videos

My Sentence is...

My Passion is...