Project #16

Project 16 was to create an iBook collaboratively. Our group ,Excel, chose a space theme. The title of our book was "Discovering & Exploring the Unknown in EDM310." In our intro we discussed how we explored our way through EDM 310. Our iBook is composed of 21st century technology tools that we intend to use in our future classrooms. This iBook includes our book trailers, blogs and videos done while taking EDM310. When we first began the class, it seemed like we were stepping into areas that were very unfamiliar. It can be terrifying when it comes to exploring new territory but after we had completed the iBook we could see all that we have learned and accomplished while taking EDM310.

C4K April

My first blog to comment on was Jonathan's blog. He posted about Mother Teresa. He commended her for the good things she had done for others. He also discusses the conflict about how she believed. Some people say she changed the world and others say she didn't even believe in God. My comment: Hello Jonathan, my name is Courtney Fields and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. This is a great post about Mother Teresa. I can tell you really did your research. She lived a long life and helped a lot of people. Her efforts to help others inspires me to do the same. Keep up the good work! Jonathan's Blog

My second post was on Melaia's blog. She posted about her Fiafia night. Of course I had no idea what that was so I googled it. From the information I gathered it is a dancing/food festival. From the information I gathered it looks like it is entertainment for tourist. Melaia talks about how she was in the Hawaiian dancing group. The song they danced to was about a mountain. Her favorite group is the Samoans. My comment:Hi Melaia! My name is Courtney Fields. I am a student in EDM310 at The University of South Alabama. Your post was very interesting to read. I do not know much about Fiafia nights but it looks like it would be so much fun. Do you like to dance?

The last blog I was able to comment on belonged to Kerstein. She posted a 2014 Term 1 Chromebook reflection. She answered several questions to explain what she liked and disliked. She also explained what she learned and what she could have done better. My comment: Hi Kerstein! My name is Courtney Fields and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. It looks like you have learned a lot this term while using the Chromebook. It is great to reflect on each project so that you can make the next project even better. Keep up the great work. Thank you for sharing your Chromebook reflection. Kerstein's Blog

C4T #4

Eva Buyuksimkesyan posted on April 8th about a poster Twitter activity she did with her 9th graders. She had the students form groups and create a chain story using tweets on a poster board. My comment: Hello, my names is Courtney Fields. I am a student of EDM310 at The University Of South Alabama. I love this Twitter activity. It is a fun and creative way to engage the students. I think it is important to incorporate some fun into learning, especially, when it comes to ninth graders. Thank you for sharing! Eva Buyuksimkesyan's Blog

Eva Buyuksimkesyan posted on April 2nd about her class being virtual tourist. Her class was learning about pyramids and they were about to visit the pyramids using a virtual tour website. Her class was able to go all the way across the world to visit the subject they were studying. My comment: This is an amazing way to bring your classroom to life. I know your students really enjoyed this lesson. Visuals can be so beneficial when it comes to learning. Thanks for sharing.

Blog Post #13

What Did I Leave Out?
I will be teaching 6-12 Math and in my future classroom I plan to use the Flipped Classroom method. This teaching technique will require several 21st century learning techniques, such as collaboration. A large portion of our class time will be spent in groups. Learning to collaborate with peers will help students understand what it is like to work with diverse personalities.

What are some things that help a group function properly? What steps should you take in order become a core member of your group? How will learning to collaborate benefit your future? Here are several videos and articles to gather information. It may also be beneficial to ask your mom, dad or family members how important it is to be able to work well with others.
How to do Group Work.
Randy Pausch's Tips for Working Successfully in a Group.
10 Tips For Working Effectively in a Group.
Benefits of Group Work.

Group work can be difficult, especially if it is a long term project. Group projects require additional time outside of the classroom. Everyone has different schedules so it becomes difficult to agree on a time to meet. There are also different types of people that make group work difficult. There are those who do not contribute but also want to put their name on the final product. These are several tips to remember when working in a group:

• Start with a proper introduction- Come with a positive and enthusiastic attitude. Be friendly, get to know each other and exchange phone numbers.
• Be flexible- It can be hard for everyone to meet all of the time at the same time. Try your best to make the group a priority.
• Be honest- State your opinion in a kind way.
• Let everyone talk- Let everyone state their thoughts.
• Praise each other- Encourage each other's ideas no matter how big or small it may be.
• Avoid conflict- When tension arises, take a break.
• Come prepared-When your group meets, bring all information needed to complete the task for that day.
• Don't leave it up to others-Do your part. Don't assume someone else will do it.

These tips can be applied to any type of group work. I think that groups can work well if every member puts in the effort. It takes each member doing their individual part. When the group meets and discusses the project, each member must insert their ideas and thoughts. If everyone can keep in mind the common goal the group will have a successful outcome. Every job will require you to work with others. Learning to collaborate with your peers can benefit your working skills when you enter into the workforce. Communication is also vital to teamwork. Through communication you will learn to work out differences among other associates. Collaboration will also improve problem solving skills. Differences will arise in any group or workplace but if you can work together to solve the problem it will not destroy the project. A perfect group is impossible when combining many different personalities but applying some of these tips can help.

Project #12 Part B

Blog Post #12

Blog Post #11

Interview Movie Project #10

C4T#3

Michael Gorman posted on March 16 a blog post called 30 NCAA Basketball lessons links...PBL series...Best classroom lessons never taught. He told a PBL story about how students were so eager to get to class. That week they were using the computer and printer to create a graphical worksheet about basketball teams. They formed groups and used google maps to locate each university where the teams played. They also researched the desired teams and compared their strengths and weaknesses. My comment: My names is Courtney Fields I am a student of EDM310 at the University Of South Alabama. I enjoyed reading your PBL story. I agree that project based learning will transform how students learn. Through collaboration and peer-to-peer learning the students are able to share what they know with each other. Basketball is a great way to engaged the students. They become eager to learn and share when it is something that strikes their interest. Thanks for sharing!

On March 30 Michael Gorman had a guest post written by Dayna Laur. This was an insightful post about the disconnect between students and school. She explains that her daughter, fourth grader, has started to complain about school and the upcoming standardized test. Although the standardized test are here to stay, Dayna explains different techniques to engage students to be excited to learn. She added several links to real world projects. She explains that more teachers should involve the community, parents and state boards to be an audience to real world learning. So many students do just enough to get them through. Dayna states that involving a diverse audience can increase the students interest and overall test scores. My comment: Dayna, I enjoyed reading this post because the reality is students are bellyaching about going to school. It seems as if they lose all excitement about school after the third grade. I agree, it is time to use real world experiences to turn up real authentic learning. Bringing in a variety of listeners is a great idea. It encourages the students to provide their best work. When the students receive positive feedback it impels them to raise the bar. Thank you for sharing these great thoughts and ideas. Michael Gorman's Blog

C4K March

The C4K March is coming all the way from Auckland New Zealand. The first class blog I visited was Little Voices Little Scholars. Mrs. Jenny She teaches second grade at Pt England School in Auckland New Zealand. I commented on Arthur's post. He posted a video telling about his weekend. His video tells how he went to the beach and went swimming. He also played in the sand. My comment: Hello Arthur, my name is Courtney Fields I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. You did a great job on your video. It makes me want to go to the beach very soon. It is my favorite place to go. Do you go to the beach every weekend? Great job! Keep up the good work. Arthur's Weekend Story

The next class blog I visited was Mrs. Lavakula's 4th&5th grade class. They are also from Auckland New Zealand and attend Pt England School. I commented on Adam's blog and he posted about his swimming lesson with an instructor. He writes about all the different types of techniques he has learned and his favorite technique is gliding. My comment: Hi Adam! My name is Courtney Fields and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I enjoyed visiting your blog, it is great. We have something in common, my favorite subject is math too. This is a great blog post. I love to swim too, but I have never been taught by an instructor. My parents taught me when I was very little. Good luck on making it to group three. Great job! Adam's Blog