Project #12

Part 2- Blog Post #5

Final Reflection on my PLN:

Throughout my semester in EDM 310, I was able to meet many people that I will continue to network with in the future. The biggest resource that I have gained through this experience was my group members. They are extremely helpful people that I will continue to stay in contact with. I have found bloggers that I will continue to follow, because they post useful information about the constantly changing education world. I now know just how important PLNs really are, because of EDM 310! I cannot wait to see how much more I can make my PLN grow!

C4K Summaries for April

C4K #1- 4/5/2015

Ethan H.

http://kidblog.org/MrsLsAwesome7thgradeclass2014-2014/3980efb2-0ae3-438f-9b6b-9b0e6baa54b1/last-shot-by-john-feinstein-ethan-hodson/

Hello Ethan!

My name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I have never read this book before, but I am a big basketball fan! I also live very close to New Orleans, so this was very interesting to read. Thank you for getting me interested in this book. I need to read it this summer. Thank you for sharing!

Blog Post #16

Blog Post #13

C4T #3

C4T #3 Post #1

http://www.blendmylearning.com/2012/06/29/bridging-our-future/

Dr. Greenberg,

My name is Shelby Begley, and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading your blog post. This video does a great job of explaining the amazing future of technology in education. There has already been so many wonderful things implemented, but there is so much more that has not been introduced to classrooms. Thank you for sharing!

I will be summarizing this blog post on my EDM 310 class blog in April 2015. The link to my class blog is below.

Twitter: @shelby_begley
My Blog: http://begleyshelbyedm310.blogspot.com/
EDM 310 Class Blog: http://edm310.blogspot.com/

C4T #3 Post #2

http://www.blendmylearning.com/2013/06/25/my-world-has-been-rocked/

Dr. Greenberg,

My name is Shelby Begley, and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I was really interested to read about your TeachLive blog. I found this "game" scenario to be very interesting. I would love to be able to participate in this. I feel that all future educators should play this, so they can get a feel for teaching to students. Thank you for sharing!

I will be summarizing this blog post on my EDM 310 class blog in April 2015. The link to my class blog is below.

Twitter: @shelby_begley
My Blog: http://begleyshelbyedm310.blogspot.com/
EDM 310 Class Blog: http://edm310.blogspot.com/

Blog Post #12

Blog Post #11

In Back to the Future, Mr. Crosby teaches high-risk students that mostly come from poverty. He serves as a motivator for these students. He believes that these students deserves to experience meaningful learning, regardless of where they come from. Brain Crosby focuses on incorporating technology apps into his classroom. He strives to make learning fun for these students. In his eyes, every child deserves the education that a "school with high test scores" gives. I really enjoyed watching how he incorporated Celeste, a student with Leukemia, into his classroom. He used webcams to record what goes on during a typical class day, so that she can feel included also. This is an example of a excellent, dedicated teacher.

Blended Learning Cycle is a great video about blended learning. Paul Anderson explains how the blended learning cycle is online, mobile, and classroom learning all combined together. There are five E's associated with the Blended Learning Cycle: Explore, engage, explain, expand, and evaluate. These five E's are used in science, typically. Paul strives for his students to be curious. He asks his students questions, which makes them investigate. He uses videos to help teach in his classroom. Once his students make it to this point, they then elaborate on the question given. Finally they review and summarize. All these components combined create the acronym QUIVERS. Anderson uses acronyms frequently in his classroom. I like the concept of QUIVERS. It reminds me of Project Based Learning.

In Making Thinking Visible, Mark Church has his students work in small groups to discuss a video they had watched the previous day. After having his small groups collaborate with their thoughts and opinions, he had them create a headline to capture "what it's all about." Whenever their project is over in two weeks, he is going to have them create another headline. This shows them how learning is a continuous process and that they are constantly progressing.

Super Digital Citizen is a video about a teacher named Sam Pane. He is teaching his students about using the internet safely, as well as how to be a good technology citizen. Pane does a great job of engaging his students because he gets his point across in interesting ways. After teaching his students about internet safety, they got to create a superhero in a comic strip. These strips also help the students learn how to peer review. I am very impressed with this video!

The last two videos go hand-in-hand. The first video, Project Based Learning shows a school that combines multiple subjects using PBL. I found this very interesting that a school combines subjects together. This is the first time I have ever heard of this. I feel as if that would be a major adjustment for me as a teacher. The second video, Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program, talks about teacher collaboration through Project Based Learning. This video explains that PBL takes real-world problem solving skills to learn materials in the classroom. PBL is a great learning technique that I have researched greatly while being in EDM 310. I like that it teaches 21st century skills that these children will be using in the job field later in life. This helps students learn while practicing life skills.

Blog Post #10

The students in the video Little Kids... Big Potential are so excited about technology. They love being able to post blogs onto the internet for everyone to see. The students are able to become better writers, and their progress is available for everyone to see. Wiki was a source that her students used frequently. They had certain subjects they needed to research, so they would get on Wiki to find the information they desired. Along with Wiki and videos, Mrs. Cassidy also used Nintendo gaming consoles as a form for teaching. This is an intelligent move, because most young children see a Nintendo and think of non-educational video games. But, she has changed their way of viewing this game system by making it an educational tool. I really like how progressive Mrs. Cassidy's classroom is.

Kathy Cassidy really utilizes blogs in her classroom. She teaches the children that are at the vital writing stage. These students are constantly improving their writing skills, and with their class blogs, their progress is easily visible to them. This serves as a motivational tool without anyone having to do anything. Young students love to see themselves improving, and they also want to show everyone how they are getting better at something. I want to create a classroom blog for my future classroom. I think that this would be a huge success in my classroom. With blogs, students are learning how to use technology and proper communication etiquette at an early age. This is a great way to start an online educational journey for my students. They can choose to keep up with this after they leave my classroom. It will be a continual progress report for them. There are a few problems that I could run into with having a class blog. The main problem would be if I have parents that do not want their child's work online for the world to see. I hope that these parents would be able to see how important and safe the blog is, but I understand that not everyone feels that way about the internet. There are many ways to keep a child's identity private. But overall, I think that having a class blog for my future classroom will be a huge success.

C4K Summary for March

C4K- #1

My first C4K for the month of March was Mariaangelica's blog PLAN Test. She explained very useful tips for students preparing to take the PLAN test. My comment to Mariaangelica was: Hello Mariaangelica! My name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. This blog was very informative! It was great that you included such useful information for students! Thank you so much for sharing!


C4K- #2

My second C4K for March was on Natae's blog ARE FIRST IMPRESSIONS ACCURATE? (MALEFICENT AND 12TH NIGHT). Natae's blog post was about an interpretative production of Maleficent. My comment to Natae's blog post was: Hello Natae, my name is Shelby and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. Maleficent is a wonderful movie! I bet that a Maleficent play would be amazing! I have never seen an interpretation before. What did you think of it? This a great post. Keep up the great work!

C4K- #3

My third C4K for March was on Dominic's blog Viola (Cesario). This blog post was about a young woman who pretended to be a boy so she could get a job and remain hidden. My comment to Dominic was "Hello Dominic! My name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading your blog post. You did a great job of explaining your thoughts on the character's actions. Great job predicting what might happen! I hope you are right!"

Blog Post #9

What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?

I obtained a great amount of Project Based Learning knowledge from the resources in this post. In Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning, the seven things needed are very realistic and obtainable. They state that good projects must be personally meaningful, and fulfill an educational purpose. Anything a person does in life should be personally meaningful. Whenever I am completing a task that is meaningful to me, I always find myself more invested in the project. This is a project that I want to be proud of. When this project also fulfills an educational experience, it completes the package. This project will be a project that a student will not forget over time. They invest their time and effort into the project because they see a reason to care. This sentence from the article summarizes in opinion Project Based Learning in one sentence: "But it is the process of students' learning and the depth of their cognitive engagement— rather than the resulting product—that distinguishes projects from busywork."
The first element, a need to know, starts the project off. The teacher begins the project with an entry event. This event can be a video, guest speaker, or anything to spark interest in the upcoming project. Once the student is interested, they will realize the reason for needing to know the information for this project: "I need to know this to meet the challenge I've accepted." Second, there is the driving question element. The teacher will spark a brainstorming session with the class. This class started with "How can we reduce number of days Foster's Beach is closed because of poor water quality?" From there they continued discussing this question and starting the path to research by asking more questions. The driving question captures the heart of the project. It gives the students a sense of purpose for this project. These questions being asked should be open-ended and complex. This element should challenge students. Students should understand why they are taking on the project after the brainstorming questions. The third element, student voice and choice, helps projects become meaningful to the students. Whenever students get a choice, it keeps them involved in the project. In 21st century skills, the fourth element, the article explains how Project Based Learning teaches skills that students will apply in their futures. These skills include collaborating, which is crucial to the working world. These students need to start learning these types of skills in the classroom. As a student, I feel that I was not taught these skills, and I wish that I was. Thankfully, I am being taught these skills in EDM 310. In the fifth element, inquiry and innovation, the class creates additional questions that will help drive their projects to go above and beyond the requirements. These students conduct real inquiry. Real inquiry is the process of finding information through real research that ends with more questions. This keeps students constantly learning and researching. In the feedback and revision element, the teacher meets with the groups throughout the steps of the project to assess their progress. The students learn how to critique each other's work, which is tool that they will be using throughout their life. Any job or leadership position requires a person to critique others, as well as be critiqued. The younger people learn this skill, the better. This element also utilizes rubrics. Rubrics are very helpful in organizing work. In feedback, students learn that their first attempts do not usually result in the highest quality results. Revisions and improvements can always be made. With PBL, teachers sometimes arrange for experts or mentors to come in and give feedback to the students. Hearing feedback from a person who dedicates their life to the subject you are learning about drives a student to do better. I personally consider feedback from an expert on that subject more so than feedback from my teacher. The last element, a publicly presented product, is important for students because whenever a student knows that they are presenting a project to an audience. The students gain more knowledge, skills, and pride from having to complete a presentation to more than just their classmates.

In the video series Project-Based Learning for Teachers, PBL is broken down and explained. With Project Based Learning, students work over a long period of time. During this time, students conduct research to answer a driving question. Students learn many skills through PBL. These skills include: communication, collaboration, career, and life skills. PBL empowers students and enables them to take control of their learning. Einstein's quote in the video, "I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn." goes hand-in-hand with Project Based Learning.

Project-Based Learning and Physical Education basically explains the same information that the first article I wrote about does. When it comes to PBL, the students get to see why they are learning what they are given. Project Based Learning is a continuous cycle of learning, researching, and revising. The seven elements described in the first article are described in this article, also. The timeline shown here is in the article, and I really enjoyed looking at it because it does an excellent job of breaking down the PBL process.

In PBL: What Motivates Students Today, a handful of students were asked about what motivates them in their classrooms. These students said that they responded well from public praise. This is motivation that I can also relate to. Praise from a teacher, fellow student, or anyone is a motivational tool that kids typically respond well to. Students, even at the elementary age, focus on their futures. Having a well paying job and financial security for themselves and their families motivated a young student in this video. It is crazy to think that students so young are already motivated by this. A common form of motivation with students is not getting grounded. Children do not want to have their favorite things or activities taken away from them, so they make sure they do what they need to in school so they can continue to have those things. This video also stated many rewards that students respond to. These rewards were: behavior charts, candy, food, school supplies, and stickers.

The article Two Students Solve the Case of the Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap shows two high school seniors that spent the school year designing a device that would end the problem of watery ketchup. These students used a 3D printer to create the device that they designed. This classroom focuses on something that is relevant to the students. These students ask themselves what really bothers them. Their teacher has them ask themselves "It really bugs me when..." to jump start their imagination and create ideas. The two guy's class time was spent researching potential designs and patents to make sure their invention was not already patented. Once they discovered that it was not, they decided to continue onto the final design. They narrowed the design down from 60 potential designs to a final five. This class was very appealing to me because the students are able to create their own PBL project and go from there. This teacher is learning so much from his students, while they are learning so much more than a normal classroom setting.

Project #9- Video Book Commentary

Blog Post #8

Randy Pausch was an inspiration in his video, Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. He has such a positive outlook on life! Mr. Pausch wanted educators to let their students act out situations and lessons in front of an audience. This brings a different perspective to students as they are learning a subject. I think it is absolutely incredible that one of his childhood dreams was to be an Imagineer for Disney. This was also one of my dreams I had whenever I was younger. Randy Pausch stressed that it is important to encourage students to have large dreams and aspirations. As with any large dream, there will be obstacles to overcome. But, as an educator, we must cheer them on and help them as they overcome whatever tries to get in the way of these aspirations! He talked about his football coach in the beginning of the video and that story set the tone for the video. His coach explained to him that if no one is getting on to you after you mess up, they have given up on you. I feel that this will be something that I will tell my students frequently. Whenever you are placed in a position of a leader/educator, there will be times that you will have to be honest with students. This honesty will guide them to success, even if they do not see this path at the time.

The main message I took from this video is to be your student's motivators. It is our job as educators to keep these students in the right direction. We have to make sure that we encourage them to knock down those brick walls until they achieve their goals!

C4T #2

C4T #2 Post #1: 2/22/2015

Thoughts, Impressions, Inspirations, from #Bett2015

This blog post by Eva was about a convention in London called #Bett2015. This was a convention on technology in education. She speaks about the changing technology and how it is shaping the way we learn and teach. #Bett2015 provided attendees with a wide variety of technology to learn about. There was a great quote in the blog that stuck out to me, "Teachers make the difference, not the app." I think that this is incredibly important for teachers to remember with all of the technology in the world today. Technology has not replaced the teachers, it has only aided them. Eva was able to meet the creators of all the technology and apps that she loves. My comment was: Hello Eva Buyuksimkesyan, my name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading about #Bett2015. This seemed like such an amazing event to attend! The use of technology is increasing at an incredible rate, and attending events such as #Bett2015 is the only way to keep up with the growth! I loved how you stated that technology is shaping the way we teach and learn. That is so incredibly true. Technology is a beautiful thing that can serve as a major asset to 21st century education. Thank you so much for sharing about #Bett2015! I look forward to hearing more from you.

I will be summarizing this blog post on my EDM 310 class blog on March 15, 2015. The link to my class blog is below.

Twitter: @shelby_begley
My Blog: http://begleyshelbyedm310.blogspot.com/
EDM 310 Class Blog: http://edm310.blogspot.com/


C4T #2 Post #2: 3/15/15

#ETZ Summit to Shape the Future of Education

This blog post by Eva was about an event that will be held in Istanbul. The event is called #ETZ Summit to Shape the Future of Education. This seems like a very interesting event! Parents, teachers, students, and many more can attend this event and learn about all the emerging technologies and classroom concepts in the 21st century. This would be an event that I would love to go to if I was able to! There are not many opportunities that we are given to sit and all learn together. Staying on the same page is so extremely important for parents, teachers, and students. My comment was: Hello Eva Buyuksimkesyan, my name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading about these wonderful events that Istanbul will be hosting. The event, Educational Technology Summit, sounds like a wonderful event! I think that this a great opportunity for parents, teachers, and students to get together and learn about all the new emerging technologies and classroom concepts. With the massive amount of new concepts constantly being created, it can be difficult for teachers, parents, and students to stay on the same page. I look forward to hearing about how #ETZ Summit to Shape the Future of Education goes! Thank you for sharing.

I will be summarizing this blog post on my EDM 310 class blog on March 15, 2015. The link to my class blog is below.

Twitter: @shelby_begley
My Blog: http://begleyshelbyedm310.blogspot.com/
EDM 310 Class Blog: http://edm310.blogspot.com/

Two Movies As a Teacher

Blog Post #7

These videos were very informational! I always knew that technology was extremely helpful and beneficial in classrooms, but these videos went above and beyond in explaining why. My future classroom will more than likely have more than half the technology that current classrooms have. The best way to become prepared for this is to educate myself on these technologies as soon and frequent as possible. This process has already begun for myself in EDM 310. Technology is how students remain engaged in lessons being taught throughout their educational career. I fully plan on using those technologies in my future classroom as an aid for learning. Technology will never replace me; it will help make my teaching stronger.

The first video, Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten, I learned how Kindergarten aged students are using apps such as iMovie in their classrooms. These students are creating book trailers, just like students in EDM 310 do. It is amazing to hear about five and six year old students doing projects that college aged students are doing. These trailers that they are doing serve as wonderful teaching tools. They get to read an actual book, and then make their book come alive with iMovie. This project helps these young students apply technology to their lessons. Michelle stated in this video that the Kindergarten students use this project and they " take off and make it a project of their own." It is great to hear about these students being successful and excited in what could be their first lessons with technology application. The Alabama Virtual Library serves as teaching tool for basic research skills. Students at this young age can be taught how to use a library search engine. Michelle and Elizabeth spoke about how they will give their Kindergarten aged students names of animals each day, and the students practice researching and finding information on the animal they are given that day. This is a great foundation for learning in their futures.

The second video, We All Become Learners, they discussed technology systems like Padlet and Poplet. Padlet is the website that I have also used. Michelle expressed in the video how one day she was showing Kindergarten students how to use Padlet, but she did not know how to upload a picture to the website. A student immediately went up to her and showed her how to upload a picture, and then they continued their lesson. It is amazing to see that five and six year old students can teach us information about technology that adults may not know. Michelle's Kindergarten students serve as one of her Personal Learning Networks (PLN). Through PLNs, we all are constant learners. This is because we all teach each other new information. This can occur through teaching the group a one time, or doing as the young student did with Michelle: He taught her how to upload a picture to Padlet, and she was then able to teach the rest of her students how to upload a picture. Technology is able to help us remain learners with our Personal Learning Networks and Project Based Learning.

iPads In The Classroom was a video about 23 Chicago schools that made the decision tot pilot the use of iPads in their classrooms for a year. The schools and teachers said that the use of iPads had positive benefits. iPads help students "take a virtual field trip every day." This was a statement that I found extremely interesting because of the truthfulness behind the statement. I bought an iPad before the start of this school year in August, and I have noticed how extremely helpful it is with my own education. I can use it in my classes to look closer at what the teacher has pulled up on the Smart board, to look at my eBooks, type notes, and even to take pictures. The iPad is so helpful! After hearing the previous statement, I started thinking about what it would have been like to have an iPad with me in past my elementary classes. These students are so lucky because they can zoom in on pictures or words that they would not be able to see far away on the board. The iPads help everyone learn the same concepts at the same times, even if they have different learning styles. These students get to learn in their own way. Progress is also more easily charted through word processing apps. Teachers can see how the students are learning and spelling words through apps. Students are able to move around letters and spell these words on their own and feel more independent about the process. I think that having the students feel the independence the iPads provide will show more accurate results in a student's progress.

The last video, Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education: iPad, Tablet, Computer, Listening Centers, ten very good points were pointed out about technology in the classrooms. The first reason: Students love it. Students are simply intrigued by technology. Whenever technology is in a classroom, a student is more apt to pay attention and stay focused. Whenever technology is given to these students, it gives them a sense of freedom. As a student myself, it can be aggravating to constantly have a teacher tell you to put your phone or computer away. Whenever I am in classes that allow me to have my iPad and/or laptop out, I find myself staying engaged longer. Another reason that stuck out to me was: Professional development. Whenever students use this technology and are being taught apps and software to use to complete their assignments, they are being taught key skills they will need for their futures. I learned about Google Docs about a year ago, and now I find myself using Google Drive and things on there on a weekly basis. The skills they learn will be key to getting a job in their future! The reason that I most enjoyed was: Encourages homework. After reading a teacher's blog about classroom flipping on a C4T, I have become very interested in the concept. With the technology given today, students can complete more homework than every before. The technology allows the students to watch the lectures at home and then come into the classroom and complete the homework for those lectures. They become more apt to complete this homework because the teacher is there to help them in person. The student does the learning at home, and the applying in the classroom. This video had ten amazing reasons why technology should be in the classroom. I highly suggest everyone watch this video!

C4K Summary for February

C4K #1 2/8/2015

My first C4K post was for Kaleb. Kaleb is very into sports. His blog post was about a book he had recently read about Lebron James. He found Lebron very interesting, so I told Kaleb how great is was to read biographies about people that we find interesting! You can read his blog by clicking on this link: Kaleb T's Blog! My comment to Kaleb's blog was: Hello, Kaleb! My name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama.  Your post is great!  That is awesome that you are enjoying this book about Lebron James.  Biographies are great ways to learn more about people that we find interesting.  Keep up the great work, Kaleb!


C4K #2 2/15/2015

My second C4K was for Megan. Megan's post was about a personal experience. Sometimes it can be tough to share stories such as hers, but I was glad that she decided to share so I could read it! I could relate to these tough times, so I made sure to express that to her when I was commenting. You can read her post by clicking on her link: Megan B's Blog! My comment to Megan's blog was: Megan, My name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. Thank you so much for sharing this story. I know that it sometimes it can be hard to share stories that have to do with difficult times in your life. I can relate to these hard times you have experienced. I have also lost many people close to me. It is great to have family there with you during tough times. Their love will help you through anything. Keep your head up, Megan!

C4K #3 2/22/2015

My third C4K was for Ava. Ava wrote about Lemony Snicket. Ava is an amazing writer and I really enjoyed reading her post. You can read this great post right here: Ava's Blog! My comment to Ava's blog was: Hey Ava! My name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I loved your post! It was very well written and it held my attention the whole time. Lemony Snicket books are always so interesting! I cannot wait to hear more from you. Keep up the great work!


C4K #4 2/27/2015

My fourth C4K was for Kaleb. I commented on Kaleb's blog for my first C4K, also. Since he loves sports so much, he chose to write about them once again! This post was about the book "Coach Carter." Kaleb expressed his interest in the story as he summarized the book. His post on "Coach Carter" can be found at: Kaleb T's Blog! My comment to his post was: Hello, Kaleb! My name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama.  I really enjoyed reading your post! I am a big fan of basketball!  I love the Coach Carter story, also!  It is very admirable what he does for his players.  He teaches them responsibility as well as respect for themselves and their futures.  I think you did a great job writing about this book!!  Keep up the awesome work, Kaleb!

Blog Post #6

Project Based Learning:

After watching these videos, I started realizing how valuable all of this information could be for my future. The first two videos,Project Based Learning Part 1: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher and Project Based Learning Part 2: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher, really explained how PBL (Project Based Learning) is showcasing the act of learning. Anthony Capps goes into detail about how PBL is not simply showing what a student learned, but it is really a form of learning. I enjoyed Mr. Capps explaining what goes into an appropriate project. This was broken down in a way that I feel is helpful for students like myself. The components of a successful project are: student interest, community involvement (when necessary), authentic audience, and the project must be content driven. The "content driven" section of a project is what I feel most people tend to lack in. These components will drive students to work harder and dive into projects to show their full potential. As a future educator, that is all I can ask of my students.

The third video I watched was iCurio. This was the first time I had heard of iCurio. This is an educational search engine geared towards students. The interesting thing about iCurio is that it acts like a normal search engine, but it filters the results for educational purposes. Along with filtering for educational purposes, iCurio also stores content that a student finds valuable for their studies. This tool is very helpful when it comes to learning about virtual storage and organization, which is very important to me. Also, iCurio is geared towards younger children, so it is very useful in elementary classrooms. The content blocking aspect of this tool is key for elementary aged students. I would love to use iCurio in my future classrooms. Watching Discovery Education made me very interested in learning more. I am such a visual learner, and having visuals has always helped me to grasp a concept much faster than whenever a visual is not present. Anthony Capps uses a great example with his students. He encouraged his students to use Discovery Education with a project they were doing on plants. With this tool, students will be able to look closely at the differences in the plants and watch informative videos on the plants as well!

The Anthony-Strange list of Tips for Teachers Part 1 listed tips that all teachers should strive to do. Some of the tips are:

1: Teaching never ends
2: Be flexible and engaging
3: Reflect on your work and revise
4: Learning is constant
5: Have a goal


Don't Teach Tech- Use it explains the importance of technology with education. The video stresses that technology should be used as an aid with teaching, but that technology is not what they need to be taught. The students do need to be taught how to use the technology, but they should be taught one tool at a time. In Additional Thought About Lessons, Anthony Capps explained the four components that are required to make a lesson complete. These components are: daily plan, week plan, year plan, and unit plan.

My Sentence Videos

My Passion Is...





My Sentence Is...

Presentation Project #3

Blog Post #5

Personal Learning Networks

In Project Six- Developing a Personal Learning Network, a Personal Learning Network is defined as "those people, places, organizations, and activities which enable you to learn. When people start building their PLN's, they will make connections that will continue for the rest of their lives. The amazing part about PLN's, is that they never stop growing. Once you make that connection with a few people, you can connect with the people they are connected with, and so on. I have already started making PLN's with my EDM 310 class. We were put into groups and now I communicate with my group every week.

I thought a very accurate description of how well PLNs work was discussed by Michael Fawcett. His video, PLN- Michael Fawcett Offers His Insights, explains some very good points about Personal Learning Networks. He talks about how he sent out a question on Twitter that his student had about Neil Armstrong, and within 30 minutes, he had an answer. The most amazing part is that this definitive answer came from NASA. That is such an amazing example of how helpful PLN's, and today's technology, can be.

C4T #1

My C4T teacher for this assignment was Eric Langhorst's 2014 MSTA Convention - Flipping the Classroom and Google Tools. This blog post was very interesting to me. Eric talks about "flipping the classroom." This is an interesting concept for 21st century teaching. This concept brings activity to a classroom. Flipping the classroom gives students more time during class to do learning activities together. This requires them to do a little more work outside of the classroom so that there is more time for the instructor to go around and answer questions during classroom activities. My comment to Eric on his blog was: Dr. Langhorst, My name is Shelby Begley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. Before reading your blog post, I had heard a little information about flipping the classroom. After reading through your post and watching the videos, I have become very interested in this teaching style! I think this is a great way to become more interactive with your students, as well as teach them more. This a style that my EDM instructor has applied to this class. I like the idea of being able to go into my future classroom and spend more time helping my students learn in a hands-on style. I do think that this could become slightly more difficult for Kindergarten, which is the grade I want to teach. I would definitely have to find a way to adapt this teaching style for students at that age. Thank you for sharing this blog, it was very informative!



In Eric Langhorst's blog, Augmented Reality App Brings History Alive at Kansas City's Union Station, he talks about using an application that allows students to use their smart phones on a field trip to Union Station. The app is supposed to make history come alive using augmented reality. My comment to Eric on his blog was: Applications are resources that I feel that students find interesting and fun. They allow students to learn in an "out of the box" setting. I also believe that any time you can allow students to use their phones for learning you should. Some teachers see the idea of using phones and technology in a learning environment as negative that they do not use them to their fullest potential. Thank you for sharing!

Project #15

Search Engines

WolframAlpha
WolframAlpha is a new search engine for me. I had never heard of it before doing this project. WolframAlpha is a website that is extremely helpful for any problems that fall under the math and science categories. I started typing in math problems, and it would solve it for me right on the spot! This search engine would have been extremely useful to me in all of my math classes! WolframAlpha will definitely be under my favorites on my computer now.

WOW
Since WOW is enhanced by Google, they run the same type of way. I looked through this site a little and I definitely would not use it. My computer did not even want me to continue onto this website. After looking around, the information does not seem very credible. I would not suggest using this website.

Yahoo!
Yahoo! is a search engine that many people use today. This search engine is a very general one in the sense that any question can be typed in and Yahoo! will direct you to the website you need to continue onto. Yahoo's homepage serves more as a news site than other search engine's homepages. Yahoo! is still a powerful search engine. Although it is not my first choice, it has proven to be very successful in my past research.

Bing
Bing is a newer search engine. It has become very popular in the past few years. The main use I have had for Bing is image searching. They always seem to have better images and more of a selection than other search engines. Bing also helps bring the people in your social networks together. They help you spend "more time doing."

Ask
Ask is a search engine that serves more as a "question and answer" type engine. I do not usually use this search engine because I never feel as if the answers are totally correct. This would only be a search engine that I use to look up answers not related to academics.

Dictionary
Dictionary is a search engine that I honestly never thought of as a "search engine." It is definitely a search engine that I use very often though! I always find myself going to this website and looking up how to spell words or the definition. This is an amazing search engine for academic purposes. Dictionary gives you everything you could ask for when looking up a word: the definition, the word's origin, and many more. I recommend this search engine to every student and teacher.

YouTube
YouTube is a very popular search engine for videos. Virtually every video is at the tip of your fingers through this search engine. As I have gotten older, I have started using YouTube for academic purposes. This search engine is vital in classes such as EDM 310. Through this search engine, we can create and share our own videos, or learn through viewing other people's videos.

DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo is a new search engine to me. I found that it does not track you, so it gives you privacy while you search. After looking through this site, I learned that I really like it. If you type in a word such as "dog," it gives you more definitions than you could ever imagine the word had. This search engine seems to give credible sources and answers, so I would use it again!

Blog Post #4

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher? First we should know what a question is. A question is a statement that hopes to gain or receive particular information. Therefore as future teachers we should always encourage questions from our students and we should always ask though provoking questions. An article I felt to be very enlightening was Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom. Dr. Weimer introduces three actions that a person can take to improve their skills in regards to questions.

Step 1: Prepare Questions
In order to have questions that matter you cannot ask them in the spur of the moment. In order for a question to be a success, methodical thought needs to happen. Planning in advance also helps to make sure the questions are clear.
Step 2: Play with Questions
It is not always best for teachers to ask questions and immediately expect answer. Sometimes it is better to let the questions sink in and let them meditate on them.
Step 3: Preserve Good Questions
There are also times where questions are better held onto. It is the job of teachers to know when and where questions can best be used. A teacher should gauged their questions based on their students discussion and responses.

Blog Post #3

Peer editing is something that we have always heard about, but we may not have always known how to do it properly. I never liked when we had to do peer editing in class, and whenever we had to do it, I feel like we never did it properly. But, as I got into college and classes like this one, I realized that peer editing is actually very helpful. This is something that all young students should grow accustomed to.

In What is Peer Editing?, they said that reviews should contain compliments. I think that this is very crucial in making the peer edits not seem rude. That is the main thing that I took from the video. This video better explained some of the details that I didn't know much about before. Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial, basically restated what the previous video stated. It focused on how much peer editing can help improve your work. But, the way you word your feedback determines how successful your edit can be. Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes states how your peer edit could not be successful. People can sometimes be very picky, and that doesn't work. If peer editing is done correctly, it can be very powerful and helpful. I am looking forward to helping others with their posts through this new information I have learned.

Blog Post 2

The central message in "Mr. Dancealot" was that students cannot accurately learn by sitting and listening to teachers simply talk. You have to practice in order to grasp what you are being taught. When students are exposed to only notes being read, and no active practice is being paired with these notes, nothing is being accomplished. The author makes his case by showing the students starting to take their final. These students have their notes in their hands and still cannot do what they need to do correctly. They have not learned any dance moves. This proves that there is nothing for the brain to attach this information to. This case is also proven by watching how inattentive the students are during the lecture. They are all struggling to pay attention. I absolutely agree with his conclusion. Without activity, there is no retention of this knowledge. Working together, especially in a class like Dance, is imperative for knowledge. The information learned has to be applied in order to create knowledge!

In the video "Teaching in the 21st Century," Roberts states that teaching is constantly changing. Teaching now means that we must use the technology we have today and engage our students, not just entertain them. Roberts said in the video: "Teachers are not the main source of knowledge. We are the filter." That statement cannot be more true. With all of the technology at students' fingertips, if there is something that they do not understand, they can simply look it up on the internet. I know that is something I do almost every day. If I do not know the answer to a question, I will simply pull out my phone and type the question into my internet search bar. With the way that technology is growing, there is no limit on the information that my future students will be able to obtain. Because of this, I will have to use this technology in my classroom. The technology in my classroom will be beneficial in two ways: keeping students engaged in lessons, and making the students feel the need to learn while in school. I know many times in school when I would say "Well, I will just look this up later when I get home," instead of paying attention in class. Putting technology in the classroom will make students feel better about learning because they are welcome to use their electronic devices instead of being forced to keep them in their back packs. I believe this type of learning will help widen students' acceptance to new ways of learning. For example, I am not completely comfortable with the way EDM 310 is structured because of how all of my other classes have been set up. But, my future students would be comfortable with this structure because technology will be so ingrained into their classrooms and ways of learning.

"The Networked Student" video really showed how independent students can be, while staying connected to their teachers. In the video the question "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" was asked. My answer to that is: the networked student needs their teacher because they service as a guide. The teacher helps the networked student learn how to effectively communicate within their networks. When students first begin the journey into networked classrooms, they do not know where to go or what to do. These beginning stages is when the teacher is most valuable to the student. They will help the student get their "foot in the door," and help them make the connections they need to succeed in the course.

In "Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts," she shows how to use technology in the classroom to help students succeed. One of her main focuses in the video is that collaboration is extremely successful. Throughout the video, Vicki has her students working collaboratively to not only teach themselves, but their classmates also. Vicki states in the video that "Only paper, and only pencil, then only certain types of children are going to succeed." This statement is one that made a light bulb go off inside my head when I heard it. I never quite thought about using technology as an alternative to the classic paper and pencil that students are far too used to. Not everyone learns the same way, and the technology in her classroom can really help those students who learn differently, succeed. I loved how her way of teaching helps empower students to teach themselves. That gives students a great feeling of accomplishment whenever they can say "I taught myself that!"

Throughout my watching of "Who's ahead in the Race?," I really learned a lot. I have been wondering why EDM is such a stressful class for me, and watching this video made me realize why. These elementary school students are so ahead of college students in this race because the major use of technology in classrooms is all they know. These students are not like the college students in the sense that the college students didn't have the technology in their classrooms. Our elementary school was only filled with paper, pens, pencils, and crayons. We were allowed to use computers as a reward for finishing what we were supposed to. In the growing 21st century classrooms, elementary school students are encouraged and required to use technology as a learning aid. They have no idea how thankful they will be that they were taught from the beginning how to use technology in this manner. This is going to be key to their adaptation and success in their adulthood.

I loved the concept shown in the video "Flipping the Classroom." This was something new for me! I had never heard of flipping a classroom before this video. I think that this approach could be very useful to me in my future classroom. But, I do have slightly mixed feelings about it. The bad side I see to this is: if a student watches this video and finds a subject to be "too tough" and frustrating that they give up, will they be penalized for not doing the sheet for that night? I know that sometimes students need to be physically shown how to do something before they can properly understand the subject. I often times find myself to be in that situation. But there is a huge positive side to this concept: students will be more willing to pay attention and include themselves in the lesson the next day because they know about the material already. This would definitely be a concept that I would want to try out in my future classroom.

Test

Test

Blog Post One

I have heard a lot about EDM 310. What I heard was, well, not very good. I know everyone has heard those horror stories about this class. Because of the stories I have heard, I am a little fearful about this class. I am just worried about the amount of school work, but I know that I will be able to handle it.

EDM 310 is very different than any class I have taken before. It is different in the way that there is SO much stuff I have to do online, while still going to class. This class is basically the same as an online class. That is really the only similarity I have with EDM and the classes I have taken. There are just mainly differences! The other classes I have taken did not have as much outside work as this class does.

The most difficult thing that I think I will have to deal with during EDM 310 is the amount of hours that will have to be spent on this during the week. I am starting all of my Pre-Candidacy classes now, so I am already doing hours of classwork with other classes. This will be a balancing act that I have to figure out! I will be able to address this issue by making an outline of the work that I need to do each week so that I have enough time to do everything.

I am ready to learn more about this class, and hope that I will be able to adjust to the work load easily!

Practice Blog Post

I. Who am I?
A. Where I have lived
B. Major interests
1. Phi Mu
2. Family
C.How I happen to attend USA
1. Close to home
2. Family lives here
D.Personal Information
E. Tell about family

II. Why do I want to be an educator?
A. Make a difference
B. Kid at heart

III. What does an educator do in their practice?
A. Helping children learn
B. Making lesson plans
C. Providing positive experiences
D. Teaching through electronics

IV. My passions
A. Photography
B. Helping others

V. Interesting/Important things


My name is Shelby Begley. I am 20 years old, and was born and raised in Mississippi. I am fortunate enough to say that I have always lived in the same city, and only lived in two houses. I love Long Beach, Mississippi, and plan to return there after I finish college. Joining my sorority, Phi Mu, was the best decision I could have made for my four years at South. The Phi Mu house is my home away from home while I am in school. It has helped me grow as a person in so many ways. While I am away at school, I miss my family SO much! My parents, sister, best friend (whom I consider my sister, also), and my godson are always at home waiting to welcome me back. I have one sister, who is four years older than me, that has helped me through everything. My best friend and her son (my godson), are my world. My godson, Michael, will be two years old in October. He is my best friend, too. We have a lot of great conversations about food, dogs, and the word "no".

Where I wanted to go to college was never a big debate. I always knew I wanted to go to the University of South Alabama. I love that South is only an hour away from Long Beach. I am able to have the "college experience" while being close enough to home that I can go back on the weekends, if I want. This is perfect for me because I love being at home. Another great thing about South, is that I have family that lives in Mobile. My grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins live 15 minutes away from campus. That is something I absolutely love, because I am so close to my family. My aunt that lives here also went to South. We are a lot alike, so when I was little I decided that I wanted to do what she did in college, so I did. I am an education major, and in Phi Mu just like she was.


I have always wanted to be a teacher because I am so passionate about helping others. That has always been something I strive to do. I so vividly remember my Kindergarten and 1st grade teacher, and the impact they made on my life. I want to be able to make that same impact on my future students. I am also such a kid at heart. There is no way I could be in a job where I am not around kids! I cannot wait to be a Kindergarten teacher and be able to impact their lives!

In the 21st century, teachers have such a wide range of things that are included in their job description. It is so much more than people, including myself, may think. The most important, and basic, thing that they do is help children learn. That is literally the number one thing that they have to do. Another thing they do is make lesson plans. Lesson plans are so important for the structure of the classroom. Technology has become a primary teaching tool in our schools today. Teachers have to learn to use that technology now as an essential tool to a child's learning experience. I believe that teaching is much more than the formal education. A positive experience is something that can truly impact a student's life. I have had teachers that have given me a positive experience, and I remember them much more than I remember the negative experiences.

My passion in life is photography. I love capturing the special moments in people's lives. Through photography, I can express my emotions while capturing theirs. Another passion I have is helping others, like I said earlier in this blog. Helping other people is such a satisfying feeling.

Source: Photo by Shelby Begley

I expressed my interests and important things in my life earlier in this blog. My family and friends are the most important, and interesting things in my life. I wouldn't be where I am today without them!