Blog Post 3

      I believe that these videos and slide shows gave excellent advice on providing meaningful feedback to peers. In the second slide show presentation  Peer Editing with Perfection Tutorial it gives advice on meaningful peer feedback. First, let us think about what is a peer? A peer is someone your own age. Now, we need to think about what does it mean when we edit ? Editing involves making suggestions, comments , compliments, and changes in writing. Peer editing is working with someone your own age usually in your class to help improve, revise, and edit his/her writing. There are three steps in peer editing. The first thing to always remember before you start providing feedback is always remain positive. 
     The first step in peer editing is always start your peer editing with a compliment, ex: My favorite part was____________ because..... or I like it when you use the word __ ________.  The second step in peer editing is making suggestions. Making suggestions means to give the author specific ideas about how to make his/her writing better.  An example would be: Instead of saying it doesn't make sense, you might would say if you add more detail after the sentence it would be more clear. Some other topics that you could make suggestions on would be: word choice, using detail, organization, sentences, and topic.  The third step in peer editing is making corrections. Making corrections is where you check spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentences. Remember to stay positive and be specific!
      In the last video Writing a Peer Review: Top 10 Mistakes it discusses ten mistakes to avoid when peer editing. The first mistake is being to picky.  Don't try to correct every little thing about that person's blog. The second mistake is not caring about what your peers are suggesting. They are trying to help you  become a better writer, so you need to listen to the feedback they are providing. The third mistake is being to social.  Don't interrupt them and don't talk to others while they are providing their feedback.The fourth mistake is being to general with your comments. You need to be specifically clear about what you are suggesting that person needs to correct. The fifth mistake is being mean. You need to make sure that you are positive. Think about how you would feel if someone was telling you about what you needed to improve in your own writing. The sixth mistake is being too loud. When giving a person feedback, you need to keep the tone in moderate form, the person is sitting right next to you. The seventh mistake is being pushy. Make sure when you are giving your feedback that your suggestions are not too pushy. The eighth mistake is being off task. When you are giving feedback, make sure you are staying on the topic of the paper and not steering off topic talking about something irrelevant.  The ninth mistake is being to speedy about your feedback. You need to take your time and make sure that person understands the feedback that you are giving them, don't just hurry through to get done. The tenth and final mistake is getting defensive when someone is offering you feedback. They are trying to help you become a better writer and you need to accept the feedback in a positive way so that you can grow. 
      Students need to know how to: compliment, give feedback, edit, and make corrections. Peer feedback can improve students writing skills and help them to become better writers.

    

Blog Post 2

Mr. Dance A Lot

      I feel like the central message of this video is that the students were not given any guidance, and were not actively engaged in the activities. Therefore, they were not able to perform and participate in the way the instructor wished.  The author makes his case for his conclusion by showing how bored the students were in class and how in the end they did not understand how to perform the dance as the instructor wanted them to. I agree with the author's conclusion because in a real classroom, if you do not actively engage your students, they will not know how to do the assignment, be bored, act out, or fall asleep.

Teaching in the 21st Century

A. The normal way of teaching is becoming obsolete

     1. Students can find information anytime anywhere on: Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube

B. Teachers  are the main source of knowledge and  in the classrooms we are the filters we help them to:

     1. validate information

     2. synthesize information

     3. communicate information

     4. problem solve

C. Teachers need to ask our students to: 

     1. Remember

     2. Understand

     3. Apply

     4. Analyze

     5. Evaluate

     6.Create

D. Teachers need to teacher their students about :

     1. Pirating

     2. Plagiarism

     3. Copyright

     4. Show them how to be a professional

E. What does this mean for the classroom?

     1. We need to rethink the tools we are using and and the type of problems we ask the students to solve.

     2. Could discuss data using: Twitter, Facebook, crowd sourcing, online surveys and RSS Feeds.

     3. Get reliable resources using: Google, Delicious, Wikipedia, Skype, Google Docs. 

F. Lessons no matter what tools you use need to be :

    1. relevant

    2. challenging

    3. engaging

G. Entertaining/ Engaging 

     1. Entertainment is passive, Engagement is active.

     2. Entertainment is for enjoyment, Engagement is for learning.

     3. Entertainment is short lived, Engagement is long term.

     4. Entertainment is not relevant, Engagement is meaningful and applicable.

     5. Entertainment escapes problems, Engagement solves problems.

     6. Entrainment is using creativity of others Engagement is creativity of participant.

     7. Engagement should be fun and relaxing.

H. How do we provide meaningful and powerful Engagement? Where to start?

     1. See what is out there: find sites and software, do research

     2. Start small: What is something I can do in the next unit to engage my students in 21st century skills?

     3. Collaborate: don't do it alone, plan with others.

     4. Take a risk: change can't occur without conflict, try and see what will happen. Remember the big picture.

I feel that Roberts provides an excellent piece on how teaching is changing in the 21st century. Students are more technologically advanced more than ever. They will look for answers to their questions some way, even if it is negative. It is our job as teachers to help guide them with their questions/research when they are looking for answers. We need to provide them with good sources of research tools that are engaging.

If Roberts is correct, teachers will need to make sure they are engaging their students and not just entertaining them. They will have to find good sources of research tools for the students to use. 

     

The Networked Student

I  believe this movie by Wendy Drexler shows that even though the students are technological advanced they still need: guidance, modeling, organization, and help in problem solving. They may be able to come up with answers on their own, but still may have questions that they need answered or problems that need to be solved. 

Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts

The thesis of Ms. Davis video is that every child can learn, but not every child can learn by pencil and paper alone. Some children will not be able to succeed that way. Students need to look things up on their own and work together as a group or team and it will help empower them.  I would have to agree with Ms. Davis. All students do not learn the same way. They have different learning styles. Some students learn easier while seeing things, and some students learn easier by hearing things. Students working together with the teacher can empower the students  to achieve success. 
Who's Ahead In The Learning Race?

As a college student and teacher, I would have to say that students in classrooms are ahead of the learning race. They are very technologically advanced. They know how to: blog,use rubrics, Skype,Twitter, research, use MP3 players, and use Google Docs. They are ready to learn and full of questions. The college students weren't as enlightened on this technology as the classroom students.

Flipping The Classroom

I have never heard of "Flipping" before. I think that this is a very interesting concept. I had some questions that came to mind as I watched this video. Even though as ridiculous as it may sound this day in age, one concern would be what if that student does not have access to  a computer? Also, students that have various learning styles how would this affect them? Another question/comment is how much more time is put in this for the teacher? It seems to be very time consuming. Overall, I see how this could be very useful, but not sure how it would work out. I would have to research this concept some more before using it. 

Bringing the Locker Room into the Classroom  

I believe "collaborative learning" and "teaching students the system" is a very good approach. Students can use questions and answers, discussion and debate, and problem solving. The students can research and discuss  and answers questions with each other and not rely just on the teacher.   You could definitely use these approaches in the classroom. 

Blog Post 1

       

 Blog Post 1

This is my first class since I graduated from USA in 2005.  I haven't heard a lot about this class since I have been away for so long. In fact, when I took this class several years ago it was very different.
     Most of my fears are involving some of the different projects. I have never blogged before, recorded and posted movies, made book tailors, or even used Google for anything else but for a search engine. 
     In high school and college most of my classes were lecture and then we had to recite facts back on tests.  EDM 310 is different than those classes, because this class has a lot of  projects and hands on work. It really gets you ready for what some of the students are doing in today's classrooms.
    I think the most difficult thing for me is balancing this class with the other things in my life: work, my kids, etc. Also, making sure I understand how to complete the assignments and I do them correctly.
   Outlining everything in my planner and asking for help when I need it will help me to be successful. Also, keeping a positive outlook will help me to be successful. 
  I really don't have any major questions right now, but I am sure that I will as time goes on. 

Personal Practice Blog Post

Outline: 

A. Personal Information

 1. Name     

 2. Where I live     

 3. Attending USA      

4. Personal Information

B.  Why I want to be an Educator?

C. What it is like to be in the field of Education in the 21st Century?

D. My Passions

E. Other Interesting Things

     Hello, my name is Janelle Johnson Owens, I was born and raised in  Mobile, AL. I previously attended USA and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education in 2005.   Taking this class enables me to renew my certificate so that I am able to teach in the state of Alabama.  I have previously had teaching experience in the following grades: 5th, 4th, 2nd(student taught), first, and kindergarten.  My favorite grades to teach are kindergarten -second grade. 
      My husband and I will be married 9 years in July. We have have two beautiful , talented,  sweet daughters. My oldest Madeline is six and she is in kindergarten. She is very smart and so far has made all A's and B's in school. She can read on a second grade, almost third grade reading level.  My youngest Lydia is two. She is very spunky and energetic.  She is always on the go and always has something to say. 
     I want to be an educator because I always had great teachers in school and they had a huge impact on my life. Their dedication, and hard work inspired me to want to become a teacher.  I am passionate about teaching. I love to see students learn and understand the concepts and to be able to know how to use those concepts. I want to make a difference in their lives.
     Teaching in the Twenty First Century has changed so much from the past.  Teachers use to write on chalkboards and use overhead projectors. Now, you have a lot more technology involved. Teachers and students in today's classrooms now have: computers, projectors, I Pads, Smart Boards, and other technology. 
     Things I am passionate about and other things about me: I love spending time with my family, reading, and snapper fishing.