Project #12

C4T #3- Liz B. Davis

Liz B. Davis' Blog:
Blog Post #1:
5 Things Leaners Today SHOULD be Doing:

Liz Davis writes about the term "21st Century" and how she struggled with this overused term until she realized that the 21st century is TODAY, right now! She said that we have no more time to "get there", we are here! She has also been thinking a lot about ways to simplify her vision of what schools should be doing (see her last post) and what learners should be doing. She believes the following are the essential skills learners need to succeed in college and the workplace.

5 Things Learners TODAY Should Be Doing:	Locally	Globally
1. Inquiring	Asking questions about ideas and issues throughout the local/school school community.	Asking questions about ideas and issues throughout the world.
2. Investigating	Finding and researching answers and solutions using the people in the local/school community.	Finding and researching answers and solutions using the internet and other online tools.
3. Collaborating	Working and connecting effectively with classmates and teachers face-to-face and online.	Working and connecting effectively with people around the world face-to-face and online.
4. Creating	Building, Designing, Inventing and Producing solutions to local/school problems.	Building, Designing, Inventing and Producing solutions to global problems.
5. Communicating	Using writing, video, art, and other media to share solutions with the local/school community.	Using writing, video, art, and other media to share solutions with a global community.

My Comments: 
I introduced myself and EDM310. I then told her that I believe these 5 skills are crucial in learning and success. I really like how she broke each skill down for both local and global use. This was not a huge post so I was unable to give a long reply, but I did talk about collaboration and the skills I have been taught in EDM and I also talked about how important communication skills are, not only verbal but possible more important in writing. 


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Blog Post #2:
"Schools today should be...":

Preparing students to interact in a global economy. 

Liz Davis wrote about preparing students to work with an international community of colleagues. She said we need to provide them with opportunities to interact with people from around the world. Teachers also need experiences collaborating globally. Online social networks, such as Twitter, and  Facebook, provide teachers with a way to meet colleagues from around the world and around the country. These Online relationships in turn provide opportunities for classrooms to connect.

Preparing students to navigate and sift through an excess of information. 

She wrote that in order to prepare students to search for and evaluate information, we need to provide them with opportunities to do just that. We need to ask students to find answers to "ungoogleable" questions and then have them not only share their answers, but also describe their search processes and defend their sources.

Preparing students to contribute to and consume in a media rich market. 

In order to prepare students to consume and create multi-media messages, students should be both evaluating and creating videos, podcasts, and blogs. Students need to learn to be both educated consumers and producers of these messages. 

Preparing students to tackle new innovations. 

She also wrote that in order to prepare students to face and conquer new technology tools, we need to provide them with opportunities to solve their own problems. We can't provide them with step by step directions, but instead encourage them to seek out new tools, figure them out and communicate their learning with classmates.

Preparing students to think creatively, take risks and come up with new ideas. 

In order to encourage students to discover new ideas, we need to create learning environments that encourage and support not just failure, but also recovery from that failure.

Preparing students for digital citizenship. 

In order to teach students how to interact online, we must openly discuss issues of privacy, copyright, and online behavior. Students need to understand the difference between private and public spaces and how to behave in each place. They also need to learn how to interact online in responsible and ethical ways.



My Comments: 
I introduced myself and EDM 310 again. I commented about how thoughtful and interesting her post was. She mentioned she had written most of this post in 2008, but that it still applied today... I told her I thought it was shocking to know that these basic principles are still as much needed today as they were these years ago. I agreed with her information and broke down each idea she presented and gave first-hand knowledge or examples to support my opinion of agreeing with her. An example of this is: "Preparing students for digital citizenship": I told her about C4K and told her about the videos I have watched to help prevent privacy violations and to teach responsibility on the web. 

C4K Summary for October

Alex's Awesome Blog 
Mrs. Ripps' Class blog 

Directions for "The No Talking Challenge": 
"Silence! On Thursday I had you be completely silent for 20 minutes as you tried to solve two brain teasers with a partner. By silence, I meant no speaking and no writing. How did it feel to do this? Was it frustrating? Was it hard to communicate? In the book, “Out of My Mind” the main character melody has cerebral palsy leaving her unable to speak. How do you think it feels to be her? Would you like to not be able to speak?"  

Alex's Post:
"The No Talking Challenge!"

Alex blogged that it was hard to communicating without words or writing words down.He was able to complete his brainteasers, but he said it took the whole 20 minutes, though. He will now respect people like Melody more. He said even though it was fun, he has a whole new perspective of "people like Melody". 

 My Comment to Alex: 
I introduced myself and told Alex about EDM310. I then commented that I would also go insane if I were unable to speak or write in order to communicate. I told him that I decided to do the challenge with my daughter, and it was HARD! I gained a new perspective and learned a valuable lesson from this challenge. I closed by thanking Alex for his honesty.



Eli Pickle's Blog:   
Class blog:   

Directions for Chapter 8 & 9 Blog Post Assignment: 

"1. Check out this site to learn more about service dogs:Little Angels Service Dogs. Butterscotch really helped Melody when she fell out of her chair! What other jobs do dogs do for people? What are some things you can do to help when you see a service dog?
2. How do you think Melody will react to having a new sibling in the house?
3. What themes or big ideas do you think that Sharon Draper is trying to get us to think about as we read these chapters?"

Eli answered parts A, B, and C in 3 different posts...

Eli's Part "A": 
"What are some things survise dogs can do"

Eli said that service dogs can guide blind people and they can get help if someone who cant move or talk falls or are in danger of hurting themselves. 

Part "B":
Eli wrote that he doesn't think Melody will like having a sibling because she may get jealous of the young baby that can do more than she can. He says he also thinks the baby will take the attention away from Melody. 

Part "C": 
"Sharon Draper"
He thinks that Sharon Draper is trying to make us realize how lucky we are.

 Comment left on Part "A": 
I introduced myself to Eli and told him about EDM310. I then told him how I hope to incorporate technology into my future classroom: ways such as his teacher- students blogging their assignments.  I told him that I agree with his answer: dogs guide the blind as well as get help when there is danger. I asked him: What are some things you can do to help when you see a service dog, though?

 Comment left on Part "B":
Same intro...
"I am not sure who Melody is, or what the reading assignment was, but I agree with your comments about bringing a new baby into the house. I have a 6-year-old and a 3- year-old daughter. When the youngest was born it was chaotic for the oldest. She loved her new baby sister, but she didn't comprehend why she wasn't getting the same amount of attention from me. It is hard. Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so, are any of them younger than you are?"  

Comment left on Part "C": 
I told Eli that ISharon Draper to see who she is.  I found out... "Sharon M. Draper is a professional educator and award winning writer. She was the 1997 National Teacher of the Year, a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author." Hopefully this is the same "Sharon Draper" that he blogged about.... I told him that I do not know what his class read, but I would like to take the time to give my opinion on realizing one's luck/positive things in one's life... I am glad that he can comprehend the notion of being lucky and being able to realize this. I closed with thanking him for his post.



Lesieli's Blog
Her Class blog
Her post: Wellington Trip Part 1: 

Lesieli makes a very detailed timeline of her trip to her capital of New Zealand: Wellington. She talks about the plane trip, arriving at the airport, and the speech accompanied by afternoon tea. 

My comments to Lesieli:
I introduced myself and told her about EDM310. I told her how intrigued I was with her comments about her trip to Wellington. I really liked her timeline, it was very detailed. I closed by thanking her for her post and told her to keep up the great work with such amazing descriptive words!

C4K's for November

C4K #8: Taya's "Out of My Mind" Blog Post

Check out Taya's Class Blog... 




In Taya's "Out of My Mind" Blog Post, she talks about the character, Melody, in the book "Out of My Mind" that has cerebral palsy. She says Melody is smart but can't do things that most people take for granted. She gives very informative examples of Melody's thought process and how her lack of communication hinders her and those around here. Go check out her post "Out of My Mind" Blog Post on Taya's Blog! 




My Response to Taya's "Out of My Mind" Blog Post:

I introduced myself and explained EDM310. I then told Taya that I love how descriptive she was in this post. I felt as though I had read some of the book myself!I told her she done a great job describing Melody and her struggles to her readers. I told her about my daughters and how I will purchase this book to teach them (and me) a valuable lesson.

C4K#9:Tame's Blog post: I Heard a Whisper

Check out Tame's Class Blog...

In Tame's Blog post: I Heard a Whisper, he writes a ghost story about a family coming into contact with a ghost. He writes about the three children, Colin, Nikki, and Jack, and how the parents didn't believe the children about the ghost at first, but then they experienced the ghost themselves. They called Ghost Busters and after a "terrific fight"- the ghost was gone!

My response to Tames' Blog post: I Heard a Whisper

I told Tame that I really enjoyed reading his ghost story! I also told him that I could tell he put quite a bit of time into it. I added that I have a daughter is 6 years old (a little too young for ghost stories) but I read his to her... and she liked it! 

C4K#10: Ms. George's Class blog post: 

Big Shells and Little Shells

Check out Ms. George's class blog...

In Ms. George's Class blog post: Big Shells and Little Shells, Teana-Lee writes about finding shells to put on her sandcastle. 





My Response to Ms. George's Class blog post: 
Big Shells and Little Shells:

I introduced myself and EDM310. I told the class that I LOVE seashells and that I live near the coast, so every summer My husband and I take our daughters to the beach to look for seashells... I thanked them for sharing the post and picture!

C4K #11: Delfi's Blog Post: 

Out of My Mind- Week 3

Check out Delfi's Class Blog...




In Delfi's Blog Post: Out of My Mind- Week 3, he writes about Part 3 of "OOMM" (as he puts it). He regards this book in the highest regards and wanted to break it down into several posts to reflect on his thoughts and favorite parts. He describes Melody in great detail and explains that one lesson he has learned from this book is that you "should not judge a person if you do not know them because that person can feel bad and sad and because you are [losing] the [opportunity] of making a new friend". Delfi goes on to write about the instance from the book in which Melody's feelings were hurt but the situation was resolved by Violet. He ends his post hoping he does well on his upcoming quiz! 

My Response to Delfi's Blog Post: Out of My Mind- Week 3

I introduced myself and EDM 310 to Delfi.I then told him how wonderful and detailed his post was. He explained the situations in the book in great detail and gave great insight into Melody's character in the book "Out of My Mind". I told him to "keep up the great work"!

Blog Post #11:

Little Kids... Big Potential: 
By: Kathy Cassidy



In this video, Ms. Cassidy's FIRST grade class talk about blogging, their webpage, wikis, videos, skype, and using their Nintendo DS' in class for educational purposes. This interview is broken down into three parts... 


Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy: 

Part 1:




Part 2:




Part 3: 





Some interesting tips from Ms. Cassidy:

On the first day of the year, Ms. Cassidy sends home a permission form for the students to get signed, allowing them to get on the computers at school. This form also gives them the permission to have their work posted online and explains the policy of protecting their identity and not posting their last names nor matching their pictures with their names online. In being able to participate in using computers, her student's parents are able to see what their child is achieving, all at the convenience and comfort of being at home and at the time that is suitable for them. 

Ms. Cassidy stated that technology is here to stay. You can't teach this generation using tools that worked 20, or even 5, years ago. You, as an educator, have to change; just as the world is changing. She says that not taking advantage of tools is handicapping students and teachers. 


Ms. Cassidy's approach:

She uses blogs to attract an audience and get comments on what is being written. She uses an app that allows her students to see from where people live that have viewed their blog. She said that if the only thing you can do is Word Process or work a Spreadsheet, that's not technology today- people need to keep up with technology. She suggests students and teachers setting up online personal networks (or as referred to in previous posts: Personal Learning Networks or PLN's) such as Twitter, blogs, Facebook, Skype, etc. 

Ms. Cassidy also said that it is important to use technology for what one is interested in, such as if you are interested in videos- use YouTube, if you're interested in writing- blog, etc. You should play off of your own interests. 

When referring to her class blog, she states that her students average one post per week, sometimes twice a week. It all depends upon the year, number of students, progression, and how many other times they are able to use computers a week. 

When asked about using technology to cheat, she states that there has to be a switch in how we view information. Information is becoming more collaborative, therefore professors should be more creative in ways they ask you to present information- to make it YOURS. We all "piggy-back", whether it be using information from a colleague or researching and using information found online- so this isn't cheating, it's collaborating. The internet allows this. So people should shift and think in a different way pertaining to what the definition of "cheating" actually is.

When she talks about teaching students what places are safe, she says that her first graders know where the class webpage is, what links are there for them (for educational use), and what links they should not click (such as the shiny, flashing links on the sides). She has repeatedly explained that the only way to keep them safe is by them listening to the directions and closely following what they have been told. She says she has had no problem with this for over ten years, even though they are in the first grade! Her biggest problem is teaching them what games are educational...


Techniques [and their benefits] I will use in my future classroom:

I plan to have a class blog that I keep parents and students updated with assignments and what is going on in our classroom. I would love to be able to post pictures every week (or month, depending). I plan to teach first grade and think that a blog is a great tool for them to learn about not only our country, but people from across the world. We could use Skype to interview or talk with people and learn about others' cultures and traditions, geographical information, other classes learning styles, etc. Twitter would be a great resource for me (personally) to share problems, help others with their questions, and find links that I ultimately would not have known about. I would also love to teach my students how to podcast. I am intrigued by podcasting and look forward to learning more. Of course I will use the SmartBoard in my class, as well. There are so many awesome lessons that revolve around the SmartBoard and allow students to become interactive and involved. These are only a few of the technological tools that I plan to use in my future classroom. By then, though, the tools will have evolved to something different, so it is crucial that I stay on top of the latest tools in order to give my students the best possible education they could ask for (or at least their parents could ask for). 


Impediments I might encounter:

There will always be that one parent that doesn't agree, for whatever reason, with their child using the computer. Hopefully it will only be an issue of using their picture, in which I would be able to make sure they are not in (or their face is blacked out) of all pictures posted online. If the parent does not agree with their child using the internet at all, we could have a meeting assessing the reasons for not allowing the child to use the computers, in which I would list all the positive reasons the child would be helped. If the parent(s) still does not want to grant the permission, there is nothing I could do- I would be forced to not allow the child access to the computer and would have to make sure that they are being given other opportunities to get acquainted with technology- such as gaming systems or possibly using a computer that has no internet access (if granted permission, of course). Other impediments I may encounter includes the lack of technological tools in the classroom. If I am at a school in which does not have a computer in the classroom, then how could I have a class blog or how could my students post to their blogs? There are always ways around things such as this, though. I could schedule 10 mins per day in the library for one child to use the computer to make a post. I could bring my personal computer. There are several ways to get around barriers, you just have to keep an open mind and think "out of the box"!

Blog Post #10

What can we learn about Teaching and Learning 

from Randy Pausch?

In Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Really Achieving your Childhood Dreams, 
He talks about:

1. his childhood dreams
2. enabling the dreams of others
3. lessons learned: how YOU can achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others

Here is the video on Randy's last lecture:

Even though this is a lengthy video, it is worth it! He is so inspirational and comical. I have been taught a tremendous lesson! Anything is possible; this is something we should NOT lose sight of- the inspiration and permission to dream is HUGE! So what does Randy have to say?

1. Randy's childhood dreams:

• Being in zero gravity
• Playing in the NFL
• Authoring an article in the World Book Encyclopedia
• Being Captain Kirk
• Winning stuffed animals 
• Being a Disney Imagineer

He says it is important to have specific dreams. 

Brick Walls are there for a reason: They let us prove how badly we want things!

They stop people that don't want it bad enough and enable those who do want it bad enough to show their dedication...

Randy Pausch has taught me that you have to know the fundamentals, and you have to teach the fundamentals. You have to teach children that if they screw up and no one says anything to them- then that means they have given up. He had a very powerful quote: "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." This is powerful. When most people learn, they learn indirectly. This indirect learning style is referred to by Randy as a "head fake". Basically, when you are teaching something, you are actually teaching something else. Make sense? Let me explain by example: when you are teaching football, are you really just teaching the game of football? Or are you actually teaching life concepts such as teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership, perseverance, etc.? 

Randy Pausch has also taught me that you must evaluate and at some point you must come to the realization there are certain things that you are NOT going to be able to do. This is an important attribute to learn and teach others. It is hard. Communication is also an important attribute when teaching others. There are always at least two ways to say something: a positive way and a negative way. Two people can say the exact same thing, but depending on their wording, body language, tone, etc., it could be perceived differently.  

2. Enabling the Childhood dreams of others:

If you don't know where the bar should be, then aren't you doing a disservice if you just set it anywhere? 



This is a crucial point to realize. When educating others, or even learning from others, if you don't know the appropriate level of learning/ teaching, then how can you assess? How can you determine where the bar needs to be set? Some really good advice Randy gives (that someone gave him): you can always do better. No matter how shocked by brilliance you are, always expect more! 

Another piece of crucial advice: The best gift an educator can give is getting someone to become SELF-REFLECTIVE! This is no easy feat. I have been taught that many people try to excuse a problem or error, but getting them to take the feedback and build on it... This is one of the best gifts you can give someone.

3. Lessons Learned:

Teachers, parents, mentors, students, colleagues.... all of these people play crucial roles in learning from and teaching others. Some valuable tips Randy Pausch gives: 

• Respect authority while questioning it...
• Decide if you are a Tigger or a Eeyore (another words: are you pessimistic or optimistic)
• Never lose your child-like wander
• Help others
• Never give up
• There are moments that change your life and seeing it in 10 years (in retrospect) is one thing, but to realize it at that given moment is crucial
• You can't get there alone
• Always tell the truth
• Be earnest
• Apologize when you screw up
• Focus on others, not yourself...
• Show gratitude
• Don't complain, just work harder
• Be good at something, it makes you valuable
• Be prepared: "Luck" is where preparation meets opportunity

Randy's "Head Fake" for this lecture:
The lecture was not about how to achieve your dreams... it was about how to lead your life the right way... so the dreams will come to you!

Project 14- PBL Plan #2

Lesson Plan #2
Created By: Heather Smith
for Project #14





In this lesson plan...
The students will work in groups to choose a real life issue that can lead to a positive change in their school or community. They will collect, organize, display, analyze, and present the data to the class. They will send a business letter to the person or company that could use the data to make the change. 

The grade level this lesson is intended for is...
 5th grade

It covers a period of...
 4-5 weeks

My Lesson Plan- on google sites.

Blog Post #9:

Video 1:Back to the Future

By: Briann Smith, Amanda Weller, Heather Smith, and Lisa Smith

In Brian Crosby’s TEDx video, Back To the Future, he discusses how he guides his student’s learning in a model technology classroom. Crosby has been an upper elementary teacher for over 30 years, and now he facilitates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education for teachers and administrators in six counties in northern Nevada. He has a background in outdoor education and educational technology. He has also integrated his “at risk” students use of technology with field trips, art, hands-on activities and a problem-based approach, to build their schema of the world while connecting them to it.

Crosby starts his presentation off by describing the students that he works with. In his fourth grade class, 90% of his students are second language learners and at risk students. He described at “risk students” as students of poverty. On the second day of school, he gave his fourth graders a survey with a few questions. The survey included questions such as: What city do you live?, What state do you live in?, What country do you live in?, and What is your address? An overwhelming number of his students did not know the answer to the questions. In his presentation he went on to ask, “why is there such a disconnect for these kids”. He explained how the goal when teaching children in these circumstances is to not have a narrowed curriculum. Crosby stressed how important it is to help students who have not had many experiences and inputs to build a schema of the world. In his presentation he goes on to show how he personally used technology, creativity, and hands on activities to help his students learn and think outside of the box.

In his classroom his students have laptops and they all have individual blogs. He also uses an interactive whiteboard and the class has several digital cameras. The different technology tools and resources allow his class the opportunity to think outside the box and work on creative projects. One of the projects the class did was the “High Hopes” High Altitude Balloon Project. The “High Hopes” project involved the students learning about  the different layers in the atmosphere. In the project, the students completed the following:

• They researched the history of the balloon & ballooning
• They built a payload to send the balloon up in the air
• The sent a balloon up over a 100,000 feet in the air.

• The students embed their videos of the balloon project on their personal blogs
• The students used flickr to share & store their photos of the balloon project
• The students had to write a story from the point of view of the balloon
• They used free online software to create book covers for their stories
• They illustrated all of their stories with the pictures from flickr
• They then posted their stories to their blogs
• They used their Personal Learning Network to invite other students to join their “High Hopes” Project
• They used Google maps to track the balloon in the air
• They used Skype to present & explain their projects to another class in New Zealand

The “High Hopes” project was very creative project for the students and they learned so much while doing it! This one project allowed the students to use so many skills and resources like, 21st Century Learning Tools and so much more. The students were able to not only collaborate with others inside their classroom, but with other students internationally as well. The project also included several  Common Core State Standards such as:

English Language Arts Standards: Writing

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences</br></br>

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting

English Language Arts Standards: Speaking & Listening

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.4: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.5: Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

Brian Crosby’s TEDx video presentation was very informative and inspiring. He essentially changed and impacted those children’s lives forever! He empowered them to become active learners and to use their creativity to think outside of the box. It was incredible to see the rapid change that took place in their learning. It is amazing to think that on the second day of school the students did not know the answers to basic questions like, what country do you live in? To think a few months later, for their “High Hopes” project they skyped with a class from New Zealand and presented their projects. This really shows how much they learned and grew within a short period of time. Brian Crosby is an excellent example of how a teacher can effectively engage their students and allow them to be active learners. As future teachers, we can learn to engage our students and allow them to do hands on activities that promote their learning. Students retain and learn more information, when they are given the opportunity to be actively involved in what they are learning and to learn on their own. Teachers can learn to expand their curriculum and allow their students to build their schemas and make experiences on their own. The “High Hopes” project is also a great example for teachers, because it was essentially a science project, but the students were able to do so much with it. They used 21st Century Learning Tools, they collaborated with others, they used their History and Writing skills, and they created video blog posts. This project was a perfect illustration on how a curriculum can be engaging and diverse.Crosby strongly believes that providing exciting and motivating hands-on, minds-on experiences, although crucial, is not good enough for our students.They require the time to “Go Deep” and leverage their learning through all aspects of the curriculum including integrated, rigorous language arts, math, art and social studies work.

#2: Mr. Paul Anderson's Blog:

By: Amanda Weller, Heather Smith, Briann Smith, and Lisa Smith

Bozeman Science is the main topic covered in Paul Anderson's Blog. Paul's Blog is divided into several different tabs and content areas. Each tab provides you with different sources of valuable information pertaining to Paul's experiments. Paul provides several different youtube videos with useful instruction and information  All of his videos are accessible from his blog site. You can click on any of the links to view videos with specific content areas.

This is the content areas that are provided in Paul's blog:

• AP Biology
• AP Chemistry
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth Science
• Educational
• Next Generation Science Standards
• Physics
• Statistics & Graphing

In this video Paul Andersen explains how you can use Lewis Diagrams and VSEPR Models to make predictions about molecules.

Here is an example of a Lewis Diagram

• The Lewis diagrams are a two-dimensional representations of covalent bonds and the VSEPR models show how the molecule could exist in three dimensional space.
• Pi bonding and odd valence electrons require an extension of this model.

Blended Learning Cycle Video:

In this video Paul talks about some of his previous educational videos. Their success rates were not so high, but he did learn a lot from them which he uses now. Blending learning is one of the sources that Paul learned from previous experiences. He has began to use this approach a lot with his class. He gives several examples of approaches that he has previously used. Paul has grabbed and made use of several classroom inspirations that he has gained from other teachers and outside sources. He visited China and took notes on the activities and approaches they used in the classroom. Paul brought back this approach to use with his class and to share with others.

Blending learning is defined by blending online and classroom learning. Paul defines the 5 E's and their importance; if you use this approach be sure to explain them to your students. There are 6 parts to the blending learning cycle, which are:

Question

Investigation

Video

Elaboration

Review

Summary Quiz

"The hook on learning is what really gets the students attention."

The students' need to do investigations within learning. Video the students' using a podcast. Teachers can use this approach to view with the students later instead of a classroom lecture. The review portion requires you to meet individually with the student to check their understanding. The summary quiz shows the students' understanding.

Video #3: Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners:

By: Lisa Smith, Briann Smith, Heather Smith, and Amanda Weller

You can also find the video through amazon here.

Mark Church gives his students a collaborative assignment and asked them to create within their group a headline on their current study.  The students talk openly about their thoughts and what their headline should be. The teacher then takes the headline and posts them onto a bulletin board so that everyone can view.  Over the next few weeks the class will continue their study on the topic.  Later, the teacher will ask how their individual headlines have changed since the beginning of the lesson and what they learned.

This type of learning process is great for getting a student that would normally be shy and unspoken to gain the acceptance of their peers and learn to work with other students.  Giving a child the opportunity to think about their own thoughts is a great way to get their motivation in action and also it gives each individual team member a feeling of self worth.

Ron Ritchhart discussing the Importance of Thinking:

In today’s world teachers need their students to have flexibility in order to be able to discuss and/or create problems that result in working together as a group.  It’s not just about the lessons, but more about the culture in which the lessons are being taught that set the groundwork for the outcome of the learner.

Chalk Talk:

Chalk Talk is one way of having something visible in the classroom to allow students to have thoughts to fall back on when needed.  You post a question that is deep enough to have the students collaborate on and then document the students thoughts by posting them on the board.  This allows the students access to information so that if they have questions the teacher may revert them to the Chalk Talk for their answer.  This also shows a visible outline of what the students are learning in the classroom and would be easy for an observer to pick up on.

#5: Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program:

After watching  Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program, one thing is clear: Every teacher and parent interviewed feels strongly about Project-Based Learning (PBL) and that PBL is an excellent way for students to learn!

So What Is PBL????

• In-depth learning
• Integrated thematic instruction
• Based on “real world” problems
• Research-based
• Projects and Presentations

PBL Offers:

• Cooperative Learning
• Students can really show they understand something
• The application of knowledge is genuine
• Students have the ability to make decisions in their own
• Giving them a sense of power  
• Allowing them to experience what adult’s experience everyday
• 21st Century Life Skills/ Social Skills that builds upon each other:
• Learn to perform presentations.
• Learn about public speaking
• Learn what it means to be a good audience
• Learn to be proud of their work
• Learn to show what they know
• Work independently and in cooperative groups
• Communicate with each other
• Solve problems
• Support each other
• Answer to each other (just like adults in the business world have to)
• Community Participation: encouragement of adults from community to come to school and give real life experiences
• Student engagement: building background knowledge; igniting students love to learn; and teaching self-motivation, student interaction, and self-reflection
• School-Wide Learning:
• Collaboration as a grade level (and across grade levels)
• Bringing in more resources to support each other
• Students given the ability to have conversations with other students
• Creating a more cohesive environment at school
• Community grows a lot stronger and tighter because of program

What Can We Learn About Teaching from Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program???

Like the teachers in the video mentioned, PBL is NOT easy! It takes a lot of work from the teacher, the student, and the community. The rewards, though, are inspiring and more than worth it. PBL does NOT just teach the required subject matter. PBL teaches children how to think for themselves, how to find that spark inside themselves’ to get them to question the things around them, and how to want to know more about their world. Just “doing a project” or “solving a problem” is not enough to count as PBL.  A key component is that the problems— and the types of solutions students create— should be authentic. In other words, they should mimic the types of tasks people do in careers, outside of the classroom walls. 

Even though I already knew the “basics” about PBL, the teachers and parents at Roosevelt Elementary have taught me so much more. Other than all of the information previously mentioned, I have learned that PBL is not just another traditional project. You do not simply give instructions and materials and have students make something to fulfill state standards. You give them tools and necessary information and “turn them loose” to research, discuss, facilitate, inquire, and interact. As a future teacher, I could only dream that I will be capable of incorporating PBL frequently into my classroom. I have realized how important PBL can be (when used correctly). Roosevelt Elementary is a prime example of a school and a community coming together in hopes of educating and pushing our youth to the highest peaks in order for them to achieve limitless opportunities. These high expectations are achieved through PBL and all it has to offer our future!