Differentiation

        Being an effective teacher requires more than simply planning a lesson and then going through the motions in front of a class full of children.  It is about learning each and every student's needs.  It is about connecting with the students on a deeper level in order to achieve ultimate learning.  Without differentiation, none of this would be possible.  Differentiation is probably one of the most important aspects of teaching.  No 2 students are the same, so it is absolutely crucial to be able to be versatile with your students so that they all are engaged and excited to learn.
        Differentiated learning is basically breaking down a lesson into multiple different ways, so that there are other learning options for other learning styles.  This works for both different levels of instruction and simply different styles of instruction.  For example, if some of the accelerated students in the class are feeling a bit bored with the lessons, you would create a lesson plan for them that could vary in multiple ways, including adding a few more aspects to the lesson (instead of writing 3 sentences, write 5).  For the lower level students, they may receive some more individual attention, or focus on the basics of the lesson.  For example, if the lesson requires writing 3 sentences about cause and effect, they may start with simply identifying cause and effect.  They would do this until mastery and then move on to writing a few sentences.

        Differentiation may also be used for simply different styles of learning.  Regardless of level, some students may learn better visually, while others prefer a more hands-on approach.  An effective teacher would use differentiation to better serve these students.  They might come up with 2 different versions of the same lesson.  For the visual learners, they might watch a video or cartoon that demonstrates cause and effect.  After viewing this video, they can attempt to come up with their own cause and effect scenarios.  For the hands-on learners, they may act out a situation to observe the cause and effect.  For example, they might roll a ball on the floor and watch it knock over a stack of books.  By doing this action physically, it will better serve their learning needs.
        Overall, differentiation is an extremely important factor when it comes to being a successful, efficient teacher.  In the end, it all comes down to the students, so it is crucial that teachers are doing absolutely everything in their power to help them succeed.

Montlieu Project

Montlieu Academy of Technology is truly an incredible school.  Throughout the past few years there have been amazing growths in all departments.  One of the reasons for this is the new iPad partnership with High Point University.  At Montlieu, all students receive an Apple iPad to use at school.  The possibilities are endless with this device and teachers are truly taking advantage.

I was lucky enough to paired up with a really wonderful girl.  She was in 2nd grade and had a real passion for being creative. Our first 2 assignments involved creating Comic Life and Keynote presentations. These were really fun because I made one and so did she, so we could compare our projects and talk about the similarities and differences.

The Comic Life project was a lot of fun. I enjoyed this project because it was the first thing we had done together, so it gave me a chance to see what type of student I was paired with and what her interests were.  She really liked singing and cats, so those were the focuses for this project.  She likes to sing and write in her free time but she also loves to take care of animals, especially cats.  In the future, she would love to be a veterinarian.  I was glad we started with this app, because it was a good way to break the ice with my partner and find out her likes and dislikes.

Next up was the Keynote presentation. I also really enjoyed this project because I was still able to learn more about my partner all the while helping her grow as a writer.  For this project we wrote a poem about a main interest she had.  She really loves cats, so we wrote a poem about her favorite cats!  I was still getting a feel for how she likes to write, because this project was a bit different than the first.  It was good to have another set project before I started coming up with my own ideas for our meetings.

After the Keynote presentation, it was up to me to figure out what my partner's biggest needs were.  I really enjoyed evaluating my partner and coming up with fun assignments to further her writing progress.  We used multiple different apps throughout the semester, including:

• Toontastic - This was one of my favorite apps to use.  In this app, you can animate and record your own cartoon.  I quickly realized that my partner did not really enjoy to simply sit down and write.  She wanted some other purpose to go along.  I discovered that this was the perfect app to help with that.  We would write down a script for her entire cartoon.  Then, we would animate the cartoon and use the voice-over feature to narrate the story. This was a great way to come up with meaningful writing that was also fun!
• Paper by 53 - This is such a simple, yet addicting app. It is technically designed for drawing and making pictures, but I decided to use it for writing! There are multiple different pens and colors to choose from that make the handwriting look really cool.  I figured out that my partner usually liked to write very short sentences, and then draw more.  I used this app to still let her use drawings to support the text, but we would work on writing more detailed sentences.  This was one of her favorite apps for sure!
• Comic Life - Even though I already talked a little bit about Comic Life, this was truly her favorite app on the iPad.  We used this app multiple times to develop the writing.  At first, she would write sentences with 4 or 5 words then fill the page with pictures.  As we moved forward, I challenged her to write at least 5-7 sentences on each page.  Slowly but surely she started becoming more detailed and realized that she could describe what she was feeling; she didn't have to rely on pictures!

Her progress throughout the semester was really incredible to experience.  At first I was nervous that she wouldn't respond to my advice, but it was the complete opposite.  She loved hearing what I had to say and actually really enjoyed writing.  Once I sort of let her know that it was okay to write longer sentences, she took off.  Rather than putting a bunch of pictures to express her interests, she could write about it!

There weren't really many issues or things that I would change from this experience.  The one thing that might have been nice would be to have access to more apps that aid in writing.  We only had about 2 or 3 apps that were conducive to writing.  I know of some apps that help to teach putting sentences together, but we couldn't download new apps.  Other than that, everything went very smoothly!

Overall, I was extremely pleased with this entire experience.  I had a great partner that really loved to learn.  She was open to constructive criticism and was always eager to show me what she was working on from earlier in the week.  I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity and I hope I made an impact on her life!


References

"App Store Edit." App Store. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.crunchbase.com/product/app-store>.

"Comic Life « Learning Technologies." Learning Technologies RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/learningtech/software/comic-life/>.

"Montlieu Academy of Technology." Montlieu Academy of Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.gcsnc.com/education/school/school.php?sectionid=30>.

Teaching Channel Video Response

Collaboration between teachers can be a extremely valuable.  However, it is important to make sure that the collaborating is done in a useful, efficient manner.  It is not uncommon for teachers to talk among themselves in order to share ideas, formulate new methods, etc.  Due to the positive results of this collaboration, schools are beginning to have 2 teachers for one subject.  For example, rather than a certain teacher teaching 2 different sections of Algebra, they will have 2 different teachers each lead a class.  All of the content, tests, homework, etc. will be exactly the same, with the only varying factor being the teaching styles. This is the exact situation that Ms. Jones and Ms. Warburton find themselves in.  Although they both teach Algebra, their styles differ and allow them to use their own methods of teaching.

In this particular situation, it was clear that Ms. Jones and Ms. Warburton worked extremely well together and could focus on the same goals.  Both teachers go over the exact same information, they just do it in slightly different manners.  Each teacher had a main style point that they made sure they covered.  Ms. Jones emphasized that "confusion leads to learning", while Ms. Warburton loved to have the children discuss the material in order to build confidence.  These are 2 key aspects of the two teaching styles.  When Ms. Jones says that confusion leads to learning, she is basically saying that it is okay if a student doesn't understand something the first time.  If a student is confused, it means they are exploring the topic deeply and that they are going to grasp a deeper understanding of the content.  For Ms. Warburton, she stresses the importance of discussing the material.  By letting the students talk it out, they are able to see multiple viewpoints of a particular topic.

Although Ms. Jones and Ms. Warburton cover the same exact material, it is amazing to see how differently a classroom can run, just by altering a few classroom dynamics.  First off, Ms. Jones is an extremely upbeat person.  She is energetic and really gets the students going.  This is a really great aspect of her teaching style, because she makes sure that the kids are fully engaged at all times.  Sometimes the information can be somewhat boring, but she always finds a way to put an energetic spin on it.  In this link, Hal Urban describes how important it is for teachers to be enthusiastic about the content they are teaching.  In most cases, the teachers that children remember the most are the ones that have the most energy.  If kids remember the teacher, they are more likely to remember the content as well.  Another great characteristic Ms. Jones possesses is her lack of lecturing.  She says that if she is at the front of the room talking the entire class, it may be quicker, but the children will not be truly learning.  When a teacher stands at the front of the room and rambles on, the children become bored very easily.  Lecturing is no longer an acceptable teaching method! Sure, in some rare cases, a lecture may be needed, but for the most part, children should be getting involved if they are to truly learn the material.  

Next, we have Ms. Warburton.  She also has some very effective teaching methods, she simply works in a different fashion.  Ms. Warburton loves to use her "gear system."  This is a 4-gear method that she devised in order to maximize the students' learning.  Gear 1 is active listening, where the students observe what the teacher is doing.  Gear 2 is independent work, where students work on the problems individually.  Next, is study group, which means the students are able to work with their neighbors.  Lastly, is team work.  This is when the class comes together as whole to work out the problems.  This is a really great method, because it enables students to work alone at first, but then come together to collaborate with their classmates.  This means using the 5R model: Responsibility, Reliance, Relationship, Respect, and Reflection.  These are all extremely important parts to working effectively as a group.  If students have respect for one another, they will work better together in order to achieve a common goal.  Another great quality that Ms. Warburton exhibits, is looking forward to challenges.  Challenges should be fun, because if you are looking forward to working hard, it will be that much more rewarding in the end.  School should not be an intimidating place.  Sure, some topics are more difficult than others, but if you embrace the difficult material, you are more likely to actually enjoy it and succeed! 

iPads in the Classroom

April 3rd, 2010 will go down as one of the most game-changing days in history.  This was the day that the first generation iPad was released for sale.  Ever since that day, classrooms have never been the same.  Children in K-3rd grade want to be excited, and that is what the iPad can do.  Gone are the days of standing in front of a room and lecturing to your students.  Welcome to the days of interacting and moving around.

The iPad has unlimited uses, and now it is even easier to use in the classroom.  Thanks to the education section in the App Store, it is extremely easy to spice up a lesson by integrating the iPad into the curriculum.  There are thousands of apps that will energize your classroom, including:

• Adventures Undersea Math - students can solve puzzles and work through math problems while exploring under water!
• Sight Words Second Grade - help your students learn to spell and read all in one place!
• SUPER WHY! - students can play games to help with spelling, rhyming, reading, and more!

Not only does the iPad have fantastic apps, but it is extremely useful in other ways as well.  AirPlay is an extremely valuable tool for the classroom.  Using either Apple TV or Reflection, you can project your information onto a TV or screen with very little effort.  This is a simple way to integrate the iPad into the classroom if each student does not have their own.  

It doesn't matter whether every student has an iPad, or you as the teacher are the only one; there are unlimited possibilities.  Students are now growing up with technology at their fingertips.  They are becoming more and more comfortable at younger ages.  Do they really want to stare at endless worksheets helping them learn to read? No!  It is truly remarkable how much of a positive impact iPads can make in the classroom. 

One of the most exciting features of the iPad and the App Store, is the price.  There are certainly many apps that cost money and are worth the price, but there are also thousands of apps that are completely and 100% free!  Cost can be an issue for many teachers, but with the iPad, you no longer have to worry about wasting paper or ink, as the same lessons that used to require worksheets can be completed on the iPad!

Overall, it is undeniable how revolutionary the iPad is.  With more and more educational apps being developed everyday, it is obvious that integrating the iPad into the classroom is a no-brainer.  For only a one-time fee of $500, you can completely turn a classroom upside down with free apps, podcasts, videos, and more.  For teachers that want to revolutionize the classroom, they should start with the device that helped revolutionize the world.


References

Elementary Students Use iPads [Online image]. (2011). Retrieved September 5, 2012 from http://www.arkansasbaptistschoolsystem.com/general/arkansas-baptist-elementary-students-to-use-ipads/

iPads Distributed to Auburn kindergartners [Online image]. (2011). Retrieved September 5, 2012 from http://bangordailynews.com/2011/09/08/education/ipads-distributed-to-auburn-kindergartners/

Twitter, Jing, Edmodo, and Wordle

        The United States of America is currently a place where technology is certainly on the rise.  It has been this way for about a decade now, but things are moving quicker and quicker with each passing year.  We are constantly finding ways to incorporate new and different technology into not only our everyday lives, but our workplaces as well.  With new technology on the rise almost every week, it can be hard to keep up at times.  However, there are a few different computer applications/websites that may be somewhat unknown right now, but are definitely programs to check out.  These include Twitter, Jing, Edmodo, and Wordle.  Educators all around the nation have begun using these programs to better the students’ educational experience.  

First off, is Twitter.  This is an extremely popular website that has swept the nation by storm.  It is a social media website that lets users “follow” each other.  A user can post status-like updates, pictures, and more.  If somebody is following that person, their post will show up on their home page.  You can also direct a post at somebody, by using the @ symbol and the person’s username.  Twitter is immensely popular, from celebrities to average citizens.  Twitter is a great way to keep in touch with people and see what they are up to.  Also, it can be used as a great educational tool.  Teachers can have each student in the class set up a Twitter account, and they can all follow each other.  The teach could also have an account, where he/she would tweet useful information, such as homework assignments, classroom updates, and more.  This can make education more interesting for children, as it involves more of a real-world application.

Next, is Jing.  Jing is a great tool that anybody can download onto a computer or laptop.  With Jing, you can take a picture of any part of your computer screen.  You can either take an entire screenshot, or drag to only cover a certain portion of the screen.  Once you take the picture, you can save it anywhere on your computer.  From there, you can open up your Jing library, where all of your pictures are stored.  You can send pictures, or even edit them.  This is a really great tool to use if you see something on your computer that you like, but want to alter it in some way, shape, or form.  Jing is a fantastic tool for the classroom, because it is easy enough for children to understand right away.  Children would be able to do research on a topic and if they needed to find a picture for something, they could simply take a screenshot and then edit the picture to make it their own!

Another website that may be used for somewhat older students, is Edmodo .  Edmodo is basically the educational version of Facebook.  The layout is very similar, all the way down to the toolbars and font.  This is designed to be an educational tool for teachers to better organize the information for the class.  The teacher is in charge of the classroom webpage, where every student will register.  From there, it works very similarly to Facebook.  Anybody can post messages, ask questions, and more.  Teachers can also send out messages regarding classroom announcements.  In my opinion, the best part about Edmodo is the assignments capability.  Teachers can have their assignments directly on the classroom webpage, with a description, due date, grading scale, and more!  There is a button that says, “Turn In” that students click to submit their assignment online.  The “Calendar” tab is extremely useful because it automatically syncs every assignment from each class onto a calendar, so it is easy to see what is coming up.  

The last website is called Wordle.  This is a really fun website, where students can make word collages.  It is very simple, but exciting at the same time!  Basically, there is a text-box where students can write anything that they want to include in the word collage.  For words that they want to appear more than once, or maybe larger, they can write those words several times.  Then they simply hit the create button, and it generates the Wordle.  From there, students can edit the layout, font, and color to make it special for them.  They can edit as many times as they want in order to find the perfect Wordle.  This is a great tool for education, especially as an icebreaker or first day of school activity.  Teachers can have their students make a Wordle with their name, favorite hobbies, and any interesting facts!  It is a very simply process that creates attractive word collages.  

Overall, these 4 programs are absolutely fantastic for the classroom.  Kids will really enjoy using them, and also learn a lot at the same time.  It is crucial that teachers and administrators keep up with the ever-changing world of technology, because everybody learns differently, and these tools are designed to help children succeed.

PBS Teachers

       Living in this 21st Century, we use the internet and other technology for just about everything.  Never mind the fact that most of the sites we frequent probably do not hold much educational value.  For teachers, however, the internet is simply an incredible place.  There are many websites that offer educational tips, advice, or even personal stories.  Although, there is one website that really stands alone as one of the best educational websites in existence.  It is www.pbs.org/teachers.  Anything a teacher may need, this website will have it.  PBS Teachers contains a very user-friendly layout, where teachers have immediate access to all of their teaching needs.  At the top of the screen, there are drop-down tabs labeled: PreK, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.  Within each of these tabs is a list of subjects, including The Arts, Health & Fitness, Math, Reading, Science & Tech, and Social Studies.  

This is where the website really flexes its muscles and establishes itself as a fantastic educational website.  Let’s say you want to research 3rd Grade Math.  You can easily choose “Math” from the 3-5 drop-down menu and then explore.  There are 3 different categories to evaluate.  First, there is Classroom Resources, which includes over 50 pages of lesson plans, ideas for projects, worksheets, etc.  Basically anything you may need for a Math lesson, this section will have it.  Next, there is the Discussions tab.  Here, you will find recent, relevant discussion boards created and replied to by real-life teachers.  This is just another way for teachers to collaborate and share ideas/tips in order to help children succeed.  Once again, there are many pages filled with useful information.  Finally, there is the Professional Development tab.  This is a place where teachers can go to research different instructional strategies, and other important classroom environmental needs.  In addition to all of this extremely valuable information, there are side advertisements for other classroom essentials.  These may include videos, activity packs, and more!

I, personally, am looking forward to teaching somewhere between 1st and 3rd grade.  If I am able to teach the lower end of elementary school, I will be teaching a wide variety of subjects, such as Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies.  PBS Teachers is a great place to go because I can find lesson plans or activities for any subject I need!  For example, if I want to teach a Language Arts lesson that deals with spelling and reading, I can use this Fruit lesson plan.  This specific lesson will teach students to be able to recall the names of different types of fruits.  Also, they will put the fruits in alphabetical order and make educated guesses about different fruit facts.  This lesson plan requires a worksheet with each letter of the alphabet followed by space to write down the names of fruits.  Students will also need a pencil.  This is a great way for students to work on reading, writing, and spelling, all while having fun and learning interesting facts about fruit!

Another great thing about PBS Teachers is the interactive websites.  Let’s say it is now time for the daily Math lesson.  I can go on PBS Teachers and pull up this interactive website, called How Big Are You? that deals with measuring and Life Science.  The Students are able to watch a fun and interesting website that also teaches them certain skills.  In this particular lesson, students will observe two different animals on a line.  They can make educated guesses as to how long one animal is based on the length of the other animal.  This is a really fun way to help teach the students about measuring and proportions.  Also, they get to learn about real-life animals in the process!  Kids love these types of interactive websites and they are very effective as well.  

Finally, if I’ve reached the Social Studies portion of the day, I can pull up this video that teaches the kids about several different US cities.  Wilson and Ditch have a fantastic variety of videos that the children can watch to learn about cities and their particular cultures.  This is something that will keep the student entertained, all the while teaching very useful information.  I can go to the Wilson and Ditch homepage and then click on whichever city I want to learn about!  This is just one more reason why PBS Teachers is the best educational website available to teachers and their classrooms.  

Internet Safety

        As teachers, it is extremely important that we are aware, not only of the benefits of technology, but the dangers that come with it.  As we move closer and closer to an entirely technology-based world, there are more and more dangers discovered every single day.  Sure, technology can be a great tool, especially in the classroom.  However, there are many different reasons why, as teachers, we need to understand the risks that come with technology and how to avoid these unfortunate scenarios.  Due to the fact that technology is on the rise, there are always new resources that help to describe what exactly is going on throughout the internet and how to make sure our children/students are staying on the right path.  Us teachers need to band together as one, in order to overcome the dangers that lie within the internet. 

        There are many different resources that we can refer to in order to keep children safe.  According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and netsmartz 93% of teens are online.  That is an absolutely staggering number.  That means that in a standard classroom of 20 children, over 18 of them are online regularly.  They are constantly faced with the dangers of cyber-bullying, sexting, keeping information safe, etc.  Probably one of the biggest problems in the United States today is cyberbullying.  Cyberbullying is classified as bullying through any sort of internet applications such as instant messaging, text messaging, any form of social networking, etc.  There are also several different forms of cyberbullying: Happy-Slapping (uploading a video of somebody being physically harassed or bullied that is intended to embarrass that person), Identity Theft, Photoshopping (altering digital images so that a person is placed in an embarrassing situation, Rumor Spreading, etc.  While this might not sound as bad as “old-school” bullying (picking on a kid after school or getting in a fight), it can sometimes be far worse.  Children often feel much more brave on the internet because they can type or post whatever they want, whereas they might be too nervous/afraid in person.  

No child should have to deal with being bullied in any form, especially not through technology.  Signs that indicate a student may be a victim of cyberbullying include: avoids the computer/cell phone/other technology, withdraws from family and friends, has declining grades, has poor eating/sleeping habits, etc.  If you notice a student that displays any of these symptoms, you should contact a school counselor.  It is extremely important to halt this sort of behavior before it gets out of hand.  Here in the schools, there are typically “blocks” on the internet so that students cannot access certain websites.  This is a great way to promote internet safety, and to keep children away from websites that may introduce them to strangers online.  The National Conference of State Legislatures lists all the different laws for each state regarding internet filters.  Thankfully, there are laws in place that require schools and libraries to have filters on their computers to protect the children.  Children should never have to worry about being bullied or harassed, and it is important that we, as teachers, are there to protect them.  

Technology In My Life

I remember the day like it was yesterday.  I was in 4th grade at Osborne Elementary, and the whole student body was called for an assembly in the school gym.  We, the students, didn’t know a whole lot about the situation, but there were plenty of rumors flying around.  Basically, we knew we were in a “competition” to possibly earn a lot of new technology.  When we got to the gym, there was a giant screen in the front playing a live feed of a meeting being held somewhere else in Pennsylvania.  We sat anxiously through a lot of talking that didn’t make any sense at the time, just to hear those final words that would change our future forever: “...and the technology grant goes to… Quaker Valley School District, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!”  The whole gymnasium erupted in cheer that lasted what seemed like forever.  

I still don’t really know all of the specifics of how or why we were chosen for this giant grant, but I do know that it had an incredible impact on my whole entire educational experience all the way throughout graduation.  I consider myself extremely lucky to have attended a public school with such amazing benefits.  Ever since we got that grant, every student in our entire district was given Mac laptops to “keep” all the way until graduation.  Also, the majority of classrooms were given smart boards, new projectors, and several brand new computer labs were built with the most up-to-date Mac desktops.  Teachers were given Macbook Pro’s, and our library database was instantly more efficient.  For me, being introduced to all of this technology at such a young age was truly a blessing.  We instantly integrated this new technology into almost every aspect of our education.  We were using our laptops all the time to make class more interesting and relatable.  We now never needed to worry about a computer lab being full if we wanted to use computers as a class.  There were charging carts in every single classroom so kids could leave their laptops at school if they didn’t want to bring them home every night.  Things were changing right before our eyes, and we, too, were changing a little bit every day.  

All of the new technology in our school had completely revamped our image, and the way we were viewed but everybody else.  We were now known as the “technology school”, and that brought a lot of good things, but it also brought a lot of criticism.  At first, a lot of parents weren’t so sure that this technology “over-load” was a good idea, especially for kids at such a young age.  Our school adapted, however, and made a rule that the elementary students were not allowed to bring the laptops home overnight.  Also, other schools instantly became hostile, calling us “poor little rich kids” and other names, even though our parents’ money had nothing to do with the new technology.  However, as we grew up and technology became more prevalent in other schools, the hostility diminished and we were treated normally.  Overall, the technology was a huge advantage, and something I will never regret being exposed to.

As far as technology in the future, I think it will have its upsides and downsides.  Our world is moving towards an all technology atmosphere, so education has no choice but to adapt.  However, I think in some scenarios, students still learn better from hard materials, rather than looking at a computer screen.  As long as teachers and school administrators keep the technology in check, I think it will continue to grow and become more popular in the schooling system.

Technology will always be a part of my life, and I am extremely grateful that I was exposed to it at such a young age.  Times are always changing and there will always be progression, but I take great pride in knowing that my school district was involved in such a groundbreaking event.