Blog Post #5

What do you learn from these conversations with Anthony Capps?

The seven videos we were assigned to watch this week were about project based learning. In the first two videos, Project Based Learning Part 1 and Project Based Learning Part 2, I learned a lot about how project based learning is used in the classroom. Project based learning is constantly evolving. The goal of using it is to show not only what the students have achieved but what they have learned. I loved the example of project based learning that Anthony Capps used in his classroom. His students wrote letters to Congress about women fighting in combat. When doing this project based learning activity he meet writing, reading, and social studies standards. He allowed his students to critique each other and choose the top eight letters to send to congress. This gave them the opportunity to review work like a democracy. I love the idea of using project based learning in the classroom because when I was in third grade we were taught straight out of a book. I feel doing projects excite the students and make them want to learn. I also loved that Mr. Capps pointed out that when he had twelve administrators come in his room to ask him about project based learning all of his kids were raising their hands excited to share and explain what they were doing. I learned from these videos how to approach being a project based learning teacher. Teachers should never limit their students and they should always create an opportunity for them to go beyond expectations.

I learned a lot from the third video iCurio. I have actually never heard of iCurio until watching this video. In this video iCurio was explained as a search engine that searches text, audio, and video around subjects that would fit in with state standards. iCurio allows virtual organization for the students and it also allows the students to get back right where they were on the computer if they get interrupted. I think this is very neat and useful because in school, especially the elementary level, there are a lot of interruptions throughout the day. One of my favorite things about iCurio that Mr. Capps explained was the read allowed feature. This is a great feature to have for students that have certain disabilities because it will actually read out loud to them.

After watching the video, Discovery Ed, I learned that it is a tool that uses videos for the students to learn from. Mr. Capps explained that he can bring experts into his classroom for his students to learn from via video. Mr. Capps said that Discovery Ed has everything science and social studies related. Discovery Ed is a great tool because students are now listeners and watchers and videos are a great way for them to learn.

In this video, The Anthony-Strange list of Tips for Teachers Part 1, I learned the five things any new teacher should think about. The first tip is to be a learner. We, as teachers, have to be interested in learning ourselves and model that behavior for other people. The second tip is hard work. Hard work can be exciting and fun if you let it be. The third tip was be flexible. You have to be able to respond to events even when something happens that you don't expect. The fourth tip was get kids engaged. You have to make the kids excited about learning. The fifth tip was reflection. Students need to want to revise their work to make it better. All of these tips are great and something I will go by when I start teaching. I think the first tip, be a learner, is very important for teachers. Learning is something we should be doing everyday as teachers to come up with new ideas about teaching our students and making them excited about learning.

In the video, Don't Teach Tech-Use It, the title explains the video perfectly. This video talked about using technology in the classroom. Teachers should use technology to make students excited and let them share what they are doing. When using technology teachers should also only use one tool at a time. I love how in this video it said you should never expect perfection. This is so true. We are teaching students they should not do everything perfect. Technology is something that teachers do not need to teach their students how to use, you need to let the students learn the technology hands on while focusing on one aspect of technology at a time.

In the last video, Additional Thought About Lesson, I learned that there are four components you need to think about when making lesson plans. The components are from your daily lessons to what you need to fit in your year. When teaching a lesson every day teachers need to start off with something that catches the students' attention, then have the students engaged in the content and actually wanting to learn, and close your lesson with something to see what the students have learned and make sure they are on the right track.