Blog Post #5

In the videos, Project Based Learning Part 1: Experiences of a Third Grade Teacher and Project Based Learning Part 2: Experiences of a Third Grade Teacher, the main thing I will always remember is that project based learning is not a review for students, we have it so they can learn new things from it. I always had teachers just give me projects to do on the stuff we had just learned that week in class, which, obviously, did not teach me anything new. Anthony taught me one major quality, he stated, "With project based learning, you're gonna get more than you expect, so never limit your students by giving them exactly what you want them to do. Create an opportunity for them to go beyond what you want them to do, and they will." When he said this, it made me want to start teaching right now just so I can get my students involved in project based learning right away!

I had never heard of iCurio until watching the iCurio video. If you're someone who doesn't know what it is, like me until this video, it is an online tool that schools use because it pulls and filters media (videos, websites, images, etc.) from all over the internet, and everything pulled is only educational. It allows students to organize videos, images, etc. in their own online folders. I plan on going on iCurio soon to view and hopefully figure out how to use it!

In the DiscoveryEd video, Anthony didn't really explain what it is, but from the information I received, it is a web based program teachers can use to show videos on lessons only in Science and Social Studies.

There are multiple tips given to us in the video, The Anthony-Strange Tips for Teachers Part 1, but I am going to focus on the tip Anthony Capps gave, "It's hard work, but exciting." I believe this is so true! Teachers are constantly having to learn new standards, new ways to teach, new ways to engage their students everyday, while also going home to take care of their own family each night. So, yes, it can be hard at times, but going to school everyday and seeing your students faces, and them telling you stories, and what they learned is so exciting and reminds us as to why we love our job!

Technology is becoming the most popular thing to use in the world today. In the video Use Tech Don't Teach It, Mr. Capps is right, you can't teach technology and shouldn't. You have the students learn on their own, while you GUIDE them. Technology has to be an interactive learning experiences.

In Additional Thought About Lessons video, Anthony gives us his thought on how to make successful lesson plans. He wants us to include four "layers", as he called them, which are:
1. Yearly plans
2. Monthly plans
3. Weekly plans
4. Daily plans
He mentions that to him, daily plans are most important because each day your have to think of innovating ways to engage, entertain, and encourage your students.

All these tips will surely help me throughout my teaching career!

This image is from Google Images.