Blog #3

How Can I Provide Meaningful Feedback to My Peers?

 

                                          

                  This week (or rather, this particularly snowy week), we were stuck inside doing homework and other things to keep us busy! Our assignment was to watch a couple of videos about peer editing and how to effectively do it! The first couple of videos just kind of gave us some instructions on how to peer edit. My favorite one to watch though was the video featuring some cute little fifth graders called "Writing Peer Review Top Ten Mistakes"! It provided a great example about what NOT to do when doing your peer editing for others, plus it was so funny!
                  To sum up the first two videos, they gave us specific ways on how to peer edit. What I got out of both videos is I felt like the most important way to effectively peer edit is to always give compliments when you're giving your suggestions and corrections. You don't want to completely drag the person down when they have a truckload of mistakes, do you? I'm sure that wouldn't feel good to you when you're handing your work to someone else, but you also want to leave no stone unturned when you edit their papers... You want to at least tell them what they did right and let them know the effort is acceptable before bogging them down with the corrections they must make to make the paper sound good. That way they will have confidence and they will actually want to improve their writing skills!
               As mentioned before, I absolutely loved the last video. It was kind of a follow up video to the first and second to let us know what not to do when editing, as opposed to what you must do when editing. The adorable students reenacted possible scenarios of students not doing the right thing when peer editing. You just NEVER put people down about their work! And never be pushy, passive, overcritical, and mean! It all goes back to confidence levels... You want to buildup your partner, not push them down! Peer edit effectively and, well, nicely!

                          

 

 



Blog #2

What Will Teaching in the 21st Century Be Like?

 

 

 

This week, we were asked (among of ton of other things, haha!) to watch a couple of clips from YouTube, and I must say that the clips were quite insightful as well as creative!

 

The video called Mr. Dancealot significantly fascinated me. It started off as a regular professor walking into his classroom, and introducing himself as Professor Dancelot! He is a professor of dance, and he even demonstrates each dance move, but unfortunately he does it behind his desk where the students can't see, and it seems that he won't let the students try out the dances in class themselves! At the end, for their exam, the students had to demonstrate each dance to him as a test grade, but because the students couldn't try the dances in class, they were lost and didn't know what to do!! I feel like the central message of this video is that hands-on and demonstrative approaches to teaching yields better results. The author justified that message when at the end, the students didn't know what to do when the music started. I fully agree with this because I am a hands-on learner, and I remember things more easily when I am asked to demonstrate something.

Next, we were asked to watch the video Teaching in the 21st Century. My impression when I watched it was that the author Kevin Roberts thinks that teaching is rapidly changing and that we should do everything we can as teachers to teach with the most updated media. He listed every type of social media that exists in our world, and how each of them will affect students and teachers. Yes, I agree somewhat on why we should keep up with things, but using old methods works just as well too!

The Networked Student was next on our list of videos to watch. When the question was asked "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?", I almost immediately knew the answer. The teacher is the one that pretty much teaches the student how to think and look things up for themselves, but offers guidance in anyway if a student becomes stuck. Honestly, I like the way the author portrays the teacher, and I feel like the method used by students to navigate their way to get answers themselves is an important step in adulthood, academic life, and even in career life!

I'll be totally open and honest about this next video we had to watch. Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts. Davis' thesis was to use technology to teach a class, your students will reciprocate that information and you as well will learn from it. There was a few statements that the teacher mentioned about different teaching methods that raised my eyebrows. Of course, the focus on this video, as well as the class, is how to integrate technology with classrooms! But I feel like technology is not the only form of learning. When I was growing up, we were very limited on the amount of technology available to us. So, we had to learn with pencil and paper alone. She stated in the video that only certain kids can pass with using pencil and a paper alone. I must say that I mastered school with just pencil and paper! Kids can use both modes of learning, but not to say one method is better than the other! Yes, technology is a relatively new thing, but it shouldn't only be used...    

Last, but definitely not least, we watched Flipping the Classroom. I actually THOUROUGHLY enjoyed this presentation! I've never heard of it before, but after the lecture, I got really excited! I feel like every student should at least know what the next day in class will bring so they can be prepared. Posting a blog setting instructions on what to do and be prepared for is a borderline genius plan for every teacher and student!  

 

           



Blog #1

Before I signed up for EDM310, I read a little bit about it, and quickly assumed that it was just going to be another one of those computer classes where they give you a few questions to answer once a week or so and get a grade on them. I was amazed to find out that the class was absolutely nothing like what I had imagined it to be, in a positive way of course. I have come across numerous people who have taken the class before me, and I will admit that their opinions about the class varied. They either loved it or hated it, there was no grey area with them, which sort of worried me. One former student said that the activities she engaged in were highly insightful, fun, and involving, and that it was one of the best classes that she's ever taken in her college career. On the other hand, another student said that the class literally made him want to skip town and never want to involve himself with another computer ever again! I'll admit, that's terrifying news coming from anyone who's ever experienced a class like that!

Naturally, I assume the worst when it comes to people's opinions about classes, but I'm diving into this class with a positive attitude, though I do have a couple of concerns for this class. One fear that I have is that I turn something in online and it doesn't go through. In other words, I have trust issues when it comes to the internet and online classes for that matter. What if I complete something and at the same time my internet crashes and I loose my work? I guess I'm a little paranoid, but I can't help but be a little insecure about my projects and activities being turned in on time. Other than that, I'm keeping my mind wide open for this class to learn new technological things, because I can just tell that this class will be nothing like any old computer class I've taken here at South and my former high school. EDM310 will teach us how to integrate technology and internet components with our very own future classrooms, unlike the other classes I've taken that only show us the simple basics of a computer. In fact, it sounds so much more exciting and beneficial to us in the end.

   
I think the most challenging thing that I'm expecting in EDM310 is the time management aspect of it. I know it sounds like I should be the master of time by now, but the list of things for us to do this semester is tremendous. This class will definitely put me to the test in that area of my life! The best way to address my difficulties is to write down the projects and activities onto a calendar and check them off week by week. It'll knock off some stress and help me in the long run.

All in all, there are no questions lingering in my mind about EDM310. I will take it one day at a time and understand that this class will benefit not only my career, but my life!

Practice Post

Hello, I am Kaitlyn Wyman, and I attend the amazing South Alabama! I'm from Slidell, Louisiana, and moved to Daphne, Alabama when I was fourteen years old. So far, I love it here in Alabama, and I don't regret moving at all! I have one younger brother named Trey who is my little buddy and best friend, and two very amazing parents who guide me in the right direction everyday of my life. I have so many interests that it isn't even funny, but I would say my major interests are painting, drawing, and music. I have a serious knack for oil painting, and I absolutely hate acrylics. I have so many paintings and drawings that I did myself all around my apartment. Here is a picture of my latest painting!

I plan to become an elementary school teacher for kindergarten through sixth grade, because it is absolutely my calling! I adore children and how their minds work, and leading them in the right direction in life while they are at their tender ages is what I ultimately want to do with my life. The biggest thing that influenced me is the fact that I've grown up with all younger cousins, and engaging them in activities and passing my knowledge of different things is so fulfilling to me. I love seeing their faces when I inform them of something new, or when they experience new things. I can't wait to do what I love for the rest of my life!

  

My Test Post Title

This is my First Post. I clicked the HTML button which I should always do in EDM310. I am now a Blogger!