Blog Post # 6

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Blog Post # 6 is an assignment for EDM310 that requires our class to watch a series of videos and answer the question "What do you learn from these conversations with Anthony Capps?". In this post I will attempt to answer that question. The first video is titled Project Based Learning Part 1: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher. In this video Dr. Strange interviews former student and current 3rd grade teacher Anthony Capps. From the first video I learned that project based learning is a constantly evolving process. I also learned that project based learning (PBL) allows the student to show what they learn, rather than how they learned it. PBL usually involves the community in a way that it allows the student to applying their project to real world situations. When assigning these projects, however, it is important to meet all standards required by the state or other agency for that particular grade level. The final item I learned from this video was to allow a student's peers to edit and help revise the content. This allows students to assist one another and learn from mistakes. Video # 2 is entitled Project Based Learning Part 2: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher. This video continues the conversation with Dr Strange and Anthony Capps. In part 2, Anthony tells that he doesn't limit his students in the projects he assigns. He says that when they have more freedom, they tend to do better work. I learned from Anthony that usually when students are allowed to make choices and have more freedom on their project, they tend to show more pride in the project. Video # 3 is entitled iCurio. Prior to the video, I had never heard of iCurio, so the video was a learning experience for me. I learned that iCurio is a search program that allows students to safely search the internet for content regarding an assignment. It takes information deemed relevant to the search and displays it for the student.. It also allows students and teachers to add and store important content to the program for later use. I also learned that iCurio has a read allowed feature, which aids vision impaired and learning disabled students. Video # 4, Discovery Ed, also contains a resource I was unfamiliar with. I learned that Discovery Ed is a resource that allows students to gain visual information along with written information. Discovery Ed provides video with experts on topics in wuestion to enhance the learning experience. The Anthony - Strange Tips for Teachers is a "Letterman" type list of things that are important for teachers. The most important thing I learned was that in order to be a successful teacher, I must be interested in learning myself. Hard work was mentioned but I had a pretty good idea that in order to be successful, hard work would be involved. Flexibility was discussed, meaning that a back up plan is a must if things go south. Another bit of information I learned was not to start a project without having an end in mind. Don't Teach Tech - Use It is a video with Anthony and Dr Strange discussing technology in the classroom. I learned form this video not to give step by step instruction on how to use a certain piece of technology. Instead, allow the student to use the technology and learn by trial and error. By using the technology, the student will learn from mistakes made and will improve based on their usage and practice. The last video, Additional Thoughts About Lessons, Anthony taught me that lessons are 4 layers thick. They include the year, the unit, the week, and the daily lesson.