Open Educational Resources

When we received the assignment to explore Open Educational Resources, I had no idea what they were. But after reading the first sentence in the article provided for us, I learned that Open Educational Resources (OER) are any resources available at little or no cost that can be used for teaching, learning, or research. I also learned that they are typically electronic resources. I feel that makes it very convenient to find them. The article also makes a point in saying that since the website is growing with more and more material, it is essential to weed out the bad stuff and keep the good, so the site is trying to do so by 'approving' articles that are worth reading. We were also provided a link to the website where many OER are found. I had the chance to explore, and I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through the various things on the website.

 

One of the first things I did was type "math" into the search bar. I ended up finding a lesson idea called 'Candy Math' for a K-1 lesson. I believe OER could be a great tool to help plan lessons in the future and to pull ideas from. Most important of all, they're either free or pretty cheap, which is definitely a HUGE plus since I am just an educator in training. I also noticed you can 'save' ideas that you like to a profile or also 'like' and share them to Facebook. I feel that is a cool tool as well. Another cool thing I found on the OER website was an interactive game called Antibiotics Attack, which teaches about their functions and what they target. I also found a Basic Speller Textbook which can be used for multiple grade levels. The interactive activity could come in handy in the future to help provide extra exploration of a topic. As my professor pointed out in a video he made for our class to present the idea to us, using OER could cut down on textbook costs. If students were given the link for a book such as the Basic Speller book I have linked above, they wouldn't need to buy it. Also, using OER could help saving wasting paper. It could also help students not have to carry such heavy backpacks loaded with textbooks. Another thing I found on the website is that there are some groups established for either certain school districts, state groups, or even one for math common core standards. Within these groups, people can share resources that they have found. This is a great way to network with other teachers and to also share valuable resources that have great value to them.

 

The OER Commons website is not the only place to obtain OER. I found some here on this PBS learning site. Another place I found resources was from somewhere I never would have thought of; the Verizon Foundation! Check their page out called Thinkfinity! A final place I found more OER at is from the Classroom Aid website.

 

 

With all of these great resources out there, the only thing you will need to spend is the time to find them!

Teachingchannel.org

Teachingchannel.org is a website that seems to provide help for teachers! The website features a plethora of videos dealing with lesson plan ideas to classroom management strategies and also allows you to connect with other teachers to discuss ideas. The age ranges varies from Kindergarten to 12th grade! I feel this website could be very beneficial to me in the future, especially because I am a visual learner. Watching these videos and seeing how things are done instead of reading a paper or essay have made me more aware of ideas and also have opened my eyes to what is currently going on in our school systems.

 

One video I decided to watch was on visual number combinations for Kindergartners. The video provided me with an idea on how to approach a lesson on such a standard. Another video I found interesting was a video on a student run lesson called "Keep It or Junk It." It may not be exactly common core, but I found it interesting that a 5th grade class could teach a lesson so well! I also feel this is a great way to show that students know the information because they have to teach it! A final video which I thought was 'cute' in a sense was about a Kindergarten teacher who used a game called "Mingle and Count" to teach number sense. I think this could be a good ice breaker game for younger children while also allowing them to get up and physically move around the classroom. I hope to teach younger grades and have also decided to add a concentration in Math, so a few of these videos really helped me learn tricks of the trade and ideas for future reference!

 

The video below is one I watched that describes how states are making the adjustment to the Common Core Standards, particularly in math.

 

My Experience with Macs

Recently, we learned how to create videos with iMovie. I was intrigued to put up my little snippet of a video for you to enjoy. It was just for laughs and giggles, so here it is! Enjoy!

Flipped Learning

Recently in our SEDU 183 class, we were to research what a Flipped Learning classroom is. The general jist of what I gained came from a video on the Flipped Learning Network as well as a November Learning article. I took Flipped Learning to be teachers providing students with a lesson (possibly on an iPad) that they take home and/or review online for homework. This is typically in the form of a video. Any questions that students have are then uploaded to a class Facebook page where the teacher will sort through and know what to go over. When they come to school the next day, the teacher will be there to provide more individualized instruction to each student. The main goal of Flipped Learning I then decided was to provide the teacher with more time in the class to help students if they didn't understand parts of the lesson. This website is very helpful in breaking down what a flipped classroom is and is not. Also, this website shows what a good flipped classroom is like.

 

 

 

One possible outcome I see is more independent learning. Students are teaching themselves the lessons at home, and the teacher is there as a guide and resource for questions. This will better prepare students for college and teach them that they will have to be more self-relient. Another outcome I see is more one-on-one time with the teacher. This can help teachers focus directly on each individual students' needs. A drawback I see with flipped learning is if a student does not do their lesson at home. The student was responsible for doing their homework so that when they came to class the next day they asked questions about things they didn't understand. If the child did not do their work at home will they be given time in school to do so? At such a young age I feel this could be a huge responsibility, probably too much for a 5-year old to handle.

Seeing as I am going for Early Childhood and Special Education, even though I do feel this is a neat idea, it does not seem practical for my area of teaching. I feel Special Education students especially would have trouble with this because they need that direct instruction and direct supervision. Also, as I explained before, I feel a 5 or 6-year old is too young to have so much responsibility of teaching themselves how to count to 10 for example. These young children need to be taught how to learn before they can go off on their own and do so. If I was in the High School setting though I feel this would be more appropriate. I feel it would prepare students on how to study and learn for college as well as give opportunity for more in-class discussion.

If you would like to "flip" your own classroom, there is a book you can purchase that explains how to do so which is actually pictured at the top of this post! If that doesn't do it for you,

check out this testimonial by a teacher who now uses flipped learning: 

 

Experiencing Group!

For our most recent class project, we were to choose a topic that correlates to the 21st century. The other classmates in my group were Hope, Mara, and Andrea. My group decided to focus on the importance of recess in 21st century classrooms. We decided to break up our project into sections for each of us to work on. They were the benefits children receive from recess which we split into Physical, Social/Emotional, and Behavioral benefits. We also included why recess has been starting to be taken away. We found that there are so many benefits children can gain and that it is really necessary for children to have this time to release energy and gain their focus back.

I am passionate about this topic because I feel children receive so many benefits from recess. This project was interesting to do as well because we created a Prezi to go along with our paper. I felt very proud of the end project and it is actually displayed on the post below! It was a bit more interesting than a typical powerpoint I feel because it moved around, not just went to the next slide. I feel I could utilize this in my classroom, and it would hopefully gain students' attention better because it isn't like a typical Powerpoint. I could also use this in the classroom as a way for students to present projects if they are old enough to do so because it will help them become more technologically inclined!

Check out our Prezi!!!!!!!!

SEDU 183 Prezi!

This is the Prezi that 3 of my other classmates and I made on the importance of recess in 21st century classrooms!

Why Is Recess Critical To a 21st Century Classroom on Prezi

PowerPoint Terrific!

For our latest task in my SEDU 183 class here at Edinboro University, we were to complete a PowerPoint to be based on a PA standard for whatever grade and subject we wanted. To accompany our PowerPoint we were to create a narrative with the goals of our lesson and PowerPoint. We then were to present our PowerPoints and Narratives to other members of the class. Sounds too easy right? Well, there was a catch, and what was the catch you may ask? We couldn't use the PowerPoint as a means of Direct Instruction. This is what most people would typically expect of a PowerPoint; create 15 slides of facts on a single topic.Well, we weren't allowed to do that. That's just too easy! We were to step outside of our comfort zones and explore other ways that PowerPoint was meant to be used! So, we were to make a PowerPoint that could fit somewhere into our lesson that then helped to enhance that lesson for our students.

No Direct Instruction Allowed!! 

I decided to choose the Kindergarten age group for my subject area. I chose a standard from the mathematics section dealing with teaching the students the meaning of equal and not equal. I decided to use my PowerPoint as a closure activity to check for comprehension. As I went along making my PowerPoint, I tried to stick with easy fonts and bright colors to appeal to the young age group of children I was dealing with. I also chose age appropriate pictures of things the students would be able to recognize. I felt my PowerPoint was like a type of game; I proposed two groups of objects and the students got to choose whether they were equal or not equal. They were to work on a computer by themselves and 'play the game.' I stepped out of my comfort zone by adding narration to my PowerPoint. As my instructor pointed out, Kindergartners most likely wouldn't be able to read, so it was essential to add narration to guide the children through the activity. I have never done this before, but I was surprised at how quickly I got the hang of how to add the sounds. Another risk I took was timing my slides and adding more complex animations. For example, in one part of my PowerPoint I had the children count with my voice. I had the objects enlarge as my voice said each number.

I thought my end product turned out beyond what I expected it could. I learned how to utilize action buttons, and successfully incorporated them into my creation. I am also very pleased with how my presentation went, besides the fact that my group could not hear my narration because of the other noise occurring in the classroom. I received a lot more positive feedback than I was expecting as well. Some of my group members said that they "wished they had that much free time," when in reality I lost my flash drive containing my almost complete PowerPoint project and had to start from scratch the day before the assignment was due. I was surprised I finished the project at all and surprised it received so much positive reinforcement.

The other members of my group did very well with their projects as well. Surprisingly, I learned quite a bit from them. Sadly, though, if I was on 'Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader,' I probably wouldn't have won. I had a hard time answering Third Grade Science questions! I thought it was neat how all of us chose different age groups and subjects to focus on.

Here is my narrative I did for this project! Click on the first hyperlink. I'm not sure how to get my PowerPoint to show up, but I guess that'll just be one of my next tasks to learn how to do(:

Two More for the Roll!

Recently I've been looking at other blogs that will help me in the future with my educational career path towards teaching. Two that I've recently found are jam-packed with tips, tricks of the trade, personal experiences, and other goodies that will definitely help me out on my journey to having my own classroom! For Special Education, this blog shares information that will hopefully help those who are around those with special needs. I really love the links on the side that are grouped by academic subjects. These would be useful in the classroom as handouts or just for extra practice. There are also helpful links for parents which I feel is great so that they can learn how they can help their children at home as well! Now another blog I found shows ideas on how to let children play! People can share their ideas as well as look at photos of how the creator is creating fun ways for her children to play. I feel this is important especially for young children. Playing helps their creativity and helps them build an imagination! I am excited to follow these blogs for future reference. The personal experiences shared on these blogs can help paint a picture in my mind of what I'm getting myself into, which is something I need to be aware of. I want to have the best classroom environment possible for each of my students so that I influence their life in some shape or form! I'm hoping these blogs can help me in making the best choices I can to become the teacher I know I loved when I was in school. So, hopefully you will enjoy looking at these blogs like I have(:

My Beliefs about Technology and Learning...

One thing I have observed since starting the teaching program here at Edinboro is the increase in technology use. Many of my professors have highlighted this in their teachings. So, as I thought about it, it's crazy how much of our daily lives now revolve around some sort of technology. For example, many can't live without their smartphone in their pocket, or function without their iPod to walk between classes. I've also noticed that now children are starting to learn how to use technology at such young ages. Some adults probably hate to admit that their 2 year old can navigate an iPad quicker than they can. So, since these youngsters are learning these habits at home, it's no wonder that technology is also creeping into our classrooms.

 

 

Personally, I feel it's a great thing that technology is making its way into the classroom. For one, its teaching both us teachers and our students. Another plus I see is being able to explore beyond paper and pencils. I also feel technology may give more room for interaction within the classroom. For example, smartboards can be used for educational review games such as jeopardy. This can promote classroom involvement for every child. Another plus I see from having technology is not just its cognitive affects but also helping with physical affects. Many schools are now investing in Kindles or iPads to give to students, which I feel can help children get away from carrying a 15 to 20 pound book bag to and from school everyday. Another positive I see is possibly gaining more interest in class from students who would typically become bored after sitting for a few hours in a classroom. I definitely believe that technology and learning go together. Because our world is now so deep into technology, it only makes sense that we as teachers incorporate technology into our classrooms!

 

This video sums up a lot of my beliefs on why we should use technology:

Reasons FOR Technology in the Classroom

Important to Me...

 

One of the things most important to me as an up-and-coming teacher is having The Arts around for my students when I finally graduate college and obtain my own classroom. Growing up, music and art were always an outlet of expression for me. With budget cuts happening across the globe, many of these programs are taking the hit. I feel this isn't fair to those who excel in these areas or need these programs to do well in other areas.

 

 

 

Music encompasses both math and vocabulary skills if you think about it. From counting rhythms and finding patterns, to learning key terms and phrases in other languages such as legato or crescendo. If school districts would realize the benefits that The Arts give children, maybe they'd realize the harm they're doing by cutting funding to those programs!

   Watch This!!!