Week 3 Discussion Post

For my final project I want to do a unit on the Titanic using a short story of it along with the lesson. This would be part of a language arts unit. I want to focus on how you can use graphic sources such as maps and diagrams to help you to better understand the story. With that I could incorporate technology to make this lesson more engaging and beneficial for students. Some of my ideas are incorporating a prezi to have a map of where the Titanic departed, where it was headed, and where it sank. I also would like to use a padlet somehow in the lesson(details TBD).
3 Web Resources:
1. Smithsonian's History Explorer
 https://historyexplorer.si.edu/resource/ocean-crossings-1870-1969
I found this article and link through the Smithsonian's History Explorer page from the research portal.
I would use this in my final project because it is an extension of information on the Titanic. It shows other great ships and the purpose for traveling on ocean liners during that time period. it includes great graphic sources such as pictures and maps. This website has a lot of information and is easy for students to navigate through.
 Standards:
5A: Demonstrate understanding of the movements of large groups of people into his or her own and other states in the United States now and long ago.
3C: The student understands the various other groups from regions throughout the world who came into the his or her own state or region over the long-ago and recent past.
3D: The student understands the interactions among all these groups throughout the history of his or her state.
2.Titanic (History.com)
http://www.history.com/topics/titanic/infographics/titanic-by-the-numbers
I found this by googling "titanic graphic sources" I got very specific results and exactly what I was looking for.
This website is perfect for my project! This website is super easy to navigate and the pictures and graphic sources are incredible!! It has so many fun facts with pictures, maps, and so much more. It is colorful and is a great way to engage students in using graphic sources for not only this lesson, but for the future.
Standards:

CCSS Information Text 7: Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

CCSS Language 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multi-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibility from a range of strategies.

CCSS Writing 8: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.

3. @coolcatteacher Vicki Davis on Twitter

https://mobile.twitter.com/coolcatteacher  TWITTER ACCOUNT

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/05/stackup-create-track-reading-goals-in.html?utm_content=buffer007d6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.V0XjnEuudSU 

Vicky posts this article about how to track your students reading in chrome and using technology. How cool!  I found this article by looking around on her twitter feed until I stumbled across this. She has great ways of integrating technology in the classroom. 

This would be beneficial in evaluating my students reading electronically as a part of my final project. It is fast and easy! It has great ideas for incorporating technology in education.

Standards:

Standard 1: Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
Standard 2: Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology. Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study. 

Week 2 Reflection

The article that I sound most surprising was Are Your Students Engaged? I think every person has a different idea of what engaged is. Some people think it is having fun, paying attention, or actively listening. No matter what your definition of this word is, it is difficult to measure as stated in this article. I also really like how this article says that just because students are having high test scores it doesn't mean they are engaged. There are many other factors that tie into high test scores that just engagement.  This article challenges us as educators to be designers of learning, not just handing out worksheets. I dismissed the myth about learning styles. I personally know that when I study, I retain information better when it is written out and I can see a visual image of it. Although it can be true that there is no such thing as being a visual learner, this is how I learn. Even though there is no evidence that people learn differently, I do believe that people have different preferences on remembering things or learning them.  My CT last semester always said that she would vary her lesson plans for all of her different types of learners. For example, she would read the directions out loud once and then put them on the screen and read them again. It seemed to work for her students in the class! In high school one of my teachers made us take a test that told us what kind of a learner we were. There were about 50 questions with varied responses. I thought this was interesting because no one fell into exactly one category. This makes sense for the myth that every person learns differently. I can change the mind of a person who wants to use the strategies by offering a different alternative. I can change the mind of the person by politely saying that it is not proven to be true and that we should work together to explore other options.

Using A Blog In My Classroom

Now that I know how to blog, I would love to use a blog in my classroom! It would be helpful for me to have a class blog that parents and students could view to see all the exciting work we are doing in our classroom. I would keep it updated weekly and the parents would be able to leave comments or ask any questions they might have.

 Another way a blog would be helpful is for students to post assignments on the blog and comment and give feedback to their peers. The class would be able to see what their classmates suggest and be able make changes and reflect on what they learned.

Learner Analysis

Alex Dunphy
Clip from the show
I chose to analyze Alex Dunphy from the show Modern Family. Alex is a high school student with a younger brother and an older sister who hates school. Alex on the other hand, loves school and is studying every chance she gets. Alex is a great student and excels in school. Alex and her family are middle- class. She engages in school and is a very well-behaved student. She is a teacher's pet and often quiets those around her who are distracting the class from learning. The student is interested in biology and all sciences. Alex loves to succeed and to learn new things. Alex is definitely college ready. She has talked about going to college basically her entire life and is so eager to start applying. If Alex was in my class, I would make sure that I always had her busy with new assignments so that she did not get bored in class. She moves very quickly and understands material a lot quicker than her classmates. It would be important for me to keep her engaged and make sure she is still challenged and learning new things.

About Me

Hi everyone! My name is Carlee Bazil. I am an Elementary Education major with an emphasis in English. I love to run and to travel. A fun fact about me is I studied abroad in London last summer and I will be doing my first triathlon in June!

I have used technology in the classroom for presentations, lesson plans, and content related videos. I made lesson plans online using different websites such as GoMath and Reading Street to help to make the lesson engaging for my students.

This is a video of my adventures abroad in London last summer! I know it's a lengthy video, but I had to post it!

Here is a professional picture of me.