Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
C4K Summary Post
For the C4K, for the month of April, I was privileged to comment on a couple of really interesting kid posts. The first one was by James.
James was so clear on his approach to the way cyclones affected his society. The cyclones were broken down into very simple questions. COMMENT:Hi James!My name is Martavious Stewart. I am a student at the University of South Alabama and I just want to commend you on your blog post. It was great. I did not really know much about cyclones, but now I do! That is awesome! I really enjoyed learning about what they are, and what to do in the case of one. It is good that you were okay, and that nothing too serious happened. I bet it must have been a little scary, with the extreme weather, and all the trees falling all around. Thank you for the information. I feel like if I were to ever be in a place that had a warning for a cyclone. I would be much better prepared due to your blog post. Keep up the good work. I am a college student and you helped educate me, that should make you proud.
The second one was by Tevita. He is an 8 year old boy who shared a story about possums and the way the setting of the species affected the societal view of them. COMMENT: Hey Tevita. My name is Martavious Stewart. I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am glad that you shared the slide show. I think that it is terrible that New Zealand has so many possums. I wonder what happens to them? How do you combat that in your country? Over here on campus, we have a lot of squirrels, and it just gets annoying sometimes. I can only imagine what it's like for you all over there. I liked the information. It was quite informative. Thank you. Keep up the good work.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
C4T Summary Post
This month I posted on the Manaiakalani Site. For the blog post, the video was talking about the death of the essay. It was pretty much talking about the shift that occurred in society when it comes to papers. many papers now are saved as pdf files and submitted online, no longer being turned in the original paper form. The video was created by Professor Welby Ings of AUT University. The Author, Dorothy was addressing this video. She was questioning the definition of academic literature with the use of so many things that are not in print like the blogs, podcasts, and videos.
Comment:
Hi! My name is Martavious Stewart from the University of South Alabama. I am in an EDM 310 class over here. I have seen the trend over the last few years, as everything is becoming more and more digital. I think that it is a slow fading out of the paper system. Even things like banking and bills are done electronically. Many resumes are done through a system. I think kind of like how VHS got phased out into the DVD system, it may get to that someday. Just, not anytime soon. I think that we rely on paper to some extent. I agree with the video when it comes to the definition of literacy will not just be "reading, writing, and arithmetic." The way society is set up, technological literacy is also a major necessity.
The Second post was about the program that the MIT teachers engaged in. The teacher were given 12 days of paid leave to work on the teaching inquiries that they came up with. They are then to come together and put it into action as well as perform it on various students ranging from the age of 5 to 18 years old. This is a fellowship opportunity for the teachers.
Comment:
Hi. My name is Martavious Stewart from the University of South Alabama. I am in an EDM 310 class. I think that it is great that you are bringing educators together to collaborate and better further their experience. It is one thing to come up with something that is used in the classroom. It is another thing to have it critiqued by peers. The best things about something being scrutinized is the fact that it brings out possible flaws, allowing for progress and growth. It also allows for educators to be familiar with new ideas. I am very interested in someday participating in something similar when I am an educator.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Blog Post 13
TASK-BASED LEARNING
What is task based learning? As an English teacher will this be something that you would consider incorporating into your classroom? Watch this video, and try not to focus on the pronunciation of the speaker. Give a summary of what you think in response to it. Is it good or bad in your opinion? Support your stance with an explanation. Video Link
Task-based learning is basically what the name says. It is learning centered around various tasks. The tasks that are outlined are there to generate the language to be used. The main focus is on the task to be completed. The teachers make the students to do some tasks, that force them to reuse certain words over and over again. In so doing, the students become more comfortable with those words and the language, while making it easier on them because they are incorporating it into their various tasks and assignments. Language is used to carry out the various tasks assigned forcing communication and use of verbiage in the classroom.
The narrator puts up a diagram that shows the way it can be incorporated into the classroom. She compares it with real world problem solving. They have authentic text that they come across and those can lead into topic or genre based tasks. Another avenue is the language in use and focus meaning that in turn is supposed to yield the final task with linguistic output.
When it comes to planning a task-based learning, Estaire and Zannon recommend a few guidelines. The guidelines are to determine a theme or interest area, propose a final task, set objectives, check the content, discuss the process, and lastly incorporation of the evaluation built into the learning process. This method seems to be effective in that it causes students to get to an objective without as much effort. The children are having fun, and learning without all of the hassle incorporated into it. As an educator I can take this method to get students to be more involved in the classroom, and utilize things like arts and crafts to make English a more fun and enjoyable subject. They may take words and paste around the room, or build little paper toys with labels in order to further engage their minds in literacy and English words.
Task-based learning is basically what the name says. It is learning centered around various tasks. The tasks that are outlined are there to generate the language to be used. The main focus is on the task to be completed. The teachers make the students to do some tasks, that force them to reuse certain words over and over again. In so doing, the students become more comfortable with those words and the language, while making it easier on them because they are incorporating it into their various tasks and assignments. Language is used to carry out the various tasks assigned forcing communication and use of verbiage in the classroom.
The narrator puts up a diagram that shows the way it can be incorporated into the classroom. She compares it with real world problem solving. They have authentic text that they come across and those can lead into topic or genre based tasks. Another avenue is the language in use and focus meaning that in turn is supposed to yield the final task with linguistic output.
When it comes to planning a task-based learning, Estaire and Zannon recommend a few guidelines. The guidelines are to determine a theme or interest area, propose a final task, set objectives, check the content, discuss the process, and lastly incorporation of the evaluation built into the learning process. This method seems to be effective in that it causes students to get to an objective without as much effort. The children are having fun, and learning without all of the hassle incorporated into it. As an educator I can take this method to get students to be more involved in the classroom, and utilize things like arts and crafts to make English a more fun and enjoyable subject. They may take words and paste around the room, or build little paper toys with labels in order to further engage their minds in literacy and English words.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Blog Post #12
When it comes to blind people in society, people do not really sometimes take into account the amount of effort it takes for a child trying to learn with such a disability. Many a times, we forget how blessed we truly are. For people who are blind, their method of thinking is different. In the sense that, the way they have to learn is void of any visual aspect. They rely primarily on their other senses to learn. A good thing in our society to help them to learn is Assistive Technology. Assistive Technology is any device used to aid a person with a disability, and this can be in the form of technology or objects.
According to blindness.org, there are so many resources available for mobility and orientation. They have a brochure that gives a whole list of sighted guided techniques, Night Vision Aids, Driving Alternatives, Dog Guide Schools, and The White Cane. This site provides information on the different eye disorders that affect sight and health options available to fix them. According to the site, sighted guide technique refers to a method by which a visually impaired person and a sighted person can walk together safely and comfortably. There are night vision aids that help people who are not able to see at night. It is not that they are blind, but they are blind once the sun goes down, so aid is available for them. There are driving alternatives, and dog guide schools for the visually impaired.
For the visually impaired, an assistive technology is the Mountbatten Braille Writer. It's used for struggling learners. It gives its users audio and tactile feedback. It produces braille, and announces what's being brailled. Whatever they do on the machine, it gets converted to print and then it gets transferred to a computer. This technology allows for the students a chance to be able to keep up in a regular classroom when they have assignments. Another assistive technology for the blind is made by Professor Art Karshmer from the University of San Francisco School of Management. He built this device for math device for the visually impaired. The way the device works is that it uses small blocks that are scanned into a computer for verbal identification and placed on a bridge. The blocks have braille on them so that the basic math problems can be lined up, the way we normally see them in order to do basic math problems. This enables them to be educated on their basic math, and makes it easier to do their math problems.
As an educator, these assistive technologies can be useful to me in the classroom because, I myself, am not blind. Understanding how to educate a visually impaired student, helps me to have a passion for my career and kindles my interest in educating the disabled. When I went to the School for the Deaf and Blind in Mobile, I was able to see first-hand how the children related to one another. I was also informed that in order to receive instruction, the children had to receive individual education from instructors. It was a great opportunity. Disabilities are unavoidable. We as educators, will always come across them in some form, and being better educated and prepared to handle the situation makes us more of an asset to the educational community.
According to blindness.org, there are so many resources available for mobility and orientation. They have a brochure that gives a whole list of sighted guided techniques, Night Vision Aids, Driving Alternatives, Dog Guide Schools, and The White Cane. This site provides information on the different eye disorders that affect sight and health options available to fix them. According to the site, sighted guide technique refers to a method by which a visually impaired person and a sighted person can walk together safely and comfortably. There are night vision aids that help people who are not able to see at night. It is not that they are blind, but they are blind once the sun goes down, so aid is available for them. There are driving alternatives, and dog guide schools for the visually impaired.
For the visually impaired, an assistive technology is the Mountbatten Braille Writer. It's used for struggling learners. It gives its users audio and tactile feedback. It produces braille, and announces what's being brailled. Whatever they do on the machine, it gets converted to print and then it gets transferred to a computer. This technology allows for the students a chance to be able to keep up in a regular classroom when they have assignments. Another assistive technology for the blind is made by Professor Art Karshmer from the University of San Francisco School of Management. He built this device for math device for the visually impaired. The way the device works is that it uses small blocks that are scanned into a computer for verbal identification and placed on a bridge. The blocks have braille on them so that the basic math problems can be lined up, the way we normally see them in order to do basic math problems. This enables them to be educated on their basic math, and makes it easier to do their math problems.
As an educator, these assistive technologies can be useful to me in the classroom because, I myself, am not blind. Understanding how to educate a visually impaired student, helps me to have a passion for my career and kindles my interest in educating the disabled. When I went to the School for the Deaf and Blind in Mobile, I was able to see first-hand how the children related to one another. I was also informed that in order to receive instruction, the children had to receive individual education from instructors. It was a great opportunity. Disabilities are unavoidable. We as educators, will always come across them in some form, and being better educated and prepared to handle the situation makes us more of an asset to the educational community.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
C4T#3 Summary Post
THE ELECTRIC EDUCATOR by John R Sowash
Free Plagiarism Checker for the Classroom
In this article, Mr. Sowash went into detail about Turnitin.com and another site called dustballcom. These websites are available to check up work of students who are suspected of cheating/plagiarizing their work. He talked about the availability in the case of suspicion. He went on to say that it had a way to vindicate some people, but also was very useful in calling out some people who were in the wrong. My thoughts: I was very happy to see this post because there is nothing better than hard work of a student that pays off, in my opinion. Students need to learn more, to become better for the future generations to come. A lesson learned creates a more direct path to success. However, those lessons have to be learned, not just stories of other people. People tend to work harder for something when it is all they have left. It is so easy to pick up someone's work, but it takes real courage to stand and work hard for where one wants to get. I really like this avenue in order to hold people accountable for their actions because life is all about how we utilize resources, while honoring ourselves in the long run. Though there are always ways around things like this, it is a great start in the right direction. It should be harder to break the rules.
2013 miGoogle Conference Wrap Up
Mr. Sowash talked about the success of a conference that he helped to set up at Brighton High School in Michigan. There was a workshop on the tools and teaching styles of Google. He talked about "dot-connectors", and not "dot-collectors". He was referring to the fact that people learn, but if one is not able to connect the dots,and see the bigger picture, then they are not going to be able to be of much use to those around them. My thoughts: This conference is a great way for us to get a good start on touching the younger generation. The biggest part for me was the idea of not only data collection, but application. This is important no matter what someone does in the long run. Especially teaching, this is important in order for us to be able to take all the topics we have done, and learned about, and apply it to the classroom effectively. A common theme that revolves around society is relevance. If a student, worker, or educator cannot bring relevance to whatever they are bringing to the table, then it becomes something that may be valuable, but not favored, thus leading to failure. It important to keep that in mind as educators and even in our future job settings.
Google Doesn't Care About Grades or Test Scores
Mr. Sowash presented an article by google. It stated that they were no longer looking at the transcript of their applicants because they no longer saw a correlation between the grades of students and their prospective performance in the workplace, unless the person had been out of school for a while. He went on to briefly comment on it. My post: Hi. My name is Martavious Stewart from the University of South Alabama's EDM 310 class. I really enjoyed reading this article. I have noticed that over the years, that sometimes the book smart people, cannot connect the book knowledge to any experience worth hiring for. As bad as that sounds, grades do not equate skill. Some people may just be B students, but when it comes to performance, they can smoke out anyone in their field. I like this article, because so many places look at the grades, and this limits the immense potential that others bring to the table. As a future educator, this is a great lesson for me to keep in mind. A lot of times teachers love the students who do well in class, and see them as having the best potential, but it is about time that that notion changed.
Free Plagiarism Checker for the Classroom
In this article, Mr. Sowash went into detail about Turnitin.com and another site called dustballcom. These websites are available to check up work of students who are suspected of cheating/plagiarizing their work. He talked about the availability in the case of suspicion. He went on to say that it had a way to vindicate some people, but also was very useful in calling out some people who were in the wrong. My thoughts: I was very happy to see this post because there is nothing better than hard work of a student that pays off, in my opinion. Students need to learn more, to become better for the future generations to come. A lesson learned creates a more direct path to success. However, those lessons have to be learned, not just stories of other people. People tend to work harder for something when it is all they have left. It is so easy to pick up someone's work, but it takes real courage to stand and work hard for where one wants to get. I really like this avenue in order to hold people accountable for their actions because life is all about how we utilize resources, while honoring ourselves in the long run. Though there are always ways around things like this, it is a great start in the right direction. It should be harder to break the rules.
Mr. Sowash talked about the success of a conference that he helped to set up at Brighton High School in Michigan. There was a workshop on the tools and teaching styles of Google. He talked about "dot-connectors", and not "dot-collectors". He was referring to the fact that people learn, but if one is not able to connect the dots,and see the bigger picture, then they are not going to be able to be of much use to those around them. My thoughts: This conference is a great way for us to get a good start on touching the younger generation. The biggest part for me was the idea of not only data collection, but application. This is important no matter what someone does in the long run. Especially teaching, this is important in order for us to be able to take all the topics we have done, and learned about, and apply it to the classroom effectively. A common theme that revolves around society is relevance. If a student, worker, or educator cannot bring relevance to whatever they are bringing to the table, then it becomes something that may be valuable, but not favored, thus leading to failure. It important to keep that in mind as educators and even in our future job settings.
Mr. Sowash presented an article by google. It stated that they were no longer looking at the transcript of their applicants because they no longer saw a correlation between the grades of students and their prospective performance in the workplace, unless the person had been out of school for a while. He went on to briefly comment on it. My post: Hi. My name is Martavious Stewart from the University of South Alabama's EDM 310 class. I really enjoyed reading this article. I have noticed that over the years, that sometimes the book smart people, cannot connect the book knowledge to any experience worth hiring for. As bad as that sounds, grades do not equate skill. Some people may just be B students, but when it comes to performance, they can smoke out anyone in their field. I like this article, because so many places look at the grades, and this limits the immense potential that others bring to the table. As a future educator, this is a great lesson for me to keep in mind. A lot of times teachers love the students who do well in class, and see them as having the best potential, but it is about time that that notion changed.
C4K Summary for March
This month, the post that really stuck out to me the most, was the post by James. He was very informative on his description of cyclones. He even broke it down into different common questions to better hit on the main points, and keep me as the reader interested. He threw in actual real-life information in order to make the cyclone information more real and interesting. From the tone of his post, James had been in a situation where there was a waning for cyclones in his area, and was able to see the aftermath of the tropical storm. Comment: Hi James! My name is Martavious Stewart. I am a student at the University of South Alabama and I just want to commend you on your blog post. It was great. I did not really know much about cyclones, but now I do! That is awesome! I really enjoyed learning about what they are, and what to do in the case of one. It is good that you were okay, and that nothing too serious happened. I bet it must have been a little scary, with the extreme weather, and all the trees falling all around. Thank you for the information. I feel like if I were to ever be in a place that had a warning for a cyclone. I would be much better prepared due to your blog post. Keep up the good work. I am a college student and you helped educate me, that should make you proud.
The next post was on Empathy by Emanuelle. She talked about how she showed empathy to a man on the street who was asking for money. She was on her way to the shop and saw him, and gave him some of what she had before going on her way. I think that it is very nice for young children to learn from a young age howto be giving and helpful to others less fortunate because, that is a great quality for anyone to have. It is harder to teach adults, than it is to teach kids, and so it is better if they learn and grow with that value instilled within them. Comment: Hey Emmy!! My name is Martavious Stewart. I go to the University of South Alabama and I am in a class called EDM 310. I am really learning Education. I really liked your video on how you show empathy. That is really nice of you to show empathy to the man on the street that was asking for money. Not everyone stops to help people out like that. So, I am proud of you! To answer your question at the end of the video, I show empathy by giving a helping hand to friends when they are in need. Keep up the good work!!
The last post was about Ta-Manea's weekend. She went over to her aunt's house to play around, and she talked about her enjoyment of swimming. This video was beautiful and just showed her face light up talking about how much she enjoyed it. It is great when kids share their experiences and can think back on the good times. It is so much better when they are able to share it with people who care and are willing to allow them relive that moment. Comment: Hi Te-Manea! My name is Martavious. I am from the University of South Alabama. I am honored that you would share your story with me on your weekend. I am glad you had fun at your Aunty's house. I like to go over my Aunty's house to hang out and have fun as well. I cannot swim, but someday I hope to learn!
The next post was on Empathy by Emanuelle. She talked about how she showed empathy to a man on the street who was asking for money. She was on her way to the shop and saw him, and gave him some of what she had before going on her way. I think that it is very nice for young children to learn from a young age howto be giving and helpful to others less fortunate because, that is a great quality for anyone to have. It is harder to teach adults, than it is to teach kids, and so it is better if they learn and grow with that value instilled within them. Comment: Hey Emmy!! My name is Martavious Stewart. I go to the University of South Alabama and I am in a class called EDM 310. I am really learning Education. I really liked your video on how you show empathy. That is really nice of you to show empathy to the man on the street that was asking for money. Not everyone stops to help people out like that. So, I am proud of you! To answer your question at the end of the video, I show empathy by giving a helping hand to friends when they are in need. Keep up the good work!!
The last post was about Ta-Manea's weekend. She went over to her aunt's house to play around, and she talked about her enjoyment of swimming. This video was beautiful and just showed her face light up talking about how much she enjoyed it. It is great when kids share their experiences and can think back on the good times. It is so much better when they are able to share it with people who care and are willing to allow them relive that moment. Comment: Hi Te-Manea! My name is Martavious. I am from the University of South Alabama. I am honored that you would share your story with me on your weekend. I am glad you had fun at your Aunty's house. I like to go over my Aunty's house to hang out and have fun as well. I cannot swim, but someday I hope to learn!
Friday, April 4, 2014
Blog Post #11
For this post, our group decided to have a conversation about one of the videos suggested by Dr. Strange by using a shared Google Drive Document. You can see what we all had to say by clicking on the link below.
OMAHA
OMAHA
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