Final Reflection

Not many of my thoughts have changed since I wrote my first blog post in EDM 310. If I could build a school, it would still be the one I imagined in week one. My ideas were all about how to get the students to enjoy learning and make it more fun. Even though my ideas are the same, EDM 310 has introduced many resources and tools that will make my job a lot easier. I decided to re answer the questions from blog post one for my final reflection. 

What do I want my students to know?

I want my students to know how to properly take care of their bodies for the rest of their lives. It's easy to get a student to exercise in my classroom, the challenge is to help them want to continue when they go home that day. It's even more challenging to push them to continue after you are no longer their teacher. I want my students to know how important physical education is. The decision to start making healthy choices will help students continue healthy lifestyles when they reach adulthood.

What would I want my students to be able to do?

I want my students to be able to know that there is more to physical education that just games and sports. When I was in PE, my teacher just took us outside and let us run loose for an hour. I want to teach my students skills and techniques that they can continue to use. I want them to  know that technique is more important than just doing something. What I really want my students to be able to do is know the difference between just playing and exercising and being healthy.

What will be your primary way of teaching?

The way I plan to teach my classroom is very simple. I want to provide my students guidance instead of just telling them what to do. I can't just tell them the right answers all of the time. I want to help guide them to figure the answers for themselves. I also plan to teach using project based learning. One of the projects I will definitely try is having students create exercise videos. I will have them split up into groups and make a collective video. Each student will contribute an exercise or stretching portion to the video. After they make the video, I will make copies to give the students to keep and use for later. I will also keep a copy to show future classes. I think that when students see them it will make them excited to make their own videos.

What role will students play in my classroom?
How will they participate in the learning process? The way students will play a role in my classroom has not changed. I plan to have students create their own exercise plan that they will use everyday. They will be able to choose the way they exercise during a time during class. I think it is a great way to allow students to show that they can make healthy decisions. Their opinions about things that I teach will also influence me when I am teaching. I don't want to teach something that they hate doing unless it is absolutely necessary that they learn it that way. I want them to be able to learn in the most fun way possible.
What tools will I use in my classroom? In my 1st blog post I said that I would not be able to use a lot of technology in my classroom. I thought that there was no use for Ipads or computers. Since I have been in EDM 310, I have found many apps and programs that I can use when I teach. My favorite is Daily Fit Log. It helps students create fitness plans and record their progress. This is definitely going to be part of my teaching plan. I also still plan to use the Wii and other kinds of games. 

Project #16 Prezi

What assistive technologies are available to you as a teacher?

I always thought that iPads were overrated and too expensive. I definitely changed my mind after I watched Teaching Mom What Her Deaf/Blind Child Is Learning On the iPad. As I future teacher, I realize how important it is to be able to teach every student in the best way you can. With tools from Apple and other programs, teaching the deaf and blind have become much easier. The video shows how you would use an iPad if it was set to use as a deaf or blind person would. When you slide your finger over an icon, you would hear the name of that application. You would double tap the icon to open the application. 

The Mountbatten is braille writer that allows tactile and audio feedback to students. As the student types in braille, the machine produces the braille and announces what the student is typing. It is a very advanced machine that can save files and send and receive files form a computer. The Mountbatten is great in classrooms for teachers and students that do not know braille. It also allows blind and deaf students to participate. As a student types in braille, the machine can mimic and convert to print and display it on a screen.

Raven Williams


In Art Karshmer's video "Teaching Math to the Blind" he addresses the issue of how teachers teach basic mathematics to blind students. This past semester I've been taking Math for Elementary Teachers. In this class we have studied different ways to visually show students how basic mathematical principles work, such as counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Throughout the entire semester of drawing pictures and diagrams illustrating the problem I did not think about how a blind student could learn these ideas. Art Karshmer opened my eyes to the dilemas that special needs students would have with any subject. In his video he shows one tool that has been proven useful to blind students. He uses small blocks with numbers written on them in both print and braille. Students can put these blocks onto a grid so that the problem can be set up the same way that any student would set it up on paper. This may not seem to be a very advanced technology tool, it helps many students learn mathematics.

In today's world there are numerous tools that teachers can use in order to help special needs children learn any and every subject. It is important for any teacher, whether specializing in special ed or not, to know the different resources available and how to use them in order to better the life of all students.Sarah Irvine Belson lists a few tools that help blind students learn mathematics.

Audio Aids help students who cannot see to read the problem. This is computer based and will simply read the exact problem to the student to hear. The only problem with this tool is that as the problems get more and more complex students have a difficult time solving the problem after just hearing a computer read it to them.
Tactile Representations show the problem through braille. Like Art Karshmer said in his video, the problem with using braille to show a mathematical equation is that braille is linear, meaning that while most students set up math problems vertically visually impaired students will be at a major disadvantage in learning.
Tonal Representations show graphs to blind students by playing musical tones. This is a great way to represent data that is typically limitied to visual aids. The problem with this tool is that, like tactile representations, it is not very effective with more complicated math problems
Haptic Devices are ways to show as shape to a blind student. This can be used for both two-dimentional and three-dimentional shapes. While this tool is an excellent way to show non-numeral data to visually impaired students, it is very expensive and many schools cannot afford this technology.
Sarah Belson states on her webpage that these tools and methods can be used together based on each individual student. This is true for any student learning any subject. While this list of tools ranges from very technologically advanced systems to braille, these tools allow for visually impaired students to learn math with as little extra difficulty as possible.

http://www.unclegoose.com/products/braille-math-blocks/











Being a teacher in the 21st century means that there are an infinite amount of assistive technologies available at our fingertips. This neat video, demonstrated by Wesley Majerus, is titled iPad usage for the blind. Wesley gives us an insight on what it's like for a blind person to use a new technology on an iPad made specifically for blind people. This software allows Wesley to control the iPad primarily with his fingertips as he double taps and uses swipes of his fingers to move around. This software is something effective that any teacher could have in their classroom if they have a blind student. It would be useful when the other students are using computers or iPads so no one is left out. 
While researching the topic of assistive technologies, I came across this TeachThought website. The author has complied a list of 8 helpful assistive technology tools for the classroom. 

- Screen Readers: These are described as programs that allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer. 
- Word Talk: This program can read aloud any document written in Word and create audio files that can be saved. Students with reading disabilities can use screen readers to help them understand course materials. This is free. 
- Word Prediction: Available to help students with writing challenges. 
- Supernova Access Suite: A complete screen reader with natural sounding speech and integrated screen magnifier with Braille display support. 
- Video Magnifiers: Sometimes described as a form of closed-circuit television that uses a video camera to display a magnified image on a monitor or television screen. Students with low vision can use them to read their course materials with greater ease. 
- Close Captioning and Subtitling: Enables deaf students to watch the same online video material as their colleagues. This makes it easier for them to participate in online courses that offer video lectures of their professors. 
- FaceMouse: For students with limited mobility, FaceMouse turns a standard webcam into a mouse operator, allowing students to use their head and facial gestures to perform a number of tasks, including pointing the cursor, clicking on sites, or typing on the keyboard. 
- Sip-and-Puff Systems: Makes computer use easier for students with mobility challenges, including paralysis and fine motor skill difficulties. Sip-and-puff systems allow users to control a mouthstick, similar to a joystick, using their breath. Students can direct the mouthstick to click on web pages, type, and perform other functions. 


Any of these tools could be useful in any classroom that has students with learning disabilities. All you have to do is a little research and you are guaranteed to find something that works in your classroom. 

A. Teaching Hearing and Vision Impaired Children 
By: Kayla Szymanski 

While researching Teaching Assistive-technology To Students Who Are Bling or Visually Impaired, I found they have an abundance of resources. When you go to the site they have the following choices you can read about: CSB Assistive Technology Center, Environmental Considerations for Assistive Technology, Overview of Assistant Technology, Principals of Assistant Technology for Students with Visual Impairments, Special Education Technology British Columbia Index, and Virtual Instruction. What is Assistive Technology? Assistive Technology can be defined as "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." (-National Institute of Standards and Technology) Basically the goal of assistive technology is to give students with disabilities access to literacy and communication in their school, home, and community. While teaching it is essential to have background information on each student. Do they have medical eye conditions, or other diagnoses? Have they completed the Learning/ Literacy Media Assessment? Have they completed the Vision Assessment? Also before teaching your students make sure the classroom environment had adequate lighting, positioning, glare, and contrast control. If students are having trouble with text make sure the following steps are properly followed: font style, font size, color, boldness, and the layout of the font. Here are some characteristics of a student who might be a likely candidate for a print reading program: Uses vision efficiently to complete tasks at near distances. Shows interested in pictures and demonstrates the ability to identify pictures and or elements within pictures. Has a stable eye condition. These students may use optical aids such as eye glasses, magnifiers, or telescopes. Using computer technology is great for assisting students with disabilities. We now have access to enlarging software, called Zoomtext. Screen Readers is another great tool, this tool is a text to speech program which reads text aloud to students. Another tool is Tactile Access, this is a refreshable Braille displays they can be hooked up to a computer and it then displays a line of braille.

C4T for November

I was assigned to read Mel Hamada's blog for my C4T for November. She is a Physical Education teacher and currently teaches at Yokohama International School in Yokohama, Japan. 

PE SPECIALIST TEACHERS, PE MINUTES AND MORE

Summary:

Mel Hamada explains why having a PE specialist in schools is beneficial.  She uses research from Dick Telford who studied over 800 students. They were tested at age 7 and were re-tested for the next four  years. In 13 of the study schools, the team employed PE teachers to teach two 50-minute classes to the students.  The other 16 schools had PE taught to the students by their classroom teachers. Telford’s research has proved that ”there’s a clear relationship, the fittest schools are the ones which got the best results.

My Comment:

Hello,
My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I plan on being a physical education teacher and I thought this post was very interesting. Especially the part about Telford’s research. I definitely agree that all schools should have a full time specialist PE teacher.

Concept Based Learning - Invasion Games

Summary:

Mrs. Hamada shares her thoughts about the changes in physical education classes. She uses a method called invasion games.

My Comment:

Hello,

My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I completely agree that PE is changing. I think it is important that teachers see this and embrace it.

What did I leave out?

Why I chose Physical Education

I began participating in sports when I was in fifth grade. I started out with basketball and eventually started cheering as well. The times I was playing or cheering were honestly the best times of my life as a student. I knew that I wanted to always be involved in sports so I began coaching. I coached my first youth league cheerleading team  when I was a senior in high school. This was my favorite part of my senior year. Being able to create routines and cheers never got boring. Even though I loved cheering I knew that there was a lot more to coaching than just dancing and cheers. I wanted my girls to be healthy athletes. Part of our practices were always dedicated to just stretching and exercising. 

When I was a student in High school I was given the opportunity to be an elementary school teacher's aid. My job was to help students that were still learning English as their second language. I loved it so much that I joined my schools FTA organization. The Future Teachers of Alabama helped me a lot when I decided I was going to school to become a teacher. It allowed me to go to many conventions that showed me the all of my options for college choices.

The moment I knew I wanted to be a PE teacher was at a youth cheer clinic for our elementary school. It was a great experience and it felt like like I already had my own PE classroom. We had to plan new things to do everyday, keep kids involved, and discipline them everyday. 

I also want to be able to teach outside of school. I want to be able to do anything that involves sports or being outdoors. I want to be able to lead classes in kayaking, canoeing, hiking, swimming, and anything else I can learn to do and teach.

C4K for November

 

Farewell Peter Fatialofa

By: Marilyn

Summary: 

Marilyn writes a farewell to the rugby player, Peter Fatialofa. She belives that he was a great rugby player and helped her to be proud of her Samoan culture.

My Comment:

Hello!
My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. Your post was very sweet and touching. You chose a great topic to write about. Keep up the good work!

Kuwau Island

By: Sebastian

Summary: Sebastian explains what he will do when he arrives at camp on Kuwau Island.

My Comment: Hello,
My name is Raven Williams and i am a student at the University of South Alabama. This sounds like so much fun! I went to camp when i was in middle school and I had a great time. Sports were my favorite part of camp too! i hope you have a fun time at camp!

SMARTboard project part B

What can we learn from these TED talks?

A Girl Who Demanded a School
By: Kakenya Ntaiya

There is a group of people in Kenya called the Maasai. Boys are meant to be warriors and the girls are meant to be mothers. Kakenya Ntaiya was engaged at five years old and was supposed to be married when she hit puberty. At the age of puberty, Maassai women participate in a ceremony that the community considers a rite of passage. Female circumcision is part of the ceremony. Kakenya realized that after the ceremony she could no longer peruse her dream of being a teacher because she would have to quit school. She made a deal with her father: She would undergo the traditional Maasai rite of passage of female circumcision if he would let her go to high school. Her father agreed to avoid shame from the community. After she finished high school she received a scholarship to Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Virginia. After she arrived in America and began college she learned that the ceremony she went through involved genital mutilation and was illegal in Kenya. When she returned to Kenya she decided she wanted to find a way to give back to her community. She built a school for girls because she wanted them to have a place to feel safe. Because of Kakenya Ntaiya, there are 125 girls that will never have to be mutilated or be married at the age of 12. At the end of the video Kakenya says " be the first: people will follow". 

-Raven Williams

Video #7: Teaching One Child At A Time By: Shukla Bose

Shukla Bose presents a presentation about a foundation she started at her kitchen table called, "Educating Our Poor, more than just a number game." She went and visited some of India's slums and found tons of poverty stricken children who would never have the opportunity to attend school. This breaks my heart, I recently took a mission trip to the Honduran slums and this video reminds me of all the children I came in contact with. In the city I was staying in, the life span of a Honduran man was 50 years of age. As a teacher we will never know what are students are going through. Mrs. Shulka talks about how daily they would play with the children and be exhausted, but when they went home they would have the memory of each smiling face they came in contact with that day. She talks about millions of children who actually attend school but cannot do basic math, and have problems in other academic areas. But Shulka says they are not in the number game. She wants to focus on one child at a time, getting them into college and into a successful job. She taught 165 children in a roofless building, she also teaches their parents in an after schooling program. Mrs. Shukla has an amazing story and an awesome love for teaching, she is truly an inspiration. I admire her for so many reasons, one being that I have been there and saw how these children live day to day. Being a new teacher we need to keep in mind that all of our students will not be perfectly dressed, groomed, or even have a stable home. This is why we have to make sure and help each child individually, some children might need extra attention that others will not. Shulka states that children have to believe that change is possible. In a poverty stricken world she has given each of these children hope, hope in becoming more than their parents could ever imagine. This, in my opinion, is the definition of a true teacher.

-Kayla Szymanski

Video #2 Turning Trash into Toys for Learning
By: Arvind Gupta

In Arvind Gupta's talk he shows different toys that children can make themselves for very little or no cost. Many of these toys are based on a scientific priciple, such as a motor or a whistle made from a straw. These toys can be used in a classroom as tool to teach with while keeping students interested and active. The main thing that any teacher or soon-to-be-teacher can learn from this talk is that while it is important for students to be active participants in the learning process, this does not mean that classrooms must use the latest technology. Many schools are not able to afford computers or tablets for that classrooms and the students often don't have access to these devices at home. This is when it becomes important for teachers to get creative and use the resources they have available, such as straws, paper clips, batteries, and newspapers. Arvind Gupta proves in his demonstration that computers are not neccessary to teach and engage students, but rather for teachers and adults to be creative and show children what can be done with the simplest things.

One of the most striking statements that Arvind Gupta said was how "the best thing a child can do to the toy is to break it." This is interesting because most people would think the opposite, especially if resources are scarce. What good is a broken toy?Many people use the phrase "you learn more from failure than you do from success". The same applies when children create toys. They can better learn how it works and the science behind their invention by breaking it apart and testing different situations. In the video Gupta demonstrates how the sound changes in his straw whistle when you cut off the end. This would never have been discovered if not for testing it and "breaking" the original toy. Children are naturally curious so it makes sense that they would want to try experimenting with their home-made toys.

http://explaining-science.co.uk/arvind-guptas-science-toys/
-Alyssa Sherman

Teach Arts and Sciences Together

By: Mae Jemison

 Mae is a very intelligent and inspirational woman. She begins her lecture by stating what she believes is most important. She says that we need revitalize the arts and sciences. She points out that what we do today will be vital in the future. In the future the world will be building on the basic knowledge and discoveries that we come up with today. Just like now, we are building off of ideas that are from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. We have to ask ourselves: What are we contributing to that legacy right now? Jemison says she is skeptical that we are doing much of anything. In a sense, we are failing to act in the future. We are purposely lagging behind. 

"Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill or betray it." - Frantz Fannon 

Our mission should be to reconcile science and the arts. We think of science and arts as two separate things, which probably dates back to centuries ago but it is critical now. We make decisions every day and if we don't bring them back together we may have problems in the future. Jemison claims some people say science and scientists are not creative. Some people may say artists are not analytical. When these concepts underly our teaching we have a problem. No one wants to be uncreative. No one wants to be illogical. Jemison also states that back in the 60's people had hope for the future. People had wonderful ideas. Many things that are cool today are based on those concepts. Jemison took certain objects with her when she went into space and when asked why her answer was simple. The items that she took represented human creativity. 

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." - Albert Einstein 

-Haley Marrs

What can we learn from Sir Ken Robinson?

What can we learn from Sir Ken Robinson?

Changing Education Paradigms: By: Kayla Szymanski
Sir Robinson starts his video by describing several changes that are taking place in our public school systems across the globe. He talks about our economic future, and our cultural beings. Mr. Robinson simply states that people today are trying to meet their future needs by following in the footsteps of the past. Today in our society an educational degree will not guarantee a good career. In fact technology is becoming so rapid in our school systems, teachers will almost be obsolete in the future. Mr. Robinson also states how students diagnosed with ADHD are constantly distracted by their electronic devices. This makes you wonder, if we could channel our teaching strategies to match their technological lives maybe they wouldn't be so distracted? Bringing technology into the classroom is the best way to fill the gap between your teaching techniques, and the way they live their everyday life. Technology gets your students involved, they are no longer bored, and they are always engaged. This video is a great inspiration to all starting out teachers, it will open you eyes and show you that the old ways of teaching are not acceptable anymore. Why would you teach in a outdated way, your only hindering your students ability to learn? Near the end of Mr. Robinson's lecture he says that the most great learning experiences come from group activities. This video basically is trying to portray that the school systems need to get away from standardization and go to divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is the essential capacity for creativity and to see multiple answers, not just one. Instead of teaching memorization skills, teachers should try and enforce the importance of using your imagination and creativity in everyday life. This video will open your eyes to the problems of how student are being taught in our educational school systems today. The entire idea of EMD310 I think, is to stop this cookie cutter mold that society has put on teachers, and teaching methods.

How to Escape Education's Death Valley
By: Raven Williams

In this video, Ken Robinson speaks about the problems with No Child Left Behind and the educational system in America. He says that No Child Left Behind is ironic because millions of children are being left behind. 60% of kids are dropping out of school in some parts of the country, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. He believes that education in America is going in the wrong direction. No Child Left Behind is based on conformity instead of diversity. He says that human beings are naturally diverse and that no two children are the same. NCLB focuses on standardized tests instead of focusing learning in all subjects. He believes that standardized tests are important, but they should not be the dominant part of education.
He also said that the role of a teacher is to facilitate learning. Education cannot be improved if you do not pick great people to teach and give them constant support for professional development. At the end of the video he compares the educational system to death valley. It is hot, dry, and nothing there will grow. Death valley received 7 inches of rain in the winter of 2004. The floor of the valley was covered in flowers in the spring. He concluded that death valley isn't dead, it is only dormant.

The Importance of Creativity By: Alyssa Sherman

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

In this video Sir Ken Robinson explains how modern education standards effects children's creativity. This video was very interesting and informative. Sir Robinson says that because the standards of education and intelligence are aimed at the typical "acedemic" subjects, such as math, science, language, and social sciences, children are steered away from any creativity or talents they may have in the arts. The lesson he tells listeners is that teachers should allow students to be creative and do what they are naturally talented in. A student who is a dancer should not be forced to sit still in class to study math and science. This is an extremely important lesson to learn as future teachers. Not every student will succeed by siting and listening to a lecture on science, or other acedemic class. Teachers must be ready and willing to encourage students to be creative and do what they feel is right. Sir Ken Robinson makes an excellent point that everyone involved in education should be aware of and follow.

What can we learn from Sir Ken Robinson?

Sir Ken Robinson - Bring on the learning revolution!
There are two types of people in this world: People who enjoy what they do and endure it and people who love what they do and speak to their authentic selves.
Education keeps people from their natural talents. Talents must be searched for because they will not be lying on the surface. In education we need change. We need a revolution - it needs to be transformed into something else. Abraham Lincoln is quoted saying "We must rise with the occasion; not to it". I like this quote because he is saying we must be engaged. Ken points out that most teenagers don't wear watches because adults grew up in a time when if you needed something you wore it. Kids these days are growing up in a digitized world - the time is everywhere. Life is not linear it is organic. By linear, Ken means we are on a track that we follow and if we follow it correctly we end up set for the rest of our life. By organic, Ken means we create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents in relation to circumstances they help to create for us. He says the pentacle for education is getting into college, although not everyone needs to go to college. The heart of the challenge is to reconstitute our sense of ability and of intelligence. He discusses the fact that parents are competitive and kindergardeners are being interviewed these days. It is a bit ridiculous that such young children have to compete for a place in kindergarten. Human talent is tremendously diverse. People are often good at things that they don't really care for. Passion is to love the things you are good at. Ken says that we need to understand that learning is an organic process. The outcome cannot be predicted.

C4T #3

Whats in your PhysEd Bag?

Summary

Physical education teachers list what they keep in their PhysEd bags. They list they tools and items that they use everyday in their classrooms. 

What's In Your PhysEd Bag?

By: Patty Kestell

My comment

Hello,
My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I found your blog very helpful because I am a physical education major. These things are very important to have on a daily basis.

What's In Your PhysEd Bag?

By: Joey Feith

My comment

 Hello,

My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am a future physical education teacher. I think these are great thing to keep in your PhysEd bag! i really like how you use evernot on your Ipad to record student learning.

C4K for October

Zach's Blog

Summary

A student describes his day at school.

                                                                         My Comment

Hello!

My name is Raven and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. It sounds like you had a very busy day! i usually have a lot of fun in reading too. It is one of my favorite subjects. Keep up the good work!

Largest Black Holes in the Universe

Summary

A student describes black holes. He explains and shows a lot of evidence about black holes. 

"We are just beginning to understand the impact these outbursts have had on the universe: On the shapes of galaxies, the spread of elements that make up stars and planets, and ultimately the very existence of Earth."

My comment

Hello!
My name is Raven and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I enjoyed reading your blog! The milky way is very interesting and fun to learn about. I had no idea that black holes were becoming so destructive and dangerous. Keep up the good work!

Voter Discrimination: It Still Exists

Summary

A student describes how discrimination is still present in voting. 

My comment

Hello,

My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I thought was blog was very interesting. I never really gave thought to how discrimination in voting was still present in America. Our country has come a long way, but we still have things to work on.

What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From Randy Pausch?

Randy Pausch was a computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University. He was diagnosed with cancer and was told he had 3 - 6 months of good health left. During those months he gave his final lecture. Randy Pausch's final lecture was about achieving your dreams. He spoke about how he achieved his dreams and helped enable others to achieve their dreams. His final lecture was recorded and has been viewed more than 16 million times on youtube. 

  

If you had one last lecture to give before you die, what would it be?

Randy Pausch began his lecture by explaining his illness to the audience. The next part of his lecture was about achieving your dreams. He began with how he achieved his dreams. His childhood dreams were being in zero gravity, playing in the NFL, authorizing an article in the World Book encyclopedia, Being Captain Kirk, winning stuffed animals, and becoming a Walt Disney Imagineer. He described how he was able to make all of his dreams come true. He never became Captain Kirk, but he was able to meet him. He also had his stuffed animal collection brought onstage during his lecture. He talked about the obstacles that he faced while he was pursuing his dreams. He called them brick walls. The brick walls let us prove how badly we want something and stop the people who do not want it badly enough. Randy Pausch did not only achieve his dreams, but he also helped enable others to achieve their own dreams. He helped one his students achieve his dream to be a part of making Star Wars films.  

Randy Pausch helped create an educational software that teaches students computer programming. The software was called Alice. He also created a class called building virtual worlds. It was a class of fifty art, design, drama, and, computer science students. They were put into teams and worked on a project of creating a virtual world. Students were only given two weeks to complete their projects. He was blown away by his student's projects. He said that he would have given them A's if they had an entire semester to make them. He asked his mentor what he should tell his students about their projects. His answer was to tell them "this is good, but I know you can do better". The video below is an example of the virtual worlds that they created. 

What can we learn about teaching and learning from these teachers?

Back To the Future
Brian Crosby

Brian Crosby is a fourth grade teacher at Agnes Risley Elementary School. He teaches a class of fourth graders that are mostly underprivileged students. One of the projects he did with his class involved hot air balloons. His students learned what would happen to the balloon as it entered different atmospheres. They also learned the history of the balloon and told stories from the balloons point of view. They wrote about where the balloon went and what happened to it. The class also sent up a real balloon with a camera attached. As the students were writing, they were also watching a live feed of what happened to the balloon.





Blended Learning Cycle
Paul Anderson

Paul Anderson teaches his classroom with a method called blended learning. He teaches in a way that really engages his students. He uses six steps in teaching his class.
1. Question
2. Investigation/ Inquiry
3. Video
4. Elaboration
5. Review
6. Summary quiz

Paul Anderson has been teaching for twenty years and teaching science on youtube for the past three years. He has created hundreds of science videos that have been viewed millions of times by teachers and students. He also has a website called Bozemanscience. 

21st Century Learning and Communicating Tools

By: Raven Williams

Why Daily Fit Log?

• Introduce students to various physical activity choices.
• Helps students create personal fitness plans.
• Helps students monitor their progress.
• District-wide tracking of student health data and physical activity, easy maintenance of all health and fitness data for all students as they progress through their academic career.
• Designed for grades K-12, DFL meets many state fitness standards and easily integrates into PE curriculums.
• It's a free service, supported through third-party sponsorships and advertising, ensuring that schools and districts will always be able to use the DFL program for free.
• 100% web-based service and can be accessed by students and teachers anywhere the internet is available.

How it can benefit students

• Record their health information and set personal S.M.A.R.T. goals.
• Log and track their daily physical activity 
• Take personal control of their physical activity habits.

Daily Fit Log allows students to track % body fat, resting heart rate, height, weight and BMI (BMI is automatically calculated based off a student's height and weight entries) over any time period, compare data to healthy recommendations for each student's age group, and create a personal fitness plan to improve health data and track progress. Students can log their physical activity across any time frame and perform fitness tests and log their fitness testing scores using DFL's "Fitness Testing" category. They can assess their current levels of physical activity and fitness testing scores using DFL's charting features and set personal fitness goals to improve. Students can also monitor progress towards reaching their goals, as well as changes in health data as they relate to improved fitness levels.

Learn more about Daily Fit Log.

C4T #2

By: Jason Hahnstadt 

http://www.flippedcoach.com/

Flipping in Physical Education 2.0. It's all about the videos!

In this post, Jason Hahnstadt demonstrates his version of the flipped classroom with a lesson in pickleball. Instead of wasting valuable class time to lecture, students watch informational videos outside of classroom. These videos contain information about games, rules, and techniques. After watching the videos, students execute the skills in class.

My Comment

Hello, 

My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I was led to your blog from my EDM 310 class, I really love you flipped coach teaching method. I plan to be a physical education teacher and I would definately use this for my classes. I recently took a tennis class where I was able to learn how to play pickleball. A lot of our class tome was used learning the rules and techniques. I think everyone was sad that we didn't have more time to play!

What is Flipped Coaching?

Flipped Coaching is removing the lecture from the classroom. Students learn independently from simple informational videos. 

My Comment

Hello,

My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I really love this post and the idea of using technology in PE classes. I like that the students learn independently and there is more time in class for executing the lesson.

C4K for September

Mermaids

By: Derrick Pittman

Summary

When Derrick Pittman was asked to write about a topic that he believed in, he chose mermaids.He gave many facts and details why he believes that they exist. He uses many facts and has watched documentaries about mermaids to help argue his opinion. He believes that mermaids are scared of humans and will reveal themselves to us when they are ready.

My Comment

  Hello, my name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am currently taking a class called EDM 310 that led me to your blog. I really love the topic that you chose! Mermaids are one of the world's greatest mysteries. I personally believe that mermaids exist. You did a really great job explaining why you believe in mermaids. The facts about the ocean and marine life works really well to support your belief. Your blog was very thoughtful and interesting. I look forward to reading more from you in the future! Here is the link to my blog if you would like to see it! 

http://williamsravenedm310.blogspot.com/

Link to Blog Post

http://kidblog.org/english1stBlock/6c627917-e946-48b7-9ea1-d61b726ace04/this-i-believe-2/#comment-20

Gavin Bishop

By: Isara

Summary

Isara wrote about the life of Gavin Bishop. Gavin Bishop is an illustrator. Isara briefly wrote about his childhood and his career as a teacher.

My Comment

Hello Isara!

My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am currently taking a class called EDM 310 that led me to your blog. I also have a blog. http://williamsravenedm310.blogspot.com/

I really enjoyed reading your post. I thought it was very informative and well written. I actually have never heard of Gavin Bishop, but your post makes me want to know more about him! Keep up the good work. I look forward to reading your future posts!

Link to Blog Post

http://pesisaran.blogspot.com/2013/08/gavin-bishop.html#comment-form

Silence

By: Michael

Summary

In his post, Michael describes his experience with a project he had in school. He and his partner were asked to solve a problem without talking. He explains that the project was difficult, but it was also fun. He also gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for people with disabilities.

My Comment

Hello Michael. My name is Raven Williams and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading your blog! I have never read the book, but it sounds like you really learned a lot from this experience. I also agree that people sometimes underestimate people in wheelchairs.

Link to Blog Post

http://kidblog.org/MrsRippsClass/author/6da4a246-096f-4777-9960-2d9ed79098e6/