Blog Post 7

As with many things in life, you are only as strong as your weakest link. Since this was supposed to be a collaborative assignment and everyone in my group has dropped the class, I have decided the group will be a collaboration of me, myself and I! With that, we will critique four videos and individually critique three others.

The first video is Project Based Learning Part 1. After watching this many times (as we did for all videos), we decided there were several positive applications mentioned that for sure needed to be discussed. So, Anthony Capps, a third grade teacher gives us some insight into how project based learning is so advantageous, as well as certain aspects that create the motivated learner . Involvement of the children's community into what they were learning was the first thing we noticed that was intriguing. We thought this approach would bring personal experiences to play. Using their opinions then basing them on facts in another project was also wonderful.

Some complaints though, why did some kids not finish their writings for the project? Comments by Anthony, such as,"Means to get them to learn something" or "Authentic audience..rewarded and motivated to do good work" seemed like fluff over substance. How about the mention of the kid that called out Anthony and was proven right, however, we found it was glossed over the fact she failed third grade and was repeating it. Why? Also, everything mentioned could of been done without PBL as the foundation.

We now move to Project Based Learning Part 2 which is just a continuation from the previous video. Once again, we saw positives and negatives with what was being discussed. The positives seemed fewer to pick out in this segment. The one thing we can for sure observe is Anthony cares for his students and puts a great deal of effort and time into making the best instructional environment he can. Also, giving choice to children, we agree, is such an important aspect in developing a sense of commitment,responsibility and understanding decision making processes. One of the most honest parts was when Dr. Strange said he was biased when it came to PBL.

The negatives, as we perceived, were numerous. Taking stabs at ideas without backing them up with facts is something that (speaking of) third graders do. Two people that are in 100 percent agreement with whatever the other says is not anything you learn from. One could listen to two people that agree the Holocaust did not happen and from an uneducated person on the matter listening, it might sound 100 percent like the truth. The question was presented as to comparing Anthony's third grade writing to EDM 310 writings and the response was predictable. However, are 8-9 year olds doing the same quality work as college students? Probably, but why? The constant reminder that PBL seems to be the end all know all is fundamentally a flawed perception. PBL templates to push other teachers to use this method of teaching seems to be the opposite of what PBL is supposed to represent:self motivated thinking. If the teacher is good, that individual will find what is right and proper for their kids. We believe it is better to think outside the box, not live inside it.

Icurio was the third film on the list. We acknowledge that Icurio is a great tool to use. As Anthony stated, the fact it has been screened and is just educational information, be it text or video, is a wonderful resource for teachers. We feel like it is Google for kids with strict educational context. So, this was a quick video and we thought there were nothing but positives that came out of it. We all agree that we would use Icurio in each others classrooms.

The last video which "we" collaboratively watched and will critique was Discovery Ed. This is similar to Icurio in the fact it is a web based source of screened information, however, it is more video based. We agree that visual aid increases the likelihood of that person retaining the information. We also agree that this should be used for mainly adding to something, not being the sole basis for understanding. We also agreed with Dr. Strange on the point that kids today are visual/listeners, not readers/writers. Of course, we believe this is a serious flaw in our state of education and one that needs to be fixed. We are not saying get rid of technology, on the contrary, we just want a happy medium between both old and new school. Taking the best of two is better than total exclusion of one.

Anthony - Strange Tips for Teachers Part 1. Reviewed by Me

"If you're not a learner, you will not be a successful educator" so says Dr. Strange. I agree beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I find it sad to believe this point has to be stated. How can anyone want to teach and have no desire to learn? "Let your work become a fun experience" states Anthony Capps. Well, I always believed that success is doing what you love, so this statement falls right into my sentiments. When you love what you do, you never have to label your job work. Digging a ditch is work to me. Educating others on subjects I have a passion for is like being payed for something I would do freely anyway. Dr. Strange follows with the third advice for new teachers and that is flexibility. I agree so much with that! Most things in life, if we never budge we eventually break. I teach and study Aikido and I have always said that you need to act like water because water always finds a way. I take that same thought into teaching. Flowing with the day is much easier than forcing the day to happen. A fourth tip was reflection. Reflection is a great step as long as we get the points of view of others. Sometimes we can fall into our own wonder and believe that we have it right and they have it wrong, but by taking others opinions we can collectively make sensible and educated choices moving forward. So, maybe a tip would be to leave one's ego at the door when it comes to being a teacher. The video was meant to be helpful and I believe it did just that. Any new or stagnant teacher would do well to take these tips into account everyday and grow into something more.

Use Tech Don't Teach It reviewed by Myself

Anthony and Dr. Strange are discussing the need for technology or rather that it is here, so go with it. Yes, it is here and there are many many aspects about technology I happen to find wonderful. I believe it has made finding information easy and in just about any medium you could desire. However, like anything that a teacher is teaching, the key to me is having the kids learn things without them even knowing they are really learning. "Slipping" in, if you will, other pertinent items that the kids should know, but having it done while engaged in another project. I believe Anthony, in his own way, is trying to incorporate this principle in his teaching too. I do, on the other hand, disagree with Anthony saying, for instance, Imovie, being better than coloring and paints because of clean up. Technically speaking yes, but I would argue that a mind is more at work, being more creative painting than someone putting a movie together on the web. The end of the video is the statement, questions are more important than the answers. Another point I agree with. Questions are always the beginning to finding any answer and the answer is never the final solution, but the importance is the desire to never settle.

Additional Thought About Lessons reviewed by I

So, this video mainly discusses the onion that is lesson plans. Yearly map goals is first. Then the unit and how it will unfold throughout the year. Third is the week and devising a plan of attack each day. Last is the daily plan and how you deliver content. These four parts create the entire lesson plan and explains how each part creates the whole and neither can do without the other. My basic thought after watching this is ok; sounds good. Now the biggest thing will be how to overcome the adversity, which will happen, when what was planned does not come to fruition. Adapting and overcoming is essential to one's yearly, weekly, daily and hourly lesson plan. Several things we said in BUD/S comes to mind when I think about teaching. One was, proper prior planning prevents painfully poor performance. Two is, the only easy day was yesterday. Each saying gives credence to the nature of teaching and the obstacles one faces every day. One creates who we are is how we manage these obstacles. Will you be a doer or a follower?