Resources For Final Project

My final project is a lesson for 3-5 grades who will be studying different weather conditions via weather maps on their iPads. The students will then have to come up with all the information about that weather condition to conduct and record a weather forecast that will be shown to the entire class. The three resources that I thought would be helpful were


1. Animated Guide: Hurricanes
 http://sciencenetlinks.com/tools/animated-guide-hurricanes/
I found this link by clicking the AAAS Science NetLinks resource provided for us. I then clicked typed in climate and weather, and filtered from 3-5 grade. I found this was perfect because one of the weather conditions given is a hurricane, therefore the students could use the weather map and this resource to find all the information they could about hurricanes. This resource covers the standards 3-ESS3-1: make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impact of a weather-related hazard

NETS-S.3.A: use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity and promote creativity

2.  WNCT 9 on your side
http://wnct.com/category/weather/
I found this on twitter on the "first alert 9" twitter page. One of the tweets was giving a weather report and said for further information to click on the link. I decided it would be great for my students to explore a weather channel page and be able to figure out the terminology used, and be able to watch a forecast live on the website. The standard this resource covers is
NETS-S.3.A: use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity and promote creativity

3. WunderMap

https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap

I found this by typing into google "virtual weather map." This was a really cool website that the students could click on different weather conditions, and see what is coming and where they would be located. The students would be able to zoom in and out to see the entire world, or certain parts of the country. The standards that this resource covers are 

3-ESS2-2: obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world

NETS-S.3.A: use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity and promote creativity

Flipped Classroom

So you may be asking yourself what a flipped classroom really is, and what it entails. To be honest I had to do a little research myself. A flipped classroom refers to a classroom in which all the lecture and teaching is done via video or podcast at home, and the inquiry based learning is done in the classroom. The video portion of the lesson is essential however, because if the students do not know the lesson, they will not be able to participate in the activity when they come to class. The video at home can be only a few minutes long, with a short quiz at the end to ensure the students are understanding what is being taught. The teacher can then gauge what will be done in class the next day, whether it be a discussion on the topic or having the students work in groups to problem solve an activity. The idea of a flipped classroom is becoming more and more practical since everybody seems to have some sort of technological devise. Therefore, we see more online courses and flipped classrooms coming to life in the college level.

The pros of a flipped classroom, are the students at home get to pause and rewind the videos to hear what is being taught as many times as possible. They also get more time to have hands on activities with the material, therefore soaking in the information more. However a con that would go along with a flipped classroom is there is no one making sure that the students actually do their work at home and watch the video lecture. The students also may feel as if it is a waste of time and money to get lectured online rather than in class. Finally, the teacher must put in more effort and planning, which they may not be used to.

I am very indifferent about flipped classrooms. I think it would be a good learning experience for the students who actually put in the time and effort to do all of the work at home. However, it is unlikely that a student would actually watch everything given, and do all of the outside work. Although if all students did do the work, I love the idea of having students work on the inquiry part of the lesson in the classroom, without the time being spent not the actual content. I think that inquiry is a large part of learning, therefore if the students were to do what they were supposed to, this could be very beneficial.

Flipped classrooms do not necessarily benefit me as a teacher. I am working at an elementary level, where the students do not come from the best of homes. Therefore, I believe that although the inquiry is needed just as much, if not more than the lecture, being able to slow down the lesson and answer specific questions the students have is more important to do in person. While the students can slow down the lesson, and listen to the video over and over, it is the same thing being said each time, therefore it might not make the material any clearer than the first time. Also, the students may not have the ability to watch a lesson online at home, therefore they would not receive the content for the next class period. Thus, I do not think that a flipped classroom is very beneficial in an elementary classroom.

UDL

For the UDL assignment, I decided to choose checkpoint 7.1: Optimize individual choice and autonomy. When clicking on this checkpoint, I found that most of the sites listed had to do with choice in the classroom. I also had to take into consideration the cards that I had picked in the beginning of the year. The card I decided to use was the 9 of hearts, which indicated that I had a cart of iPads, chrome books and a smart board in my classroom, and I also had two or more students classified on the autism spectrum.

When searching for something that I could use that included both the checkpoint and my cards, I decided that I would go for an app the students could use on the iPads given. I wanted to have something that all students could use, but mostly the autistic students would benefit from. I found an app called Kid in Story for the iPad. This app makes the students the star of a visual story they get to create while helping support learning, social modeling and building early literacy skills. There are eight different story templates the students get to choose from, or the student can choose to create their own story and modify a template. This app is only $6.99 and has a rating of 4.5 stars.

Myths of Teaching

What really shocked me about the articles that were posted, was the fact that although students seem to be engaged, many are not. Students put on the impression that they are having fun, and they know the material however, they are really bored or falling asleep during a lecture or activity. Although it did not shock me that students need to be involved with their learning, I did find it strange that the article presented that students can fall asleep with their eyes open, and "check out" during a lesson. The article that I was not so surprised about was the one discussing that students remember 10% of what they have learned, 20% of what they see and 30% of what they hear. Many students, especially younger ones will retain most of the information they learn. If a student only retained 10% of what they learned, most would know nothing as they got older. Therefore, this article and all the data associated within it was not a shock to me.

My CT, and most of my teachers in the past, have used what the article "Reframing the Mind" was discussing. Using physical objects, or doing an activity, is said to help a student learn and remember what he/she is being taught. Therefore, many teachers believe that by using objects for learning, the student will think back and remember the activity, and remember the content. However, some students are not hands on learners. I will have both physical learning objects for lessons and lecture tied into teaching. That way, students can learn in multiple ways so he/she can remember things in their own way. 

About Me

To the viewers of this blog, my name is Hannah Knapp. I am currently in my fifth year at Grand Valley State University, and teacher assisting at West Godwin Elementary, in a first grade classroom. If you hadn't guessed by me teaching first graders, I am an elementary education major, with an emphasis in math. I am originally from Rochester, which is on the east side of the state, however when I graduate I plan on leaving Michigan and heading south. I also got back from a semester abroad in London in May, and had the time of my life. While "studying" there I traveled to Ireland, Scotland, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Bamberg (Germany), Munich and many different locations throughout Southern UK. Outside of the classroom I also love to do anything that involves being active. I recently have picked up running and have ran three half marathons, however I was a competitive swimmer for 12 years, two in which included the varsity swim team here at Grand Valley. I was also a member of Phi Mu fraternity, which last year helped raised over 30,000 dollars for Children's Miracle Network Hospital.
Throughout my childhood, technology became more and more apparent in the classroom. I remember having some computers in elementary school, and when I got to high school we had to go to the library to use the computer. Also, in high school my teachers started to receive smart boards, however would mostly use white boards and handouts for instruction and activities. While teacher assisting I have noticed that most, if not all, classrooms have smart boards and use them efficiently. My teacher has many videos and tasks that the students use the smart board for throughout a good portion of their day. In my future classroom, I would love to use a smart board if one is given to me at my school. I think the use of videos to help students learn is great. The videos that my CT uses include dancing and singing, therefore my students sing along and learn in a more engaging way. I also love the idea of having a classroom website. My CT and all the other first grade teachers at West Godwin have a weebly that the students, parents and all the teachers can log onto to view information about the teachers, lessons, and view videos for learning. Finally, my CT uses a site called "plan book" which I fully intend on using when I become a teacher. This site helps you plan out your entire year and move things around with ease if need be. Then I can either print it out and move things on paper throughout the day, or I can use my computer and move things while the students are working. This way I know exactly what needs to be done throughout my day.
I hope you have learned something about me, and I would love to answer any questions if you have them! Thank you :)

Here is a (really blurry and I don't know why) video of me about to go on a run!

Use of Blogging in Classrooms

Throughout the last couple years of my college career, blogging has become more and more popular. At least one class a semester has a requirement of making a blog and posting/commenting throughout the week. I think this is a great tool for those who can fully read and write (elementary and middle school). Being an elementary education major, I think it would be hard to have students blog in the classroom. However, I think that as an elementary teacher it would be really useful to have a blog to share ideas and lesson plans. Collaboration is a large part of teaching, therefore having a blog and communicating with other teachers that may not be in your building could be very beneficial. If I were to ever work in a middle/high school classroom, I think that blogging could be very useful. Blogging offers a wide variety of sources the students could incorporate such as pictures, videos and hyperlinks. Although Word also has these features, being able to throw your ideas out to the world, instead of having them on paper makes receiving feedback much easier. Not only would classmates and teachers see a students blog, but other viewers on the internet as well that could offer inside to the blog post. I also believe that blogs have more personality to them, than writing a paper. Students can express themselves in a blog rather than having to follow certain MLA directions. Overall, I believe the use of blogs in a classroom, or for classroom ideas are very beneficial to both students and teachers. I will most definitely be using blogs in my future classrooms.

School Through the Eyes of Lizzie McGuire

Growing up I watched all sorts of shows, but my favorite would have had to been Lizzie McGuire. While I may not have known what it was like in middle and high school back in the early 2000's, I can see some of the classroom routines through what Lizzie and her friends encounter in the show.

Lizzie grew up in a middle class home with her mom, dad and brother, Matt. Like all siblings Matt and Lizzie fight most of the time, but love each other just the same. She has two best friends, Gordo and Miranda, whom help her get by in school. The three friends are not the most popular kids in school and they are reminded of that everyday by the queen of popular, Kate. Kate and her friends, make fun of and distract Lizzie from her everyday learning in almost every episode Although Lizzie may not be the most popular girl in school, she is an average students and holds straight B's even with the constant irritation of Kate. She even tutors her crush, Ethan, in many subjects considering Ethan is not the brightest. Outside of school, Lizzie loves to do gymnastics and hang out with her two best friends. Below are some clips of Lizzie in and outside of school.

^(start at 23:58 and watch until 24:40). This is an example of Lizzie being made fun of before class even starts for hanging out with a seventh grader.

^(Watch until :30). This is an example of Lizzie being a B students, but wanting to have better grades and do well in school.

^(Watch until 1:30). This is a clip of Lizzie competing in a rhythmic gymnastics competition.

As you can see, Lizzie is a smart girl and an average student who just gets picked on in school, and fights with her brother at home, which causes a distraction. If I were Lizzie's teacher some things I would do in my class would be a lot of independent work. Therefore, there is not an opportunity to talk or have Lizzie get made fun of. I would also use technologies such as the clickers to answer questions. This way Lizzie and other students who are embarrassed to answer questions, could answer freely without being afraid of being picked on for having the wrong answer. Finally, I would have hands on tasks since Lizzie likes to be active outside of school. Doing hands on actives are a good way for students to learn information in a fun way.

Overall, since Lizzie is still in middle school throughout all the of the seasons, I would not say she is "college ready." However, she is high school ready for sure and if she keeps up her hard work, there is no doubt she would be ready for college when it was graduation time.

You can all learn more about Lizzie and her friends by clicking here :)