Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources are resources that are available at little to no cost and can be used for teaching, learning, and also for research, as stated in the article "7 Things You Should Know About Open Educational Resources."

Reading this article, you begin to learn..
1. what OER is
2. how it works
3. who is using it
4. how it is significant
5. the downsides
6. where it is going
7. the implications for teaching and learning



Usually, Open Educational Resources are used in online learning environments, but they can also be used in face-to-face environments, too. There are many materials in which you can choose from, some can be tampered with and changed to your liking, but others have to stay the same when the teacher or student chooses to use it. OER can be downloaded and used in many different situations, whether it be formally or informally. Given that these Open Educational Resources are so flexible, it is easy for one to use it at their own pace, but also stay on track.

The website OER Commons is a very useful website. It has many different resources for both teachers and students, and basically anyone that would like to browse on through the website.

Concepts of Information Technology is the first link i explored on OER Commons.This first module includes computers, networks, how, why, and who people access information using ICT.

The 1918 Flu is the second link I became interested in browsing through. It has a voice recording and a couple paragraphs about how the 1918 flu killed 20 million people. It explains that it was the world's meanest flu epidemic and scientists went on to find only one reason why it had killed so many people. This resource is very interesting and I would recommend it.

The final resource I chose was called The English Wiki. I went to the link that was focused on Giving Advice. This link takes you to where you can download a word document. This word document is a group worksheet that is basically revolved around giving advice and what you should do.

All is all, this website seems to be a very good place for teachers and students who need help with any lessons or lesson plans. If I were continuing on to become a teacher, I would most definitely use this website.

Teaching Channel

Today is my SEDU 183 class we explored a website called Learning Channel, these are a few of the videos that I liked on the website.

Exploring Emigration: Cultural Identity

This first video explains how a 7th grade teacher tries to relate culture through media. The students watch a video of a couple of boy from Sudan come to America and try to live, still keeping their cultural beliefs and values. The kids then have a worksheet to do and have to try and discuss their relations to how the Sudan boys felt when they came to American and the students own life. One of the girls relates and says that in India she knew everybody in their little city or village, and when she came to America her mother began to feel lonely because, here, you don't know everyone in your city or "village".

Reading Like a Historian: Philosophical Chairs

In this next video, they are using a method called Philosophical Chairs. This is when the child answers a question by actually moving around the room. In this video they are talking about whether the decision of not liking the Vietnam War was social, political or economic. The students physically have to move the the side of the room where the teacher states if social, political, or economic, and then they begin to discuss and argue why it is or isn't one of those choices. 

Antiques Roadshow: Show and Tell

This video explains a little more about show and tell. The teacher explains that opening show and tell to anything can get boring and confusing for some students. Children can bring in expensive things that maybe other children cannot afford and things like that. So in this video they decided to have and "Antique Show and Tell". This was a good idea because children had to bring in items that were older than them. They had a paper on which they had to go off of to share their show and tell item stating things like how old the item was and what it was, where there got it and things like that.

Two Others:
I Wish I Had Known
Attention Getting Signals: Respect


Overall, this website is really helpful for people my age that want to become teachers and need learn about different learning strategies and things of that nature. It has many videos on many different categories. These videos range on times, but no matter how short or long the video is, it is very helpful. You are able to realize the different things you can do inside a classroom, maybe some things that you never heard of before, such as in my second video when they use Philosophical Chairs.

Flipped Learning

Flipped Learning

Today, learning about Flipped Learning, this was the first time I have ever heard of it. Reading about flipped learning made me realize that it is, in my eyes, just a mind shift for the students and teachers. During my research, I found out that "Flipped Learning is a model of teaching in which student's homework is the traditional lecture viewed outside of class. Then class time is spent on inquiry-based learning which would include what would traditionally be viewed as a student's homework assignment." (flippedclassroom.org) Flipped Classroom is also known as Reverse Classroom. 

The flipped classroom allows children to get their work done during class time. The class is structured so their homework is just to watch a video or listen to a class lecture, that way the next day when they come into school they can get all their work done, with just a video for homework again. The classroom is just structured differently than normal classrooms. In one of my sources it stated that many people say that this classroom is structured more like a "learning center" rather than a normal classroom. There are usually many different things going on as once, such as a group doing a reading assignment in one area of the classroom and a group doing a math worksheet in another area. 

Outcomes of the Flipped Classroom:

• students can move at their own pace
• students can review what they need to review
• students can stop, pause, go back, review the video, ect.
• students can begin to brainstorm any questions they have on the material for the next day in class when they do their "homework
• teachers can more easily work one-on-one with the students
• students can easily catch up on their work by watching the videos the teachers have posted online and such

Drawbacks of the Flipped Classroom:

• not all students have access to the internet at home
• not all students have computers at home
• having the students watch their "class discussion/lecture" at home would involve them sitting in front a computer for hours
• not everyone learns the best by sitting in front of a computer all night long

My personal opinion of flipped learning is up in the air. I think in some ways it would be an interesting and good way for children to learn, considering today we have more technology than ever before. Children would have to learn to work with technology in the classroom and mostly at home on their own. This would prep them for future times when they would be using technology, which is often once you get higher up in the grade levels. I also believe it can be a bad way of teaching. Some kids really do not work well with technology and computers. There are kids that would rather just have the traditional classroom and learn in the class and do their homework at home. Students like this would struggle in a flipped classroom, because it would be hard for them to use technology. Also, like I researched for the drawbacks, many children do not have access to a computer and/or internet at home. This would lead to them having to go to a library, staying after school, or the teacher would have to burn a DVD or things like that. All in all, the flipped classroom can be both good and bad, and if I were to ever use it in my classroom as a teacher, I would make sure to switch it up every once in a while to make sure all of my students were happy and doing well in my class. 

This video explains why he has flipped his classroom style and teaching style. He likes the fact that he can make a video, assign it for homework, then the students will learn to apply the things they learned in class the next day. 

This video explains how this way of teaching and learning gives students much more time to learn, and teachers much more time to teach. The students are more willing to get the help they need when doing their work because the teachers are right their with them, where as, when they were doing their homework at home, they have no one to tell them whether they were doing their work right or wrong.

Sources: 

1. http://flippedclassroom.org/forum/topics/definition-of-terms
2. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flipped-classroom-pro-and-con-mary-beth-hertz
3. http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/how-the-flipped-classroom-is-radically-transforming-learning-536.php
4. http://info.lecturetools.com/blog/bid/59158/The-Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-the-Flipped-Classroom
5. http://www.knewton.com/blog/knewton/2011/08/29/flipped-classroom-infographic/
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H4RkudFzlc
7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNpXL_zVQkI

Group Project

I had mixed emotions throughout the group project. There were points where I enjoyed it, but also points where I could get a little frustrated. It is hard when all of our group members have different schedules and things going on, but overall I think that it worked out pretty well.

In our group we discussed inclusion and we used prezi to do that. Not using powerpoint was a good idea and experimenting with prezi was kind of cool. I have used it before in high school, but it was a little bit different than what it was when i used it before. There were many different set ups that you could use and they were all very interesting and different.

We were all pretty cooperative for the most part. We usually were all in class working on it together, or researching on our own and then putting it all together. I think that maybe some of us could have put a little more effort forth to participate in the project as much as the rest of us. There were a few times where we were all talking to each other, but some of us did not respond or do what was asked of us, which is where it began to get frustrating. I think we could have done a bit better if we all were to collaborate a little bit more, but all in all, I think we ended up doing a pretty good job and finishing out the project with a good end.

PowerPoint (ungh)

PowerPoint

 

 

First being assigned to do a PowerPoint I was feeling kind of nervous and anxious at the same time. I knew already that I was not very creative, and also I am not aware of many of the things that you can do with PowerPoint. We started off and I was a little confused, but as our professor continued to explain the many different things that are available in PowerPoint, I started to like it more and more. I begun researching what I wanted to do my PowerPoint on and trying to get creative. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, but also I still think that it is not the greatest form of technology to be used during class time. I think that there are certain times when PowerPoint is a good thing to use, and I do not believe one of those times is during class or lecturing. I think PowerPoint is more useful if the kids were to interact with it on their own, and go through the PowerPoint as a homework assignment or something like that.

 

Overall, I think that I like PowerPoint a lot more than I thought I would. It grew on me as we continued to learn the many different things that can be done in PowerPoint. I just believe that you have to know the right times to be using it for your students.

Two More for the Roll

There are so many different blogs out there on the internet, but I found two that I really think will be able to help me out. 

The first blog I chose is called "Topics in Early Childhood Education" and the second blog is called "Teach Preschool."

The first blog I found, Topics in Early Childhood Education, was created by a man named John Funk. In his blogs he describes all different topics in early childhood education, hence the title of his blog. His latest blog was titled "And School Begins..." This blog explains how exciting the new school year is, not just for the young children, but also for the teachers. He states that setting up the classroom each new school year is so exciting for him. The blog is also about classroom management. Funk says that "A teacher cannot teach successfully, or children learn successfully, without an effective classroom routine." I agree with this 100% and that is why I like this blog post the most.

The second blog I found, Teach Preschool, was created by a woman named Debora J. Stewart. Her blog is also all about schooling, mostly preschool. Her latest blog is about "The Benefits and Risks of Social Networking." This entry talks all about how social networking can be a very powerful tool, but it can also ruin your reputation. Using social networking, you have to realize that anyone can see the stuff you say. Just because you have your social network marked private, does not mean someone cannot find out what you have posted or said on a website. People are always watching and it is up to you, as a teacher, to set a good example. Take responsibility and think about the things you say and post on the internet before you do so.

My Beliefs about Technology and Learning

Technology and Learning

I believe that technology in the classroom is going to become a huge thing. Eventually I feel that teachers will start using only technology in the classroom and not many of the original learning supplies such as paper and pencil and things like that. This can be a good and a bad thing. It is a good thing because the world as we know it is going to change and become so much more technologically advanced. Therefor, it would be good for the students to start learning how to use the technology at a younger age so they are prepared for later life situations with technology. It can also be a bad thing, too. Using technology all the time in the classroom can keep children from knowing how school originally was. it is still good to take notes on paper using a pencil, and things like that.

Overall, I think that there should be a good mixture of technology and other things like that in the classroom.