Blog Post #16

Blog Post #5 Part 2

Throughout this semester, my Personal Learning Network has really expanded. I have subscribed to many blogs that I found through our C4T's, and I keep up with them regularly. I also comment on their blog posts, and pin posts that I really like to my Pinterest board, Pinterest: Teaching by Brooke Allen. Along with pinning their blogs, I have pinned many photo's that I find on teacher blogs as well.  While reading blogs from our C4T's, I have found countless other teachers blogs that I read and comment on. Overall, I would say that blogging and Pinterest are the most useful resources for my Personal Learning Network.

While I do scroll the my Twitter everyday, I haven't found it to be very useful. Social media has never been something that I spent much time on, and I didn't even have a Twitter prior to having to make one for this class. I substitute teach Monday's, Wednesday's, and Fridays, I have classes Tuesday and Thursdays, I babysit 3 days a week in the afternoon, I have homework, I do volunteer work, I need to sleep every once in a while, and I also spend time with my family, friends, and boyfriend. Finding time for things like Twitter and Facebook is just very difficult for me. While I have yet to find Twitter to be overly interesting and useful, I will continue to use it in hopes that I will discover how awesome it is according to Dr. Strange and many of my friends. One things that I do like about Twitter is hashtags. I love being able to see thousands of tweets about something like PLN's all by just pressing a button. I also use hashtags on Instagram. One of my favorites to look at is #teachersofinstagram.

Along with all of the tools online, I think that talking to people in person is one of the best things you can do for your Personal Learning Network. Since I have been working as a substitute teacher, I have met many wonderful teachers how are very interesting in giving me advice for my future classroom and helping me out. I have gotten many wonderful ideas from visiting their classrooms, asking them questions, and listening to their advice. I have several of their phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and having teachers just a phone call away will certainly be useful to me.

I personal think that my Personal Learning Network has expanded quite a bit since the beginning of the semester, and I hope it continues to do so. Being able to connect with other educators from around the world so easily is a wonderful thing, and I plan to take advantage of it.

C4T #4

I choose to comment Primary Tech by Kathleen Morris. Her blog post, The 2014 New School Year, was about blogging in the classroom. She started by saying that she was a new mom, and that she wouldn't be teaching this school year so she could stay with her baby. Kathleen went on to say that even though she wasn't teaching, she planned to stay in the educational loop. She then shared links to older post she had done about blogging in the classroom. In my comment, I told Kathleen who I was, and about EDM 310. I congratulated her on the baby, and then I asked if she felt she had managed to stay in the educational loop through the internet. I told her thanks for sharing her resources and ideas, and that I had pinned two of the links she shared to Pinterest. Finally, I told her I enjoyed reading her blog.

The second time I commented on Kathleen Morris's blog, I commented on her post, Blogging and the Literacy Curriculum. In this post, Kathleen explains that she has been using blogging in her classroom for several years, and that the concept of literacy education is changing as technology evolves. She says that students need to be transliterate, and that teaching them how to read and write on paper is no longer adequate. Her students comment on their classmates blogs, just like we do in EDM 310. She also uses blogging instead of unrealistic writing tasks that won't be used in the real world. In my comment, I told her about EDM 310 and how we have learned a lot about blogging in the classroom. I also told her that I like how she incorporated it into her lessons, and that knowing people from around the world are seeing your work is a great motivator for her students. I also told her I hoped that I could incorporate it into my classroom as well as she did, and that I enjoyed reading her blog.

Blog Post #14

After reading Teaching Our Children Can Be a Profession by Joel Klein, I realize that there are many problems with our school system, and how teachers are viewed by others. In the article, Mr. Klein lists several of these issues and some solutions to the problems.

Problem: Teachers need better training
Solutions:

• Better academic training
• Recruit from the top third of our graduates
• Create a 'national teacher examination"
• Require a supervised internship for 1 to 3 years

Problem: Seniority should not exist in the school system and teachers should be rewarded based on merit.

Solutions:

• Create merit based ladders to promote teachers based on specialty exams
• Grant teachers showing true mastery college graduates to serve as teaching assistants
• Provide standards to remove incompetent teachers

In my opinion, I think that teaching should most certainly be professionalized. Teachers are trusted to shape the minds of children, which in my opinion, is one of the most important jobs in the world. Teachers are held to a higher standard than most people, however, they are not well respected. Many people think that teaching is an easy profession, and I think that's where the problem starts. Joel Klein makes several good points on how we can work to make teaching more professionalized. 

For starters, he suggest that teachers get better academic training. I agree with him completely. I think that teaching is something that takes experience to become good at, and students should get more of that before they are set free in their own classroom.

Joel Klein also thinks that employers should recruit the top third of our graduates. I think that this is a good idea. Not only would it ensure that only the brightest students actually became teachers, it would also make them strive to do better while in school. I would not want a doctor who had made C's just to get through med school, and I would not want my (non-existent) children to be taught by someone who skimmed their way through school either.

Albert Shaker thinks that we should create a "national teacher examination." I think this is a wonderful idea. Many other professions take exams like these, and teachers should be no different. Being able to pass a exam once finished with school would be an excellent requirement.

In the school system, once you're tenured, it is virtually impossible to fire you. If you're not tenured, it is very likely that you will get laid off if cuts have to be made. Joel Klein suggests that instead of rewarding teachers based on seniority, we should reward them based on performance. I agree with this as well. Just because a teacher is new does not mean she is a worse educator than the teacher down the hall who has been here for 12 years. 

In the article, it says that teachers who show true mastery should have college graduates assist them with teaching in their classroom. Extra help in the classroom is always nice, especially when it's coming from someone who is so well educated. I think that this would be great motivation for teachers to do their best and it would also be very beneficial for students. 

Lastly, it said that standards should be in place for removing incompetent teachers. As I stated earlier, it is very difficult to remove a teacher once they are tenured. However, I agree that if a teacher is not performing to standard, it should be easier to have them removed.  

 I found this article to be very informative and interesting. I agreed with every point made and think that it would be wonderful if some of these things actually happened. 

C4K Summary for November

In week 11, I commented on Clayton's Blog from Mrs. Horst's class. In his post, what is a citizen????????, Clayton said he was going to explain what a good citizen was. He started with a global citizen and then said he wondered why people declared war over silly things. He said that some kids have to go to sleep hearing gun shots, and said that it would be scary. He wrote about several other things but I had a hard time determining what he was talking about. In my comment, I introduced myself. I told him that I enjoyed reading his blog, and that it was thought provoking. I also said that I often wonder why people declare was over some things as well. I told Clayton to keep up the good work, and too keep blogging.

The second blog I commented on was My Art Blog, by Alanna, who is in the eighth grade. Her blog contains pictures of her artwork, and I commented on a picture of her dog, Patches. I told her that she was a very talented artist, and that I enjoyed looking through her work. I also asked her how she created the picture, and told her about an app I use, Waterlogue, to edit pictures of my dog. I told her who I was, and where I went to school, and told her to keep posting her work. I let her know that I was very impressed by her artistic ability and that others would be too.

For my very last C4K, I commented on Justin's Blog from Mrs. DeBuhr's 8th Grade Blogs. In his post, My Achievements and Goals for Q1 and Q2, Justin talks about how he had met many of his goals in first quarter, such as making the basketball team, staying on top of his homework, and getting better grades. He also said that he got glasses and the teachers were happy that he could see the board better now. In his second paragraph, he talks about his goals for second quarter. Some of them are to continue to do well on homework and to improve his grades even more. He wants to become a better typer, and to participate more in class as well. In my comment, I told Justin who I was, and where I went to school. I went on to tell him that I enjoyed reading his blog, and that he had some awesome goals set for himself. I said that if he strives to achieve them, he should do very well in school. I told him congratulations on doing so well last quarter, and to keep up the good work!

Blog Post #13

We've discusses why technology in the classroom is a good thing, but are there any problems with it? Read the following articles and discuss what you  learned.

Negative Effects of Using Technology in Todays Classroom

5 Problems with Technology in Classrooms

Issues with Integrating Technology in the Classroom

_________________________________________________________________________________

During my time in EDM 310, I have often found myself thinking back to my days as a student. Technology was used some when I was in Elementary school. We went to computer lab, took AR test on the computer, and would often use the internet to search things. SMART Boards weren't introduced until I was in Middle school, and between 6th and 9th grade, nearly ever teacher in Mobile County got one in their classroom. It was really exciting for everyone to have this cool piece of technology in the classroom, but it was more of a distraction than anything in my opinion. This may be because it was new and exciting, but other technologies were often distracting as well. In high school, everyone had to take Business Tech, which is a computer course. Nearly everyone in my class spent the time they were supposed to be working looking up games to play, instead of doing their work. While technology is always evolving in the classroom, I think that problems will always exist.

Negative Effects of Using Technology in Todays Classroom
After reading this article, I learned that there are several problems with using technology in the classroom. One is that it takes away from learning time. People often have technical difficulties, and this can delay lessons. In my interview with Katie Beckmann, a former teacher, we discussed this. It's a good idea to have a backup plan, because you can bet at some point your technology will fail you. This article also explains that many students have a game mentality when it comes to technology. Because of this, students can get easily distracted when using computers.


5 Problems with Technology in Classrooms
This article explained that some schools may not be able to keep up with the rapidly changing technology. It can be difficult for schools to provide computers or iPads to all of the students, or even just to each classroom. Providing internet for everyone can be a problem too. Another problem with technology in the classroom is that technology can make finding the answers too easy. There are many apps that supply quick accessible answers, making cheating possible and finding answers too easy for students. According to this article, some schools who are completely immersed in technology have lower test scores than those who are not. Teachers from these schools worry that while technology is engaging students on a creative level, they may not be grasping basic concepts such as math and English.


Issues with Integrating Technology in the Classroom
After reading this, I learned that many schools may just buy new technology because it's a good deal. Each district and school has a set amount of money they can use on technology, and it may not be that much. Good deals may lack the application necessary to be translated into useful learning. Lack of money and time may also lead to teachers not being trained in how to use the technology. If they don't know how to use it, the technology will be useless. Lastly, I read that instructional time will be cut short since teachers have to spend time teaching students how to use technology. I know that teachers across the bay say that their students know how to use technology very efficiently and that they don't have to spend much time explaining it, but that is not the case for the teachers I have talked to. I substitute teach three days a week, and I also had to get observation hours for one of my classes this semester, so I spend a lot of time in schools and I have talked to a lot of teachers about technology in the classroom, two of which are Dr. Strange's former students. According to them, their students do not know how to even log onto their AR Reader accounts to take test, even after being shown multiple times. These teachers don't seem to think that the classroom should revolve around technology.

I found it very interesting to read why technology can be a bad thing. I think both sides of the argument are very good, but I still plan to use some technology in my classroom. I think the pros outweigh the cons. 

Project # 12 Part B

Project: The 4 Seasons
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Standards: SC(K)9 Identify Seasons of the year. Describe seasonal changes in the weather.

C4T#3

Breaking Education Barriers is a blog written by Annie Palmer. For my first post, I commented on Impacting Students a Book at a Time. In this post, Mrs. Palmer wrote about how she got her students excited about reading, and their reactions to the books. She explained that after discussing the Shadow Children Series, and watching a few book trailers, her students were anxious to get their hands on a book and start reading. She explained that as teachers, we have to instill a life long love on learning in our students. In my comment, I told Mrs. Palmer who I was, where I was from, and I gave her a link to my blog. I also told her that reading was one of my favorite things to do, and that I hoped that I could instill a love of reading in my students one day like she had. I also told her that I had made a book trailer for one of my classes, and it's nice to know that they can get students excited about books. Lastly, I said that is must be very gratifying to have impacted so many children in a positive way and that I enjoyed reading her blog.

The second post from Annie Palmer that I commented on was Feedback: Lessons from the Ball Field. In this post, Annie connected feedback in the classroom to feedback in sports, specifically softball. She explained that instead of using grades as feedback, you should give feedback in the form of a verbal conversation or written explanations. She also said that praise has been proven to only improve ego, not achievement. In my comment, I told Annie that I cheered in high school, and it was interesting to connect my personal experiences to her post. I also told her that in EDM 310, we get feedback instead of grades, and I think that all teachers should consider it. I told her that I thought it was surprising that praise didn't improve achievement as well. Lastly, I told her that her post was very informative and I enjoyed reading it.

Project #10

Blog Post #12

Project #14

For project 14, we created a lesson plan for second grade English and Language Arts. Each students will be assigned a partner, and after discussing lessons on types of stories, characters, main points, and characteristics, as well as reading Officer Buckle and Gloria, each group will make a Prezi presentation. In their presentation, they must include a summary, pictures, and details about the characters, among other thing.

Rubric
Lesson Plan
Calendar
PBL Checklist

Blog Post #11

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

Back to the Future

Several weeks ago I learned about second language learners in my Human Growth and Development class. After reading about language development and students who don't fully understand English or don't understand it at all,  I was worried that I may not be able to teach them as well as students who speak English as their first language. After watching this video, I learned that it is very possible to teach second language learners just as well as English speaking students. In this video, Brian discusses how he used Blogger, Wikipedia, and many other online tools to help his students learn things like science, all while developing language skills too. He explains that his students get feedback from all over the world, and they get to interact with people in different cities, states, and even countries, because of the internet and the technology they use in class. 

Blended Learning Cycle

I had never heard of the blended learning cycle prior to watching  this video. After listening to Paul Anderson, I learned that it is taking the compelling parts of online learning and technology, and blending it with a regular classroom. He uses the acronym, QIVER, to explain. You start with a question, then investigate, then watch a video, then elaborate, then review, and then they take a summary quiz. Paul uses technology throughout the entire process. They watch videos online, use spreadsheets,  and they can investigate using the internet. I think that using the blended learning cycle is a great tool to use in science, along with other subjects, and I hope to use it in my classroom one day. 

Making Thinking Visible

In the video, Mark Church explains how he gets his students to think of headlines for the driving question of their lesson. I learned that this is a great way to get students excited about learning something. After they create their headlines and investigate the topic more thoroughly, he asks the students what they would change about their headlines. This shows what the students have learned. 

Sam Pane 4th Grade

This video was all about Sam Pane's class creating cartoon super heroes who protect the internet from things like bullies, and hackers. First, the class discussed internet safety, and then they created their super heroes using a tool on their computers. I think this would be a great lesson for teaching my students how to be kind and safe on the internet, and I plan on using it. I believe the kids would really enjoy this lesson. 

Project Based Learning

The teachers from this video have blended all of their classes together. Instead of going to three different classes, the students stay in one class that covers all three: history, English, and technology/computer. After watching the video, I learned that this is a very effective way to teach. The teachers said that with the extra time they have with their students, they can teach them so much more. They said that the work they get is better, and that more students are proud of what they accomplished. 

Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program

At Roosevelt Elementary, they have created an excellent PBL program that is working wonderfully at their school. They not only teach their students the information, they teach them how to think for themselves. They also promote public speaking at an early age, which helps them not to fear it when they get older. Along with public speaking, their students learn many other life skills, like collaborating with others and using technology. Throughout the video, I heard several teachers use the term, "self-motivated." This taught me that PBL can motivate students to WANT to learn, which many people struggle with. Getting students excited about learning can be hard, but Roosevelt Elementary has done a good job of it.

Blog Post #10

Several years ago, Mrs. Cassidy was presented with five computers to use in her classroom. Since she received these computers, her teaching has evolved to include technology. After watching  Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 I have learned a lot about how she uses technology in the classroom and ways that I can in the future.

Mrs. Cassidy uses Twitter to connect with people from around the world, and it is very useful for her. She and Dr. Strange discussed how they both thought it was useless and a waste of time when they first heard about it, but now it is a tool that they use regularly. I do not have a Twitter besides the one that I use for EDM 310, and before I got that I agreed that is was useless. However, when used correctly, it can be very useful.

Mrs. Cassidy also uses blogs in her classroom. She explained that students are more motivated to write when it's not just her seeing it, but people from around the world. She has several tools on their blogs that show them how many views they have, and also where the people are from. When students know hundreds of people are seeing their work, they want to do the best they can. People also leave comments on her student's blog post, which encourages them even more.

Along with Twitter and blogging, her class also uses Wiki. They can ask questions and people from around the world can answer. For example, they asked about rituals and got answers from many people. They also got videos and pictures from a school here in Alabama about letters. Along with Wiki, they communicate with other students through Skype.

She teaches her students to say nice things in their comments, just like we learn in EDM 310. She also teaches them to be safe while using the internet. Prior to watching these videos, I worried that using the internet in my classroom would be unsafe. However, Mrs. Cassidy said that she had never had a problem with anything.

Mrs. Cassidy's students are very tech literate, and they use many different forms of technology in the classroom. In my future classroom, I plan on teaching my students how to use the internet safely, like Mrs. Cassidy does. I also plan on using Blogger to motivate my students to write well. I hope to use many of the tools that she does in her classroom, and thought the videos were very informative.

Project #12 Part A

C4K Summary for October

The first blog I commented on was Clayton's Blog from Ms. Horst's Class. Clayton has written many post since the last time I commented on his, but his most recent was the fourtienth goldfish. Clayton wrote about how the story reminded him of when his own goldfish died, and how sad it was. He also said that he made a prediction about the grandfather in the story. In my comment, I told Clayton that I had beta fish when I was younger, and I agreed that it was sad when they died. I added that it was exciting to get new fish though. I also said that the book sounded great, and it was awesome that he was making predictions about the story. Lastly, I thanked him for posting.

The second blog I commented on was AngelaN's Blog from Miss Jacklin's Grasde 5 Class. Angela write a blog titled "My Grandmother." In her blog, she wrote that her grandmother was from China, and that she loved to cook Chinese food. She also said that her grandma was strict, and would make her do things. Angela wrote that she had a special tradition of helping her grandma with the Chinese New Year, and that she had a special name for her. In my comment, I introduced myself to Angela, and told her that her grandmother sounded like a cool lady. I also told her that I loved Chinese food, and asked what her special name for her grandma was. I told Angela that I loved reading her blog, and that it was a great post.

The week of October 13th, I commented on Madison T.'s Blog. Madison wrote a post titled "How to Babysit." In her post, she gave a lot of helpful, yet hilarious, advice on how to take care of babies. For example, she wrote to not leave them with any animals because she had seen a baby throw an animal by the tail into bulletproof glass. She also said to sterilize everything, take the baby to the doctor 3 times a month, keep babies away from wires, and don't leave them alone with expensive TV's. Madison gave a lot more advice in her blog as well. In my comment, I told her who I was, and that I babysit all the time. I said that I loved reading her blog, and that I hoped I never had a baby throw an animal by the tail. I also told her that her post was funny, and that she should keep blogging because she did an excellent job.

My last blog to comment on in October was Stevenson @ PT England School. I his post, Being Fit, Stevenson wrote about staying fit by exercising. He wrote all about how it is beneficial to your body and mind to exercise regularly. For example, when you exercise, your body releases endorphins which make you feel good. He also wrote about the difference in exercising for strength, and exercising for stamina. In my comment, I told him who I was and where I'm from. I told him that he had excellent writing skills, and that I enjoyed reading his blog. I also told Stevenson that his post was very informative, and that it was well written. I asked if he had plans on being a writer, because his post was so good.

Blog Post #9

What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?

7 Essentials for Project-Based Learning

When I was in school, I dreaded doing any project. When asked why we had to do something, the answer was generally, "Because I said so," or "Because it's on the test." I had no motivation to do the work, because I felt as if it didn't benefit me. I would do enough to get a good grade, without worrying about learning the information. After reading this 7 Essentials for Project-Based Learning, I know that using PBL is a much more effective way to get students involved in projects and learning. The article gives some great advice for creating good, meaningful projects, that students will actually enjoy. For example, each project should have a driving question, it should include 21st century skills, and it should have a real audience, instead of just the teacher, among other things. 

Project Based Learning for Teachers

This video gives an excellent summary of what Project Based Learning really is. After watching it, I learned that there are so many ways we can use technology in PBL. I knew of quite a lot from EDM 310, but this video showed a lot that I had never heard of before. This video stated that a driving question is very important, just like the article above. 

Two Students Solve the Problem of Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap

After watching this video, I learned that not only can Project Based Learning help students to learn information, it can solve real world problems. While most people may not think watery ketchup is a big deal, I find it very impressive that two high school seniors engineered a cap to fix the problem, designed it on a computer, and 3-D printed it. If 2 boys can solve this problem, there is no telling what ideas other students can come up with and problems they can solve, all while doing a school project. This video is an excellent example of how PBL is a good way to get students excited about learning, and how the results can be fascinating. 

Project Based Learning in PE

When I think of PE, I always picture playing sports, running a timed mile, and walking the track. However, this article made me realize that not only can you implement PBL into subjects such as math, science, history, and English, but you can also use it in PE. Along with doing physical activity in class, it is important to teach students how to stay healthy outside of school. This article explained a project where high school students create physical fitness programs for middle schoolers. It would be very beneficial for teaching students what they should be doing to stay fit, as well as promoting teamwork and collaboration. Overall, this taught me that PBL can be used in virtually any subject. 

10 Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration in Project Based Learning

This article shares many very useful websites that students and teachers can use for Project Based Learning. Some of them, such as Google Docs, we have learned about in EDM 310, but there were several that I had never heard of such as Note App, and Linoit. This post taught me that the possibilities are endless when it comes to technology you can use in PBL, and it also taught me about many of the sites I could use in my future classroom. 

I think the main idea behind all of these articles and videos is that Project Based Learning is a wonderful thing, that teachers around the world should look into. Teachers and students can teach us so much about how to create meaningful PBL projects, how to get students excited, tools you can use to enrich your lessons, and so much more. 

Project #9

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

I got my first smart phone when I was in 10th grade, and since then, it never really leaves my side. I use it for calling people, texting, playing around on social media, e-mailing, playing games, reading the news, taking pictures, and so much more. People spend hours each day wasting time on their smart phones. They have come to be an essential tool for people, and teachers can no longer expect students to leave their phones at home. Instead of banning phones, educators should embrace them. They can be very useful in and out of the classroom.

One of the most useful things smart phones can do is accessing the internet. The web holds so much information, and it is always available to students. Many students don't have their own personal laptops, but most have cell phones. Letting students use their phones to do research could be very beneficial. Not only can you do research on your phone, you can also use the internet to connect to people around the world, as well as experts on all different topics. You can subscribe to news websites and get information about what's going on in your world, or you could look up videos to watch on the Civil War. The possibilities are endless. They don't end with what you can do on the internet though.

Most smart phones, if not all, have cameras. There are so many ways cameras could help students learn, all while being fun to use. For example, you could take photos of plant growth to document it, take pictures of as many nouns and verbs as you can think of, or take pictures of rhyming words. This doesn't even scratch the surface of what all you can do with a camera. For more ideas, check out 100 Ways to Use Digital Cameras, by Scholastic.

C4T#2

This week, I commented on Denise Krebs' blog, Dare to Care. In her post My World, Mrs. Krebs wrote about her picture of her world that she created on The Open University Create Your World. Her picture included many elements, some of which were a tree, wedding rings, two flowers, chalk, books, fruit, letters, and several other objects. Each object represented something in her life. For example, the two flowers represented her children, the wedding rings represented her marriage and her husband, and the tree represented Jesus, and how he brings shade to the world and stands over her puzzle piece of life. In my comment, I introduced myself and gave her the links to my class blog as well as the class blog. I told her that Jesus, family, reading, and teaching were some of my favorite things as well, and that we probably have a lot in common. I said that the website she used to create her picture was something that I would love to use when I graduate and become a teacher, and that kids would love to play with it. Lastly, I told her I enjoyed reading her blog.

The second time I commented on Denise Krebs' blog, I commented on her post, Reading About Learning, Brains and Metacognition. In this post, Mrs. Krebs discusses how it is important for children to think about thinking, which is also known as metacognition. This idea changed all of her teaching. She also discussed how it is important for kids to understand their brains, and how it can change the way they learn and deal with mistakes. She wrote that students should think of themselves as thinkers, and teacher should help them to do this through asking them questions and helping the students along. She also shared several links: Carol Dweck's Work on Mindsets, Whats Kids Should Know About Their Brains, and Mind/Shift. In my comment, I thanked her for sharing the links, and told her that I found the article, Whats Kids Should Know About Their Brains, to be very interesting. I told her that I thought it was a wonderful idea to teach students about their brains, and that it would motivate them to do better. I really enjoyed reading Denise Krebs' blog.

Blog Post #8

What can we learn about teaching and learning from Randy Pausch?

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture holds so many wonderful life lessons. Personally, I was reminded that I need to be thankful for every day I am given on this earth, to love those around me, and to dream big. I also learned several things about teaching and learning.

In Randy's lecture, he told a story about assigning a 2 week project to his class, and being completely amazed at the results he got. He even stated that if he would have gotten the same results after giving the students a year to complete it, he would have given them all A's. This is a great example of how students will go above and beyond what you expect of them. The instructions for this project were very vague, and there were only two rules. Leaving so much room for the students to do whatever they want gives them the opportunity to be imaginative, think critically, and surpass expectations. I plan to use this in my classroom through Project Based Learning. Randy also talked about how he had a professor who pushed him, and helped him to become successful. A teacher plays a very important role in many children's lives. You can either push your students to be the best they can be and help them to get there, or accept mediocre work and not expect great things. Randy's professor is a great role model for all teachers. Educators should push students to succeed, and help them in any way that they can. I hope that I can inspire my future students like Andy was inspired.

Not only did I learn several things about teaching from Randy, I also learned about learning. Randy discussed "brick walls" several times throughout the lecture. Brick walls are problems you face when trying to achieve somethings. After listening to Randy talk about finding ways around these brick walls, I learned that life doesn't always give you the easiest hand, and you have to learn to work with what you get. Life is a never ending learning process. People are always learning, and you need to welcome all opportunities to gain new knowledge.

This lecture was very interesting, and it really opened my eyes to how important it is to enjoy today and spend time with those you love. You never know when you will lose someone or be the one who is lost. It is a great lecture for anyone to watch, but as a future educator I really appreciated many parts of it.