Blog Post #7

(This is a Collaborative Group Assignment)

What can you learn from conversations with Anthony Capps? (#1-4)

While watching Part 1: Experiences of a 3rd grade teacher, Anthony Capps tells us about his latest teaching experiences. He is a third grade teacher in a Baldwin County Elementary school located in Gulf Shores, AL. Dr. Strange asks Anthony how he approaches project-based learning in his 3rd grade class and what it entails. Anthony regularly uses PBL as a method of teaching and replies that project-based learning is constantly evolving. Many teachers may use projects at the end of a teaching unit to sum up the lesson or to clarify that the students comprehend what is being taught. Anthony thinks that teachers should always use PBL as a method in which the student learns content rather than just achieving something. The project assigned should be driven by a “need to know”; meaning the student needs to know the content of the standards before creating their project. This allows them to create their own learning experience. This also allows students to discover their knowledge and become enthralled with their final presentation. He implies that it is the teacher’s responsibility to assign a project that is based on the content of the state standards. Anthony says that the goal to a good project is one that has an authentic audience; this makes the kids feel rewarded for the work that they do. It also prepares them for the future. Another goal is to make the project relatable to the student’s interest and to incorporate your local community. When Anthony creates projects they all have to meet the state standards. For example, one project included the students writing letters to our congressman; this allows for the language, history, and writing standards to be met all in one project. This project is a prime example of having an authentic audience and getting the students excited about receiving a response.

Anthony also talks about iCurio and how he has used this tool in his 3rd grade class. He states that the students are able to log in and use it as a search engine. He encourages students and teachers alike to store content that they think is valuable. Using iCurio to store valuable content allows the students and teachers to have total online organization. You can add things and create your own folders with websites, audio, videos, and images. Overall using iCurio in the classroom is a great way to teach organization virtually. Anthony speaks from experience when he says "the outcome is extraordinary". It is appropriate and safe for students because only the material the teacher allows will be on the iCurio sight. Therefore it is very child friendly which is essential in the classroom. The students can also save any work they are currently working on, so if the bell rings and it’s lunch time they can conveniently save everything they are working on and come back to it at a later time.

 

"A picture is worth a 1000 words and a video must be worth a million." -Anthony Capps

Regardless of the text article you give a child if you can pair it with visual then they will retain a lot more information. 21st century teachers always should use illustrations when teaching and Discovery Ed is the perfect place to retrieve illustrations and other resources. Discovery Ed is useful for students to find pictures and articles on specific class related topics. Anthony uses Discovery Ed to bring certain text to life. 21^st century students are “listener watchers”, which means they listen and watch much more than they read or write. Dr. Strange intelligently states “our goal as a teacher is to convert people to more of a consumer of these products and into users of these products. Or even better producers.”

#5)
Written By: Alyssa Sherman
This was a very interesting conversation to listen to. I feel like this list will become very helpful in my future teaching career. Dr. Strange and Anthony create a list of 5 different key issues that new teachers need to consider. First, teachers must be interested in learning. I feel that this idea is very important. In the past I have had teachers who had no interest in  their subject or learning more about it. These were always the teachers I disliked. They made learning miserable and boring. The other teachers I  have had were always looking for more or new information. Even teachers who had earned a PhD in their field were always eager to go look something up if a student asked them a question they did not know the answer to. The second point that Anthony and Dr. Strange made was that teachers need to be flexible. I know this point will become very useful to myself and other future teachers. In 11th and 12th grade I taught a 2nd-3rd  and 3rd-4th grade Sunday School class. Because I only had 2-3 students I had to be very creative when coming up with lessons and projects. In addition, many weeks I would only have 1 student come. This made things even more challenging. This experience really makes me agree with this part of the list. The 3rd issue on the list is that teaching is hard work. This is very true. As a student I really can only imagine the work involved in making lessons, making homework, quizzes, and tests, grading these, and engaging students, and helping any student who might need a little extra explanation. Dr. Strange and Anthony also say that teaching is rewarding. From my brief experience teaching a small Sunday School class or teaching a young Girl Scout troop a new skill, this fact is very true; why else would so many people devote their lives to teaching. All new teachers should know this so that they know what they are getting into. The 4th issue is begin any plan with an end, meaning that always know what you want the end result to be. Again, flexibility is key here. The last issue is the get students engaged. Anthony says that the goal should be 100% engagement. This may seem like a very high, unlikely number, but like Anthony mentions "no child left behind". Why teach to the whole class if you only expect half to be interested and listening. I will always keep this goal in mind while teaching. Anthony and Dr. Strange share an extra 6th issue towards the end of the video that I think is very interesting. Sharing the final product with others. Having an audience makes many students want to do better and excites them. It also provides a way for students to reflect, the 6th issue on the list. Reflecting is very important. After a project is done many students want to simply relax, have fun, and not think about the topic anymore. This, however, is not a good idea. Dr. Strange and Anthony are very right to add this onto the list. I think that all of these issues are very important and I will keep them in mind and implement them when I begin my teaching career, as I believe all other future teachers should do!

#6)Title of Video: Don't Teach Tech- Use It
Link: Anthony Capps
Written By: Kayla Szymanski
Using technology in the classroom can be one of the best approaches in the 21 century. Technology is all around our students and they use it everyday, it comes completely natural to them. A great way to incorporate technology is to introduce these tools that are available like ICurio and Discovery Ed. Anthony explains how you can use technology weekly in your classroom. The first week of class he introduces the students to their new research tools. The following week they will then be assigned a research topic, for the research part they can use ICurio. Next they will have to research for a video that relates to their topic which can be done threw Discovery Ed. The final week Anthony explains how the students are then given a research project that may requires a movie component to it. There are many technologic tools that you can use in your classroom, and these are just two example of how Anthony Capps introduces them to his 3rd graders. The benefits of using technology is that it is completely free and the students get to create and design their projects in a unique manor. Sometimes there will be a one time fee for these technological tools. But what you have to remember is that when using technology the daily classroom supplies are no longer needed. This is a great way to ensure that your students will never run out of the materials during their learning process. Also it saves time in the classroom because it is clean. Anthony mentions how you don't have to clean up markers and spills, technology is the new way of learning.

#7)
Additional Thought About Lessons
Written By: Haley Marrs

This brief video is a wonderful learning tool for future teachers. This conversation features Anthony Capps discussing the four layers of teaching lessons. He makes a nice humorous point when saying "if it's anymore than four layers I'm just going to cry". The four layers are broken down as follows:

- Yearly: When planning our lessons for the year Anthony recommends drawing out a map. We have to ask ourselves "Are you going to cover all of your content standards?"
- Unit: Learning should be stretched out to be taught over the course of the appropriate unit size. By the end of the unit students should be able to master the standards taught. A question to ask yourself is "Have you devised unit projects in a meaningful way that is connected throughout the unit?"
- Weekly: Units should be planned by weeks. Each week should require a learning goal to meet your course standards. "How can you cover material needed in one week?" Will your goal be met?
- Daily: Weeks should be planned by day. Daily lessons should focus on ways to deliver content to students in a way that will keep them engaged. It is important to measure learning each day so you know where to begin the next day.

I find it interesting that Anthony says each layer of learning is equally as important. He suggests that all layers must be done successfully to finish a lesson.