C4T #4

Teacher Leaders: Planting a flag – or foot – in the classroom
Submitted by Sharon Rubinstein on Wed, 04/22/2015 - 6:47pm


Jose Vilson has been a math teacher in Manhattan for about a decade. He’s part of the new crop of “Teacher Leaders” with one foot in the classroom, and another on a career ladder up.

When he first began expanding his duties, it was to coach other teachers in math instruction. Now, he’s an advocate and author too, and a board member of the Center for Teacher Quality, one of the supporters of the federal Teach to Lead initiative. He says he has no plans to leave his school anytime soon.

Just what - and who - are teacher leaders? Why does the role exist? And who chooses them?

A key feature of teacher leadership as it is evolving now is greater precision about qualifications, selection, tasks, and rewards.

Professor Susan Moore Johnson, who has been advocating for a more differentiated teacher corps since the 1980s, says the teacher leader role responds to a relatively flat teaching profession that has characterized American public education. By recognizing teachers for their expertise and providing them increased responsibilities, the teacher leader position creates some “elevation,” she says, and can stem the fast-swinging revolving door of teachers that creates instability in the workforce, and problems for schools that have to cope with constant restaffing.



My comment:
Kristin Evans • a few seconds ago
Hi my name is Kristin Evans I attend the University of South Alabama and I am in the Education program. I really enjoyed reading this post. It help me gain a lot of confidence that when I become I new teacher in a school I can make a difference, even without having all the experience everyone else has around me

Blog Post #12

C4K Summary April

C4K #8

Kristin Evans (Guest)
Your comment is awaiting moderation.

April 5, 2015 at 9:12 PM


My name is Kristin Evans from the University of South Alabama’s EDM 310 class. I enjoyed reading your post. It was very interesting to read and well written. Your book report titled Counting by Sevens is very good. You gave a great review of the story. Based on your book review, I would recommend this book for anybody. Great job! Just make sure you spell check before posting.



C4K #9

LUNCH FOR WILLIAM
April 9, 2015 @ 9:53 AM 4 Comments


Rabbit salad

Snake soup with brain sauce

Steak with teeth

Blood with a table spoon of lava

Ice cream guts

Eat up William!!!!!!!!



Kristin Evans (Guest)

Your comment is awaiting moderation.
April 13, 2015 at 3:15 AM


Hi Hailey,

My name is Kristin Evans from the University of South Alabama in the class Edm 310. I really enjoyed your post. Although a little wild and out there for food, it is very creative.


C4K#10

My grades


Kristin Evans (Guest)

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

April 20, 2015 at 12:42 PM

Hi Kamar,

My name is Kristin Evans I am a student in Edm 310 at the university of South Alabama. I understand where you are coming from with your grades. You just have to work harder and you will achieve the grades you want. You may only have a few more weeks but with determination you can do it.

Blog Post #11

Back to the Future
Brian Crosby keeps his students for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. 90% are second language and most are students of poverty. I really enjoyed the information that was given. The hot air balloon project was a great way to approach the students with technology and learning the different areas they've come from. While working on the project, the students wrote a story about when they were a balloon. Technology is an active learning for students. They will always need a push, an idea, or words of encouragement and if we as their teacher don't give it to them then we are not doing a very good job of being teachers.



Blended Learning Cycle
The five "E's" - start with an engaging question, students are allowed to explore, you explain, and expand and then you evaluate. The speaker really stresses the importance of a hook, and also pulls them aside individually making sure they know and understand what has been taught. He also feels more involved with his method and feels like it's important to keep involved and keep them interested.

Questions (Presented with data and explain it)
Investigation/Inquiry (Timing on projects)
Video (On any content using direct instructions)
Elaboration (A lot of reading and more understanding)
Review (Meeting with the students before moving on to the next part of the project)
Summary Quiz (Quiz on covered material)



Man Thinking Visible
Ron Ritchhart believes his students needs to be thinkers. He used his own experiences to relate things into his teaching and focuses on his students be avid learners. Richard also thinks that its about the culture on how the lesson gets taught to have a good supportive atmosphere.

Project Based Learning.
In the video, three teachers combine History, English, Information and Processing into PBL. PBL engages learners and have a deeper understanding. The use of technology today has been enhanced to be shared in different ways. Technology is also used as a tool that can come to life. For something as combinable as history and literature this is a great idea - and making it project based learning keeps the students excited and engaged.



Roosevelt Elementary PBL Program
This elementary school uses project based learning from a young age. These projects can help students gain more knowledge. It also helps them retain more information that's given than the teacher explaining it to them.

Project Based Learning is...
-In Dept Learning
-Integrated thematic instruction
-Based on a real world problem
-Research-based
-Project & Presentation

C4T#3: "Arvind Grover"

Screen Smart Parenting By: Jodi Gold

In his post Mr. Grover review Jodi Gold's book. It was a very good review on the book and taught me a lot about how to let my children and students have space when using technology, but also how to be safe. 

My comment:

Mr. Grover:

My name is Kristin Evans, I'm a student at the University of South Alabama in the EDM 310 Class. Your post has really enlightened me on how to deal with this situation with my future students or children. The internet can me a scary place to just let your students/children explore, without the right guidelines. The points you brought up are really important to build that trust between and your students, and to make you feel more comfortable with them using technology. Jodi Gold seems to haven't written a great book. I will definitely have to look into purchasing it.

Thank you for your time.

— Kristin Evans

His comment back:

Kristin, thanks for the comment. I’m glad that you found the review useful. We’ve since had Jodi back at our high school and she was most well received. Enjoy the book!
— arvind s grover

Photomath App


This app, without overstating it, is a game changer to me. It is a game changer because students will inevitably use it. The challenge for teachers becomes that knowing that, how will we assign work accordingly?

The best assignment I could imagine would be for students to design their own app with the same functionality, the ability to solve problems. What would a computer need to be told to do to be an effective problem solver?

I am not sure why, but I am really stunned by the capabilities of this seemingly simple app.

My comment:

Mr. grover,
Hi , I am a student at the University of South Alabama. Thank you so much for posting this great video on the Photomath app. I think your idea of having the students create an app is a really good place to start. It's going to take a lot of research, but I think the students will enjoy it more than solving math problems. They will also find it more meaningful and interesting. They can see the purpose behind it. Yes, you can use an app to solve any math problem, but someone has to create it.
Thank you again,

— Kristin Evans

His comment back:

Hi Kristin, thanks for reading. I think that students designing apps is
great, and they also have to learn fundamentals. I am really enjoying the
book "Made To Stick" by Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel which teachers how
well-designed fundamental instruction gives rise to creativity and greater
problem solving. It's worth a look.
— arvind s grover

Blog Post #10

Little Kids...Big Potential
In Mrs. Cassidy's first video, her first graders talk all about writing their blog and how much fun it is for them. They are learning the same things we are learning in EDM 310. The students enjoy learning these things in class. Technology they're using in class are blogs, webpage, wikis, video, and Skype. The children are learning reading, writing, and math.



Interview with Mrs. Cassidy #1
Mrs. Cassidy got into computers when her class was given 5 computers 10 years ago. She talks about the five special computers students used. She also stated that she teaches her students what's appropriate to click on and what is not appropriate. She started trying to make different webpages and utilize the online resources since those computers could not have applications be downloaded. They finally settled on blogging. The student's blog is used as an online portfolio. For teachers, she recommends they should make their own Personal Network Learning.

Interview with Mrs. Cassidy #2
The best way to use technology is something that you're most comfortable with. Mrs. Cassidy does not use any social media in her free time She also discusses the importance of Twitter, calling it the "old people version of Facebook. With social media, the best thing for elementary schools to use is Facebook. Teachers can use this to communicate and post homework assignments to remind their students on what's due

Interview with Mrs. Cassidy #3
Mrs. Cassidy has very good views on cheating. She mentions that blogs are not the problem with cheating, it’s a good way to collaborate by sharing with one another. It's an additional source of information, like googling a topic. Every time we do something we collaborate on it, but as long as we make it our own it should not be considered cheating



Mrs. Cassidy had some very good points throughout her video. Like it or not the times are changing and technology is happening all around us. I see she's preparing them for the future ahead of time. By the time I teach, I know my students will have some of the basics of technology down packed future.

Project 12 A

How to Use a Smartboard.