Blog Post #6

I really enjoyed all of these videos provided by Dr. Strange on his conversations with Mr. Anthony Capps. These videos provided detailed insight on what project based learning is, and how beneficial it is to use in the classroom. Project based learning (PBL) is a very useful tool to actively engage students into the lesson and content being taught. As discussed by Anthony Capps in the first video, project based learning is content driven. He also includes that PBL should involve the community in some way. Mr. Capps also explained that the most crucial part of PBL is revision and reflection done by the students. Throughout this first video Anthony Capps explains to Dr. Strange that project based learning should be used as a method of teaching, and not so much used as a method of student evaluation. In the second video covering project based learning, Anthony Capps explains the importance of student choice and the importance of creating an opportunity for the students to go above and beyond when using PBL. These two videos did a great job at providing information explaining to me what project based learning is, and it's components. These two videos also served as a form of encouragement for me as an educator to dive into PBL.

The third video provided by Dr. Strange was a discussion between him and Mr. Capps about icurio.  Anthony Capps defines icurio as a online tool that allows students to use a filtered search engine to safely find video, audio, and text research. He also explains the many features that icurio provides for the students. Icurio provides a storage system, which helps the students learn how to become virtually organized. It also provides features that can search information based on criteria. In the fourth video Anthony Capps explains another useful tool for PBL, and that tool is named discovery education. Discovery education is a resource for students used specifically for visual learning. Discovery ed is a way to bring experts on certain topics to the classroom through videos provided on this site. I have never even heard of icurio and discovery education. These two videos provided did a great job at helping me understand what these tools are and how they can be used during PBL. I definitely see both of these resources as a great way to carry out the PBL method of teaching.

Click here to view icurio
Click here to view Discovery Ed

In the fifth video provided by Dr. Strange, Dr. Strange and Mr. Capps give their listeners insight on what and how to be prepared as an early educator. Dr. Strange includes that educators should be really interested in learning, and that they should continue to be flexible throughout their career. Anthony Capps includes that early educators should understand that teaching is handwork and that teaching never ends. Mr. Capps also wants early educators to realize how rewarding being a teacher is. He also encourages educators to motivate ALL students, and to make sure you always have a purpose for reflection and self evaluation. The sixth video covered on how a teacher should not teach how to use technology, but instead use a scaffolding method to build on the student's understanding on how to properly use technology. The seventh and last video provided explained the layers of a lesson. Anthony Capps explains that the four layers of a lesson are the year plan, the unit plan, the weekly lesson, and the daily lesson. He covers that he feels all of these layers are equally important. What I learned from these three videos is what it takes to be a good teacher, how to incorporate technology into the classroom, and what are the four layers that my lessons should contain.