Blog Due February 26

Title:  Creativity Counts!

Our own Lindsey Zimmer recently got to attend an Edshift conference in Los Colinas with other BISD educators.  She was able to listen to a presentation by Sir Ken, witness an artist create drawings as he spoke, and sit on a panel of students with Sir Ken to discuss the state of education in their schools.

Use headphones to listen to the video below.   Sir Ken Robinson is a well renowned author and educator.  His TED Talk offers perspective on the controversial topic of killing creativity in children.

While you are thinking about what you will be teaching your own students in the coming weeks, think about what you are doing to encourage creativity.   Are you developing it or are you killing it? 

What is Creativity?
Why does Creativity matter in Education?
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt as if a teacher didn't let you be creative? If so, explain.
Have you ever had a teacher that let you be as creative as possible? If so, explain. 
How do we fix the problem(s) described by Sir Ken Robinson?

Your answer should be written with complete thoughts and phrases.  

You should give intelligent well-thought-out answers.  You should also write in complete, grammatically correct sentences.

Sir Ken Robinson's Website.  Click here

Sir Ken Robinson on TED Talks

Remember to follow blog rules:  Quality of writing, mechanics, presentation, multimedia, deadlines.  

Blog Due Friday, February 5, 2016

For TAFE State Participants Only

Title:  My State Teach Tomorrow Summit Highlight

Write a brief overview of your favorite highlight of the TAFE Teach Tomorrow Summit.  It may be about a featured speaker, the competitive events, a group activity, the talent/hypnosis show, the hotel experience, or anything that occurred during the trip to Houston, Texas.  Include why (or why not) you would recommend this experience for your fellow TAFE members who did not participate.

Reminder:  You must have a link to the blog prompt, a link to a related source (such as the Teach Tomorrow Summit on the TAFE website, and another media source; there are pics from the Summit on the RST Server)

Next, write a formal letter to Dr. Linda Anderson, Director of Career and Technology Education for BISD, thanking her for her support of TAFE at the State Teach Tomorrow Summit.  Her financial support covered the coach transportation, hotel costs, registration fees, meal money, and more. 

Be sure to follow the guidelines for writing a proper thank you letter.
Click Here for Thank You Etiquette

Print your letter, sign, and turn in. 

All Other Interns 

Title:  My Daughter, Malala

While TAFE members are competing in Houston, they will be viewing the movie, They Call Her Malala, in a private viewing.  You will get a perspective of this story by viewing the TED Talks below:

"Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for advocating for girls’ education in Pakistan, and recently became the youngest Nobel Prize recipient in history. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, a Pakistani educator, explains that education gives girls in developing countries an identity and is equivalent to emancipation. He describes the power of Malala’s advocacy, and his message of not clipping her wings resonates with educators who understand that every child deserves access to an equal education. Yousafzai reminds educators of the value of their work and instills the power education can give to a child."



In Texas, there is ongoing discussion about who deserves a free public education and who does not. Should US citizens be the only group allowed a free public education?  What about children who immigrate illegally?  Explain your stance on the situation.  Are there any parallels between education for women in Pakistan and education for immigrants in the U.S.?  Discuss.

Remember, blog rules apply.  Meet the media requirements.

Blog Due January 19

Title:  Fold It!

Last week you learned about some basic (and some advanced) ways to fold paper to help students make visual sense and organization out of information.  

ASSIGNMENT: 
Using information (TEKS) that your students are learning, create a foldable activity that is grade appropriate for your site school classroom. This should be something you could actually use in your classroom.

• Include the following in your post:
• Name of foldable activity
• Topic/TEKS covered
• Materials/supplies needed (Be specific such as paper color, etc.)
• Write specific, detailed directions on how to create the foldable activity.
• Write detailed instructions as to what the students are to do to complete the assignment.  Go beyond the cutting and pasting.  What are they to do with the information?  What are they to learn from it?  If your description sounds like busy work, chances are you missed the point or you need to redevelop the activity.
• Include a picture of the finished product.  You may make a sample.  
• Remember:  Blog rules apply.  See first post.  

Blog due on Monday, December 7

Title:  Built for Learning

Are schools built for learning?

What makes you want to learn something?

Watch and listen below to Will Richardson's TED Talk about the changing face of education.  As future educators you will be challenged during your careers to make real world changes and reform the way students will be learning.  

In your blog, describe an ideal learning environment for you.  Think about how this ideal setting could be incorporated into a future school day.  Use complete sentences.  Try to find pictures and links of what an ideal classroom/learning environment would look like to you.  Include how long you think classes should be and why.  What measures would you use to evaluate students on their performance?

Remember to use good writing conventions and to follow the blog rubric for the best possible score. 

Blog due on Monday, November 16

Title:  Learning Activity

Create a learning activity for your grade level/subject level. It should coincide with the Board Builder you made to use in your classroom. Connect the two to have a complete learning experience inside your classroom. You should take a screen shot and include a link to your Discovery Education Board Builder activity on your blog.
You may get your ideas from websites such as Pinterest or good quality teacher blogs - BUT make it your own.

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1. Write specific details about subject / grade level (example: 3rd grade - Math, Multiplication Activity)
2. Write clear objectives for what the student is to learn (otherwise know as the outcome)
3. Write clear directions on how to make the activity
4. List the specific materials needed to make the activity - if it goes along with a book, include the book title with a link where to get it.
5. Take a picture of your finished product. Upload it to your blog.

Game, manipulative, puppet, dance, scavenger hunt, Puzzle, APP activity, QR code, book extension, art project... the sky's the limit.

Remember to exercise your mind (calisthenics) while you do your Kallas-thenics!

Blog due Monday, November 9

Title:  Find the Treasure in Teaching

Ahoy, matey!  Whether you competed at BCTAL, worked behind the scenes on a TAFE project, or prepared a Teacher Created Material for your classroom, you were all involved in a TAFE experience.  Reflect on what treasures you have gained through the experience.  You may want to consider some of the following as you write your reflection.

• What criteria did you use to make your decision about what contest(s)/competition(s)/project you would be selecting for this course requirement?
• Knowing what you do now, would you make any changes about that decision?
• What were the obstacles/difficulties you encountered?
• What have you enjoy best/least about your contest(s)/competition(s)/project?
• If doing it all over again, what would you change?
• What have you gained from following through with this experience?
• Are you looking forward to anything as a result of your participation/completion of this?

Shiver me timbers!  Those who attended the TAFE Region XI Conference Leadership Day at TCU may include that experience in their commentary.  You may find some great pics to use on the TAFE server to include on your blog post.

Argh! Remember to follow the BCTAL 901 blog guidelines - 3 media sources: blog prompt, reference support, and other media of choice.  Happy blogging!

Blog Due Monday, October 5

Title:  Reading Rocks!

Recently, Mrs. Julie Pursley visited our classes and spoke with us about reading to students.  She gave advice on using voice, inflection, and questioning strategies.  Since reading is used in almost everything we do, it is important to read to others to create interest in a skill the students will need to love and do.

One of the first things your new mentor teacher will probably ask you to do is to read to students.  It is important you feel comfortable doing this. 

Your blog assignment is to choose one of the children's books from our selection or one of your own.

• List the title of the book, the author and illustrator.  You should give a one paragraph book review of the book.  
• Read the book to yourself so you understand the story and how it should sound.  Is it a good read aloud book?  
• What is the age appropriateness of this book?
• Choose a few key words from the book that you could focus on with your students.  
• Formulate higher order thinking questions and list a few.  
• Create an activity that you could do with your students.  Write the steps you would take for this activity.  
• If it has a sing song to it, practice and sing!
• Either find a picture of your book from google or take a picture with your phone of the book cover.  Insert in your blog.
• Look online (YouTube) and see if there is a recording of your book being read by the author.  Many have this.  If it is available (and appropriate), embed the video on your blog.  If there are other online activities available, include a link to the website(s).  

This blog is due Monday, October 5.  As always, follow the rubric for best results.