tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46666986607412793162024-03-05T00:25:07.288-08:00EDIM 508Kate Benoithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525863737709241263noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666698660741279316.post-40219917648648218342012-08-12T19:24:00.001-07:002012-08-12T19:24:18.009-07:00Virtual Field Trip<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here is the link to my virtual field trip: </span><a href="http://ge.tt/6l1ABvL/v/0"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">EDIM 508 Final Project </span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For my final
project for this course, I created a virtual field trip that takes my students
to a few places around the French speaking world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
first thought of an idea for this project, I thought that I would just have
students learn information about various French speaking places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I thought that I should try and include
some grammar and vocabulary into the assignment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Culture is easy to teach, but it’s difficult
sometimes to find assignments that involve grammar that my students would be
interested in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, I decided to
have my students write a journal entry in the past tense that describes a trip
they took around the French speaking world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This
assignment would help my students develop their respectful and ethical
minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This virtual field trip exposes
students to aspects of the life and culture in four distinct areas of the
Francophone world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It brings in aspects
of daily life, art, geography, animals, landmarks, and much more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This assignment allows students to look at
other cultures and places in a way that is exciting and motivating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We can no longer simply draw a curtain or
build a wall that isolates groups from one another indefinitely” (Gardner, pg
94).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is vital that our students learn
about other ways of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many of my
students have never left the greater Baltimore area, and they have no idea what
life is like in places outside of Maryland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is especially important for me, as a French teacher, to help my
students see beyond Maryland.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is
important for “human beings to accept the differences, learn to live with them,
and value those who belong to other cohorts” (Gardner, pg 94).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A big concept that I teach is “different, not
weird”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my students begin learning
French, and learning about the various cultures, I hear the word “weird”
constantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I work hard to change that
way of thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My students eventually
come to understand that other cultures are not weird, they are just different
than what they are used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Respect for
others should permeate one’s life”, and I hope that through assignments such as
this one, I can help my students learn to respect other cultures (Gardner, pg 111).
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><u>Project Resources:</u>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Harvard Business School Press: Boston, MA</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Eiffel tower. (2008). Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.eiffel-tower.us/Eiffel-Tower-History.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.eiffel-tower.us/Eiffel-Tower-History.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Reinhardt Dining. (Photographer). (2012). Paris cafe. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.reinhardtdining.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/paris-cafe.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.reinhardtdining.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/paris-cafe.jpg</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Consulate General of Madagascar. (n.d.). <i>Madagascar tourism</i>. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.madagascarconsulate.org.za/tour.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.madagascarconsulate.org.za/tour.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Travel Tahiti. (Photographer). (n.d.). <i>Dance</i>. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.traveltahiti.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dance-21.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.traveltahiti.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dance-21.jpg</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pioch, N. (19, September 2002). <i>Gaugin, paul</i>. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/gauguin/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/gauguin/</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">À la Montréal. (2012). <i>Montréal</i>. Retrieved from </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfgV82DwKKvvx09DHSX55gPYf2LG8wj-4Ah0GUrPmbrt1Mm7-QhySP6yITIB_aZGLpaOO6MevISRsQe2TRRxBi_XxrMclET9ldy42uA-oTdftsUbA7rg7MlrChQK0L7wvS2vAtpPOsVg9/s1600/Montreal_Canada_Tourism.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfgV82DwKKvvx09DHSX55gPYf2LG8wj-4Ah0GUrPmbrt1Mm7-QhySP6yITIB_aZGLpaOO6MevISRsQe2TRRxBi_XxrMclET9ldy42uA-oTdftsUbA7rg7MlrChQK0L7wvS2vAtpPOsVg9/s1600/Montreal_Canada_Tourism.jpg</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(n.d.). <i>Montreal canada tourism</i>. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfgV82DwKKvvx09DHSX55gPYf2LG8wj-4Ah0GUrPmbrt1Mm7-QhySP6yITIB_aZGLpaOO6MevISRsQe2TRRxBi_XxrMclET9ldy42uA-oTdftsUbA7rg7MlrChQK0L7wvS2vAtpPOsVg9/s1600/Montreal_Canada_Tourism.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfgV82DwKKvvx09DHSX55gPYf2LG8wj-4Ah0GUrPmbrt1Mm7-QhySP6yITIB_aZGLpaOO6MevISRsQe2TRRxBi_XxrMclET9ldy42uA-oTdftsUbA7rg7MlrChQK0L7wvS2vAtpPOsVg9/s1600/Montreal_Canada_Tourism.jpg</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06722987767479949072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666698660741279316.post-63165746818224859212012-08-02T18:48:00.003-07:002012-08-02T18:48:29.152-07:00Respectful and Ethical Minds<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This
week’s topic of the Respectful and Ethical minds was one that I related to very
quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I have mentioned before, I
teach at an IB-MYP school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much of
what we do in our school is related to developing these minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the biggest connections I thought of
was the Learner Profile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are ten
characteristics that we try and get our students to embody throughout the MYP
program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These characteristics are
posted in every classroom and throughout the school, and are part of our school’s
vocabulary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characteristics are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Caring<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Communicators<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Respectful<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Principled<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Risk-takers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Balanced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Inquirers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Knowledgeable<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Open-Minded<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thinkers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Humans
exhibit a deep-seated tendency to create groups”, and I think that these
Learner Profile characteristics help our students learn how to interact
appropriately within their groups (Gardner, pg 92).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In my
classroom, I work very hard to help develop respectful and ethical minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I teach not only the French language, but I teach
about various cultures throughout the French speaking world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of my students have never left the
greater Baltimore area, so world cultures are completely unknown to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Knowledge
of other cultures around the world leads students to understanding and
compassion”, and I certainly try to expose my students to other cultures in my
class (Reed, 2007).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In her article, Reed suggests the use of e-mail in order
to promote global learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like
to try this in my class this coming school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My school district has finally approved the
use of e-Pals, and I can not wait to try it out!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In speaking with language teachers from other
districts that have used e-Pals, they have nothing but praise for the site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have linked up with classes throughout
the world, and exposed their students to other cultures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also provides a wonderful way for students
to communicate in French.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Another project I would like to do that promotes global
learning is podcasting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting my
students to communicate orally in French is a struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that they would be excited to create
podcasts, and would therefore be more willing to speak in French.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I can link up with a classroom through
e-Pals, my students could share their podcasts with other students throughout
the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would also be exciting for
them to hear podcasts from their e-Pals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">My school certainly promotes developments of our students’
respectful and ethical minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The IB-MYP
curriculum framework is very much geared towards global learning and character
development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many exciting
things that I would like to try in my classroom to help promote these goals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Harvard Business
School Press: Boston, MA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Reed,
J. (2007, September 28). Global collaboration and learning [Web log message].
Retrieved from
http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2007/09/global-collaboration-and-learning<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06722987767479949072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666698660741279316.post-23285942827482150482012-07-29T15:43:00.004-07:002012-07-30T18:07:17.766-07:00Project 2: Glog<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here is the link to my Glog: </span><a href="http://kmbenoit.edu.glogster.com/french-weather-and-dates/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Click Here</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I have looked at many Glogs before, but this week’s
assignment was my first time creating my own Glog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must say that I am now LOVING Glogster, and
can not wait to use it with my students in the coming school year!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that the possibilities for its use
are endless, and I know my students will thoroughly enjoy creating their own
Glogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This Glog that I created would be used at the end of Unit 2
for my 6<sup>th</sup> grade French IA class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The last two topics of Unit 2 are the date and the weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Glog could be used as a review for these
topics for the whole class, or as a differentiated activity for students that
need more review and practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
lucky to find a video on Discovery Education that addressed both the weather
and dates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are not many videos on
Discovery Education about French vocabulary and grammar, but luckily this “Standard
Deviants” series is fantastic!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum Standards this Glog
addresses are as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1.2.A.c.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> Demonstrate
understanding of developmentally appropriate information gained through active
listening or reading by applying it to a different context.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1.3.A.a.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> Write and
deliver short descriptions about very familiar topics of personal interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">2.2.A.d.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> Identify
countries, regions, and geographic features where the target language is spoken<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">4.1.A.d.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> Compare and
identify the use of idiomatic expressions between the target language and
English<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Standard 1.2.A.c. is addressed by the Discovery Education
assignment, as well as the review games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Students have to watch and listen, and then apply what they learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standard 1.3.A.a. is addressed in the writing
portion of the assignment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2.2.A.d. is
addressed by having students write about the weather in a French speaking
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would need to find out
where the city is located, as well as the general climate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standard 4.1.A.d. is addressed by reviewing
what is taught in class about the structure of the dates and weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The format for both of these is quite
different from English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Using Glogster in my class will help<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my students develop their creating
minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The challenge to the educator is
to keep alive the mind and the sensibility of the young child” (Gardner, pg.
84).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that an assignment using
Glogster will help to do just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
students will be excited to make Glogs, because they will enjoy the opportunity
to be creative in showing what they know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>More and more in the world, creativity is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“sought after, cultivated, and praised” (Gardner,
pg. 77), and Glogster is a wonderful tool to encourage creativity!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Harvard
Business School Press: Boston, MA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06722987767479949072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666698660741279316.post-34261633692830912562012-07-26T18:47:00.004-07:002012-07-26T18:47:32.535-07:00Blog on Content Creation<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For this week’s blog, I needed to talk to a student about
creativity and technology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a
former student that I was able to get in touch with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This student, Morgan, was in my French class
for all three years of middle school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Last year, when Morgan was a freshman, I kept in good touch with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have two middle schools and one high
school under one roof, so when Morgan went to high school, she was still able
to visit me often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would volunteer
in my classroom two days a week to earn service hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Morgan is an amazing kid, and a student that
I will always remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is extremely
bright and thoughtful, so I knew that I would get some good insight if I e-mailed
her about this assignment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are the
questions I asked her, and her responses.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1) Do you feel like
you are able to be creative in school?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I really only feel creative in my Creative Writing class. All
the other classes, not so much. My classes were IB classes, so they were more
focused on learning the material and getting the work done rather than
creativity. Some, like my English and Art class were exceptions, but other than
that I could not be very creative in class.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2) In which classes
do you feel that you are able to be the most creative?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I personally feel most creative in my writing class. I am an
author, so that class gave me the chance to expand my creative bounds and
helped me learn more about writing to make me better. That writing class gave
me more knowledge ALONG with letting my creative brain be free and inspirational.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3) Do you think that
technology allows you to be more creative?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It all depends on what technology is being used. Smart
boards and Power Points have a higher creative use than Word Document. It also
depends on the assignment given by the teacher. So possibly.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4) What are some
projects/assignments that you have done using technology that have allowed you to
create something (like a video, presentation, voice recording, etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In my technologies class, we had to create a power point
describing a story we went through once in our life. We used music and pictures
from the trip if you had them. We also typed the words, or spoke them verbally,
to explain the story. This project was fun but also taught us how to use the
program we were using to create the story.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5) What are some ways
that your teachers could allow you to be more creative while still accomplishing
the goals of the class?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One way to do it would be have many more projects with
creative freedom and a lot of crafts or other things that we create. High
schoolers LOVE crafts and projects :) It’s the sad truth that we keep avoiding.
If you twist the learning into crafts, we teens will realize 'Hey... we just
learned something!!!'</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Morgan’s responses made me smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She writes just like the author/history
teacher she plans to be one day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like
how she says that her creative writing class allows her “creative brain to be free”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t it be great if this could occur in
more classes than just creative writing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also like how Morgan talks about how students learn best when they don’t
realize they’re learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that
by using digital media and technology, we can allow this to occur more often.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Kate Benoithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525863737709241263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666698660741279316.post-3827992743622712852012-07-19T17:25:00.000-07:002012-07-19T17:25:06.340-07:00Creativity in the Classroom<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sir Ken Robinson’s speech is one that I have viewed many
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have seen it in previous Wilkes
classes, as well at professional development sessions through my school and
school district.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the message
that Sir Ken Robinson gives is very powerful, and something that should be
thought about very carefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In many ways, our schools do kill creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is so much focus on meeting standards,
and paperwork, and standardized testing, and so many other things, that
teachers don’t get to do what they really need to do –which is to teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No two kids are the same, so give each kid
the same education just doesn’t make sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each student has different interests, skills, and capabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to help them discover these, and
foster them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Sir Ken Robinson said, “all
kids have tremendous talents, and we squander them” (Robinson, 2006).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, in my school district, middle
school students only have their “encore “ classes on a three day rotation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So a student might have a week where they
only have art class one time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My best
friend is our school’s art teacher, so I spend a lot of time in her classroom,
and I see students that struggle in my French class (which is more “academic”)
absolutely flourishing in her art class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet these students only get to be in a class that they enjoy and in
which they find success every three days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sir Ken Robinson talked about how “we have no idea what’s
going to happen in terms of the future”, and how “education is meant to take us
into this future that we can’t grasp” (Robinson, 2006).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We really don’t know what kind of future we
are preparing our students for, so the best we can do is help them develop a
variety of skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creativity is one of
these skills, and I feel it is one of the most important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gardner talks about how companies such as
Google value creative thinking, and how many other companies are starting to do
the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are doing our students a
huge disservice if we don’t encourage creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Parallels about between the synthesizing and
the creating minds”, so we need to do whatever we can to develop both (Gardner,
pg 88).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, how do we go about fostering creativity in our
classrooms?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no easy answer, but
I think that technology can certainly help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of my favorite projects I have ever done was last year’s final
project with my 8<sup>th</sup> grade French II students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finished the curriculum early, so I needed
a project for the last week and a half of the school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I split the class into groups, gave each
group a topic we had studied during the year and a flip camera, and said “go”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put no parameters on the assignment, and I
was blown away with the result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
one group make a rap music video explaining the difference between “who” and “whom”
in French.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another group filmed an
episode of a dramatic soap opera that taught direct and indirect object
pronouns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was blown away by what they
created, and they loved the project. There are many technologies and Web 2.0
tools out there that allow students to create unique and original
material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more we can find ways to
use these in our classes, the better off our students will be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future.
Harvard Business School Press: Boston, MA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Robinson, K. (2006). <em><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Do
schools kill creativity?</span></em> [Web]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>Kate Benoithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525863737709241263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666698660741279316.post-27370078161871496992012-07-14T20:31:00.002-07:002012-07-14T20:32:57.763-07:00Media Infused Presentation<a href="http://prezi.com/kore45r22etq/french-ii-passe-compose-review/?auth_key=e3c0ca48641ddaaae74529755ee18e8c85a75efd" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">View My Prezi Here!</span></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For this project, I designed a Prezi that could be used with
my French II students to help them review the passé compose (past tense).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really enjoyed creating this project, and
can certainly see how projects such as this could help develop the disciplined
and synthesizing mind.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Any project that uses a variety of types of media and
sources is an effective project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
allows students to look at a topic from a multitude of perspectives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also helps motivate students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each student has different interest and
needs, and allowing students to use different sources and media types will help
each student to relate to the assignment in some way.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In his book, Gardner discusses the issue where “students may
have accumulated plenty of factual or subject matter knowledge, but they have
not learned to think in a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">disciplined </i>manner”
(Gardner, pg 22).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is certainly a
problem that all teachers can relate to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We want our students to not just recall facts or information, but to
understand that information and apply it to various situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>French is a topic that builds upon itself.
There are many concepts that my students learn that they can use later on to
predict new grammar rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having my
students create projects such as Prezis where they have to apply an old
concept to a new one would help develop their disciplined minds.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Synthesis is also a very important skill for our students to
learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gardner defines synthesis as “the
ability to knit together information from disparate sources into a coherent
whole” (Gardner, pg 44).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I created
my Prezi, I did exactly that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took the
topic of the passé compose, and then visited a variety of sites to gather
information about the topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even
created some of my own media (the audio clips) to add to the final product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then combined all the information and media
into a presentation that would concisely and completely review the passé
composé.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My students could certainly
create a similar project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing so would
help them develop their synthesizing minds.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This was my first time using Prezi, and I am already
mentally planning various projects my students could do using Prezi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am so excited about using Prezi, I can
only imagine how excited my students will be about using it!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Harvard Business School Press: Boston, MA.<o:p></o:p></span>Kate Benoithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525863737709241263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666698660741279316.post-19204370119493541322012-07-12T10:00:00.000-07:002012-07-14T10:00:57.781-07:00The Synthesizing Mind<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week’s reading about the synthesizing mind came at the
perfect time for me. For the past two weeks, I have been mentally planning a
project for my 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade students for the beginning of the school
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been rolling ideas around in
my mind trying to finesse this project, and Gardner’s chapter gave me <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>some good direction and more of a focus for
the project.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Gardner says, “The ability to knit together information
from disparate sources into a coherent whole is vital today” (Gardner, pg
44).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I agree that synthesizing is a
skill that needs to be developed in our students at an early age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The project that I am planning has students
synthesizing information from various sources in order to teach their
classmates a topic.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade students are in French IB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At my school, French I is split up over 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
and 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade into French IA and French IB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When students come back in 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
grade, I always face the issue that they have forgotten so much of what they
learned in 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
languages build so much on previous topics, it is vital that they review and,
in many cases, re-learn what was taught in 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I usually spend the first month of school
doing this review.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find it difficult
to come up with engaging lessons to re-teach what I taught the year
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I decided that, this year, I would
have the students do the teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
will assign students to small groups, and assign each group a topic that was
taught in 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each
group will then be responsible for creating either <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a Prezi or a Glog that teaches their
classmates about their assigned topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their Prezi or Glog will have to include information from the textbook,
internet resources, a video that they create, connections to other subject
areas, and more (again, I’m still developing this project).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once students create their project, we will
spend a few days in the computer lab having students view each other’s
projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this assignment will
be engaging for my students, and also help them to practice synthesizing
information from a variety of sources.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Gardner outlined the “Components of Synthesis” (pg.
48), I was immediately reminded of the IB-MYP Design Cycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gardner’s components are:</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A goal</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A starting point</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Selection of strategy, method, and approach</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Drafts and Feedback</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my school, we use the IB-MYP Design Cycle when<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>students do larger projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The steps of the Design Cycle are:</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Investigate</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Design</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Plan</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Create</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Evaluate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Both of these provide a similar framework for creating an
effectively synthesized product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the components of the project is to have students
relate their topic to another subject area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My school focuses heavily on cross-curricular education, and I always
enjoy seeing students make connections from one subject to another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They often surprise me with the connections
they make! <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Interdisciplinary
synthesis” is not always easy to achieve, but it is necessary for our students
to look at a topic from a multitude of contexts (Gardner pg 50).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our students need to take their lessons, and “transport
at least part of those lessons across the hallway” (Gardner, pg 59).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think including an interdisciplinary piece
to the review project will help my students relate French to other topics.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am excited to try this project out with my students next
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that I now have a better
idea as to what the final product should include, thanks to reading Gardner’s
chapter on synthesis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being able to
synthesize information is a vital skill, and I hope that I can do my part to
develop it in my students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Harvard Business
School Press: Boston, MA.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">IBO. (2005-2012). <i>Middle years programme curriculum</i>.
Retrieved from http://www.ibo.org/myp/curriculum/group8/<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Kate Benoithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525863737709241263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666698660741279316.post-82450159609762065862012-07-05T19:44:00.000-07:002012-07-05T19:44:02.091-07:00Digital Media<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Digital Media</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In my French IA class, which a beginning level 6<sup>th</sup>
grade French class, one of the very first things we do is to learn the French
alphabet and accents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is extremely
important for students to learn about them, because it helps the students
understand the rules of French pronunciation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once students learn the alphabet and accents, I can have them use what
they know in order to figure out how to pronounce a new word they learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In searching through Discovery Education, I found
the following two videos that address the French alphabet and accents. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are from the same series – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Standard Deviants School: The Flaky Pastry
World of French.</i></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=49F43D2F-CD9E-46BF-A82F-19F8B128DE2A" target="_blank">Alphabet Video</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=B55E49E4-279B-470E-B68A-CEAA19637DED" target="_blank">Accent Video</a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I think that my students would love these videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They present the exact same material that I
teach, but do so in a way that would really capture the students’
attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the things they say
in the video and the examples they use are ones that I use with my students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These videos would strongly reinforce what I
teach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">These videos would be helpful for my visual and auditory learners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My special needs students would also benefit
from these videos, as they present the material in a way that would appeal to
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These videos are extremely
engaging, and I look forward to showing them to my 6<sup>th</sup> graders next
year!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cerebellum (Producer). (2002). <span class="assetDetail_segmentName"><em>Section
B: Accents and Frenchie Vowels</em></span>. [Video Segment]. Available from
</span><a href="http://www.discoveryeducation.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.discoveryeducation.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cerebellum (Producer). (2002). <span class="assetDetail_segmentName"><em>Section
B: Accents and Frenchie Vowels</em></span>. [Video Segment]. Available from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/</span><br />
<br />Kate Benoithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525863737709241263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666698660741279316.post-58835562646759502922012-06-27T18:54:00.001-07:002012-06-27T18:54:08.885-07:00Introductory Blog<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Introductory Blog:</span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1.Who are you and what do you do?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Kate Benoit, a middle school French teacher from Maryland. I enjoy crafts, nail art, and Ravens football.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. What is your primary goal for taking this course?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To learn ways to reach my students through digital media, and to incorporate it more into my classroom.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. What is your philosophy of education?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That all students can find success in my class in some way, and it is my job to help meet their needs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4. What do you see as the greatest benefit of using technology and/or digital media in the classroom?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Technology is exciting for my students and helps engage them in my lessons. It keeps school interesting.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5. What is your biggest concern or challenge with using technology and/or digital media in the classroom?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Not everyone has access outside of school, so planning can be difficult. I wish we had unlimited resources!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">6. Provide an example of how you currently use technology and/or digital media in the classroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Smartboard, computer labs, laptop carts, online games, online version of the textbook, and much more!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">7. How does your classroom today differ from when you were the same age as your students?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">11 year old me didn't have computers in the classroom and didn't interact with media on a regular basis.</span>Kate Benoithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525863737709241263noreply@blogger.com1