Blog Assignment #11

What Kathy Cassidy Taught Me

     Kathy Cassidy is a teacher who teaches first graders.  She caught my attention right off the bat when she said she had not used technology up until the past ten years.  I often forget there are teachers out there who are having to teach themselves how to keep up with their students.  She said she started learning the different technology out there when she was given five computers to use in her classroom.  She said they were very basic and had absolutely no programs on it, so she went hunting for things to keep her six year old students interested in learning.  She started with how to make webpages, which led to blogging, and now that's what her students use! She made the comment that her students love to use the technology because it makes them feel like they aren't leaving it at home when they get to school. 

     Ms. Cassidy said her students use their blogs as an online portfolio.  That intrigued me immediately.  As a history teacher,  I will have a lot of papers being going back and forth between the students so it would be easier if I had them place their assignments online.  I could find them better and I wouldn't have to worry about misplacing them (or my dog eating it).  The only problem I could see there is if I lose internet access, but hey, I remember my teachers always telling me they didn't get something graded on time!  She said she uses Class Blog Mister for the students to put their work up.  Her students enjoy putting stuff up for the world to see instead of handing in a paper for just the teacher to read.  I'm not sure my high school students would care for their papers on The Revolutionary War to be publicized or not, but it's nice knowing I have the option. 

     She mentioned if you're interested in using video in your classroom to start using YouTube.  I am on YouTube everyday looking at all kinds of different things.  I have some videos bookmarked that I want to using to enhance my lessons.  I have also went farther than that and found The American Experience.  This is a website that has many historical videos available to the public online, and they add new ones all the time.  It is also a television program on PBS.  I receive emails from them already, and when I see a special coming up that collaborates my lesson plans I will assign it to my classes.  Although I will probably assign it as a extra credit assignment.  In high school you have to be more careful springing things on kids as a grade with short notice.  Some students have extracurricular school activities, athletic events, and some simply don't have the resources to get it done with a couple of days notice.  I'll make the decision according to the school and students I am teaching. 

     Kathy Cassidy mentioned using Twitter and Wiki pages in her classroom, but I honestly don't think I will use those any.  I'm sure I could find some use with them, I'm not saying I can't, I just don't think I will try to put that in my lesson plans as of right now.  I did, however, love her idea about using a blog as an announcement source.  I mentioned this in an earlier blog post, but I have thought about that from the beginning of this class.  I might use a teacher blog and post the assignments given that day so any student who is absent can't use the excuse of not knowing.  I'll post lectures, slideshows we used, and any extra credit websites they can use on it.  I'll require it to be check at least three times a week.  I obviously took a lot from the interview with Ms. Cassidy.  I appreciate her sharing her knowledge with us, because as you can see I have a lot of ways to incorporate her first grade technology into my high school classes.

Also, I really appreciated seeing the snow! I have never seen snow before!

C4T #3

Comment #1:

     For this C4T, I have been assigned to Ken Halla's US History blog. This post, The Election of 1800 in Their Own Words, consisted of one video. The video, linked above, made comparisons to the name calling during election times for the present day and 1800's. It's been going on for years; it doesn't make it right. At the end of the video it states that you should look in a history book next time you complain about politicians.

     I commented on this post thanking them for the blog they run. Their blog links tools US History teachers can use in their classroom to help students get more interested in the subject. There are also links for other history subject course blogs too. I told him I found the blog funny and helpful. I will definitely keep this video in mind when teaching during elections.

Comment #2:

     Ken Halla put up a new blog post titled Flipped Learning and Differentiation. I linked the video above so that you could see for yourself what the students in a flipped classroom are doing.  His blog post said that the New York Times made an article advocating this new classroom technique. He said flipping allows the teacher to be able to work with the students more individually and equally.

     In my comment to his I thank him for sharing what a flipped classroom was. I had never heard of one until I read the blog entry. I told him I got a few ideas from the video that I want to incorporate in my classroom. I told him again how much I love the blog he runs. It's very specific to the material I want to teach and helps me find new ways to do that! I put this in my bookmarks to refer back to later!

C4K Summary for October

Week 8

     I had the joy of visiting Caitlin's blog this week.  She wrote about what she wants to be when she gets older.  She was so sweet talking about wanting to be a veterinarian and help animals.  Caitlin said she wants a hedge hog, guinea pig, and a penguin.  I commented back and told her I would've loved to have been a veterinarian.  I didn't because of all the schooling involved and the hurt animals I couldn't help, but don't worry, I didn't tell her that!  I also shared my love of penguins with her too!

"

Week 9
     This week I hopped over to Jayme's blog and read about her love of science.  Jayme talked about her science class and how they're learning about the different parts of the cell and are doing a project too.  I told her my favorite part of the cell was the mitochondria, and she should go look it up because it was pretty cool.  She mentioned dissecting an animal later in the semester, and I told her I've never done that but good luck!

Week 10
     Reety's blog post this week was titled "My Hero Is My Mom".  I told her her idea of a hero was wonderful, and I was so glad her mom was her hero.  Reety talked about how her mom is her hero because she stands up for her when she's bullied and helps her.  I told her what a wonderful thing it was to have a mother like that. My mom is my hero too!

Week 11
     Shane wrote about Jack-o-lanterns this week. His blog post, titled "Jak-o-lanterns", told about where carving pumpkins came from. I was very interested to hear it originated in Ireland, and I told him I would have to ask my Irish friend more about it! I then told him I had never carved a pumpkin, but I might try it after reading his blog post.

Project #14

This lesson plan last for a week and is geared for high school students.  The driving question for this project is How does Congress Work? What cause Filibusters? What do Congressional Bodies say about a Representative Republic? We will split the classroom into two groups, "House" and "Senate".  Legislative issues will then be given for the groups to debate and discuss.  Each group will elect a representative (Speaker of the House-House, Vice President-Senate) to present their position the group has reached. If the stances are mutual, the bill is passed, if not they start over.  Students will use iPads and laptops for research, and they may make a presentation that the leader will present.  

Blog Assignment #10

What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From Randy Pausch?

         

     In the video, Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, he briefs over every encounter that got him to where he was that day.  It was truly inspiring to see the different people and circumstances that helped mold him to the man he had become.  I tried to remember to take some notes during the lecture, but to be honest he had me so captured with his stories that I did not get as many things down as I would've liked.  He started off saying "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted".  I thought that was perfect!  There have been so many instances in my life where I have sat back and said "what did that achieve?", and now I have something to remember.  Just because I'm the teacher doesn't mean things will always go the way I plan them to go in my classroom (no matter how hard I try to steer them that direction).  It's important for me to remember that I need to keep things fun in my classroom.  There is no way I can know every single who,what,where,when, and why that happened in history!  Through this video I was reminded that I need to be earnest and tell the truth.  Own up to the fact I don't know, but I will find out the answer and share with them as best I can.  Randy Pausch also said there's a good and bad way to say 'I don't know'.  I can't tell you how many times I've felt discouraged by the simple inflection in someone's voice telling me 'I don't know'. It's also important to apologize when I screw up something. 

     Most of what my students take from my class will be indirectly learned.  Whether it be through other students, projects, or their exams the information they obtain may be accidental.  I've retained a lot of information from being wrong and finding out the correct answer; I tend to never forget when that happens. Teaching, and learning, take fundamentals and hard work.  It's important I work with other teachers to help get a curriculum that will challenge my students.  Randy Pausch made a comment that he taught a class that completed the whole semesters curriculum in one class assignment.  He didn't know what to do so he called up his mentor, and they worked out a new lesson plan to help his students thrive.  He wasn't afraid to admit when he had undermined their intelligence.  He had to drop his feelings and focus on their needs. "Brick walls are there to let us prove how badly we want things", probably one of my favorite things he said in this lecture.  It made me recall the times I had given up on things because of a 'brick wall'.  I'm embarrassed to say there were many.  To say I learned many things from this video would be a huge understatement.  I really enjoyed listening to him and getting to hear about his life.  I too have worked at Disney World so I could relate to him on some level there.  It was really neat having something in common with this great man.

Blog Assignment #9

 Education in a "Meaningful and Motivational Context"

                                                              Written By: Degas
                                      Erin Crane, Wesley Etheridge, and Lance Wilkinson

     In his TED talks presentation, Brian Crosby expressed the idea that an education in a "meaningful and motivational context" was the right of every student in the educational system; to which he got a round of applause from the audience. As educators, this should be our goal; however, how do we achieve a "meaningful" and "motivational" context. What questions do we ask students? What projects do we engage students in? How do inspire students to carry what they've learned throughout their lives? 

     AP Biology teacher Paul Anderson poses the power of the question. He implores the "Blended Learning Cycle" in his classroom. The Blended Learning Cycle is a combination of Blended Learning (incorporating elements of online, mobile, and classroom learning) and the Learning Cycle. The Learning Cycle is a process composed of the steps of engaging, exploring, explain, expanding, and evaluating. By applying the Blended Learning Cycle students are engaged in a meaningful and motivational context. Mr. Anderson uses the Blended Learning Cycle in his own classroom using a process he named "Quivers". The steps for "Quivers" include: "Ask a question", "Investigation, Inquiry", "Video", "Elaboration", "Review", "Summary". These steps engage students, applying a meaningful and motivational context to the classroom. 

Check out Mr. Anderson's Video on Blended Learning:

     In a TED Talks Presentation, Brian Crosby gave a presentation entitled "Back to the Future" in which Mr. Crosby details his experiences working with at risk children. Mr. Crosby poses that striking a passion in students will remove the "disconnect" from education. Project Based Learning, Blogging, and Skype are all used by the students to further immerse them in learning. By doing so, the students are not only engaged in learning, but learn to collaborate and detail their findings in a meaningful context. By applying a meaningful context, students are further immersed in learning and thus, become much more passionate.

Mr. Crosby's Blog: 
     Mark Church, author of "Making Thinking Visible", shows that critical thinking can be applied, thus making it seem relevant in a meaningful context. Mr. Church had students make a "Headline" for "what the puzzle and challenge for search for human origins is all about". This may seem like a simple assignment, but as one student remarked: "That's a big topic to put in such a small amount of words." Students worked in groups, so all the students in the group had to agree on the Headline. This teaches students collaboration and critical thinking, inspiring discussions between students that are much more effective than lecture alone. 

 

     Above all, these teachers show us that providing education in as Brian Crosby says, a "meaningful and motivational context" is most important. This context can be achieved through interactive learning, engaging projects, critical thinking, and discussions. This leaves us to conclude, in modern society, questioning might just be more important than answering.

Blog Assignment #8

21st Century Learning and Communicating Tool by Erin Crane:
     In this class we tend to talk about things that relate more to Elementary Education.  Don't get me wrong, I still find new things to incorporate in my classroom.  For this blog assignment I wanted to get outside of the things we have learned and find something that would interest my high school students, particular in my history classes.  Usually any tool you find for history of that age involved a lot of reading simply because of the content. I visited some of my favorite historical landmarks' websites to see if they had anything interesting. Here's what I found.

   

     Mount Vernon is one of my favorite historical places i've visited.  The grounds are gorgeous and there is so much history there with the birth of our nation.  I would love to be able to take my students there, but it's just not always financial feasible.  I started looking at their website and noticed this page.

They have a Teacher Resources section of their website that included Lesson Plans you can use as well as videos you can incorporate into your teaching.  They also have a photo/video gallery of things around the estate that I could show the class as I am teaching.  They also have a Student Resources section.

I can send my students here for research when they are completing their "This Person In History" project (see lesson plans).  This section holds more videos, an interactive "Meet people from the past", and a digital encyclopedia.

     

     After finding these new tools I could use successfully I decided to go look at some of my other favorite historical places' websites.  Ford's Theatre has a Virtual Tour that I could pull up to use as a point-of-view when talking about President Lincoln's assassination.  The U.S Capitol also has Teacher and Student Resources that I could turn to when discussing the more political aspects of history.

     I feel like students would have more fun navigating the sites themselves, and it even may spark an interest for them to go search out more historical websites.  The virtual tours would help them visualize things more clearly, as well as the videos.  Overall, I think using this tool and technology might help high school students become more interesting in the history of their country.

21st Century Learning and Communicating Tool by Lance Wilkinson:

By "pre-loading" the material to be taught before the lecture, students could gain a general knowledge of the material and ask questions, leaving the class time to be devoted to applying the material, rather than being delivered the material. This application is extremely valuable to all subjects, but as a future History teacher I see enormous potential in the process of receiving and learning material before class to inspire questions, speculation, and debate.

3 Sources I have found to apply this method are:

1) ITunes U

2) Online Websites: Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, Fordham University's Internet History Sourcebook, and BBC History.

3) Databases (Such as the Alabama Virtual Library - AVL)

ITunes U provides an immense resource for students of any academic discipline. ITunes U allows students to subscribe to Podcasts of areas of study as well as provides Primary and Secondary Sources for humanities subjects. Since most students own an iDevice of some sort, most students could take their classroom material with them to access at any time. ITunes U is full of material that can be incorporated into any curriculum.

The internet provides an immense amount of content, but students need to know how to filter content to get the best sources possible. The teacher as a guide should show students where to access proper source material online first, to give students a good example of what fits good source criteria. From there, students can find their own websites and resources for source material. Being able to filter content is a 21st century skill directly related to the study of History. The Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media is a website that provides an immense amount of content directly related to the field of History. Students can browse everything from broad categories such as surveys of U.S. History and World History, to specific topics such as Women in History, and Events/Time Periods such as The French Revolution. Take a look: http://chnm.gmu.edu/teaching-and-learning/

Fordham University in New York also provides an "Internet Sourcebook" for History Students. Primary Sources from all of History are provided online for research and study. These primary sources will be assigned in class in context of the curriculum and Common Core Standards. In addition, the Primary Sources Fordham University's website provides can be used for Research Papers and Presentations. Fordham University Link: http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/mod/modsbook.asp

BBC History Online also provides has a less-detailed source catalogue, as well as Historical games and quizzes for areas of interest. BBC History: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/games/

Students can also access source material online at The Alabama Virtual Library, or AVL. The AVL provides a secure, academic database for students to use for research.

The internet is an excellent tool for preserving the past, but looking toward the future. Using technology students learn not only to gather information, but to filter information as well. By applying 21st century skills to the classroom, students can engage in research like never before. Having sources directly available via the internet connects students to a world of knowledge no one before our time could imagine.

21st Century Learning and Communicating Tools by Wesley Etheridge:

I've learned about so many new tools in this class that I thought it would be impossible for me to find something new to add to my class, but I was wrong. I will be teaching Social Studies on the high school level so it's very important that the tools I utilize are age appropriate and engaging. After a lot of thinking and research, I've come across numerous technological tools that would be great for a history class. However, there are three that I want to discuss today that really stood out to me:

1) Sid Meier's civilization video game series

2) Google Maps

3) History Matters website

The first tool is probably my favorite tool. In some of my previous blog posts I've discussed how I believe some video games to be a  tool that history teachers can use to their advantage. Sid Meier's Civilization video games specialize in historical content. These games are available on the iPad, Computers, and gaming consoles. In my classroom I plan to use the iPad version of this game. The game is a turn-based strategy game series in which you attempt to build an empire to stand the test of time. Students will have the opportunity to become ruler of the world by establishing and leading a civilization from the dawn of man into the space age. They will be able to wage war against other civilizations on the game, conduct diplomacy, discover new technologies for their civilization, go head-to-head with some of history's greatest leaders, and build the most powerful empire the world has ever known. The game's instructions are very clear, and allow anyone over the age of 10 great gameplay. This game would be great to utilize when teaching World History because it allows you the opportunity to play as any of the early world empires. It would give students a better understanding of these early civilizations and would even allow them to see how technological advancements have taken place over time. The game could be a great tool if used properly.

The second tool is one that I never thought about using in my class until I was assigned to Eric Langhorst's blog for C4T's. Eric is a social studies teacher and he has used Google Maps to aid in teaching his 8th graders about geography. Google Maps allows you to learn about the geography of every where in the world. It's truly amazing. I can remember the first time I ever found out about google maps. I would get lost looking at various places all over the world zooming in as close as I could to see what it was like there. Eric Langhorst allowed his 8th grade class to create their own progressive Google Map in his class and I would love to do something like this myself. Each unit the students add locations to their map that are significant to the content they are currently studying.

The final tool I want to share is a website that provides numerous resources for history teachers. History Matters provides teachers with various links, but the thing I like about this website the most is it connects history teachers with other history teachers. This is a great way for me to shape my teaching strategies with other history teacher’s strategies. Also, this tool provides over 1000 links to historical documents, images, and audio interviews that would be beneficial to every history teacher.

C4T #2

Comment #1:

     I was assigned to J F Hadley's blog for my second C4T.  Her article, Educator's Care, talked about the importance of uniting together as educators to help one another.  She mentioned at the BAMMY Awards in Washington DC there were awards given to teachers for their accomplishments over others.  She didn't believe in pinning one teacher against the other, but that we should be open to helping one another for our students sake.  She mentioned while in Washington DC for this awards thing, she set up a get together for teachers to communicate and discuss the benefits and challenges of being a connected educator.  Apparently some of these educators had only ever met online, so they were thrilled to be able to sit down to a face-to-face conversation.
 
     I thanked her for bringing the importance of other teachers to my attention.  I was focusing so much on becoming a teacher that I forgot how difficult it will be at times.  Her blog helped me realize I need to surround myself with supportive educators once I start teaching.

Comment #2:

     J F Hadley's second blog post was title, It's Official! I'm an Addict!  She was raving about a book she read, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student Centered Classroom by Mark Barnes.  Mrs. Hadley was talking about how immediately after reading this book she changed her lesson plans for the next week.  She worked on gathering a project to get her students more interested in history, but her teaching materials fell short.

     I commented thanking her for sharing this.  I have been a little scared with not being totally prepared in my lessons, and she showed that you have to be willing to change things. Be flexible!  I also told her she inspired me, as a future history teacher, and gave me some ideas to use with my teaching.

Project #13

Writing A Lesson Plan For A Project

Lesson Plan #1 created by Erin Crane for Project #13

The Lesson Plans for my project is in the link above.  These Lesson Plans focus on teaching students how to find true, factual research as well as how to make a proper presentation.  This specific Lesson Plan is intended for an 11th grade classroom but could vary for the different high school grade levels. Due to the length of the assigned paper and presentation they are to get ready for they will be allotted 10 hours over the span of a week to use the school computers and iPads.  Hopefully this will teach students the proper way of researching and presenting a project.

Blog Assignment #7

Erin Crane, Lance Wilkinson, and Wesley Etheridge:

In the 21st century, more professionals in the field of education are seeing the impact Project Based Learning can have on the educational process. According to Anthony Capps in his discussions with Dr. Strange, Project Based Learning can reach its apex when the students authentically receive the project. This authenticity can be achieved by capturing student interest.

In the video discussion, Mr. Capps encouraged Project Based Learning through an assignment for his 3rd Grade students to write a letter to Congressman Joe Bonner. What is most interesting, as well as unconventional, is that Mr. Capps encouraged the students to peer edit each others’ writing and then choose themselves which eight were the best. This is collaboration at its finest because it was the students selecting which letters were the best and not the teacher. There seems to be something very Democratic about Project Based Learning.

Project Based Learning also exercises practical ACCRS and Common Core standards. In their letters to Joe Bonner, Mr. Capps’ students were actually practicing extremely relevant reading and writing skills.

Mr. Capps also encouraged the use of Icurio due to its mass amount of content. In addition, Icurio is a search engine for a mass amount of Filtered Media. This makes Icurio an ideal safe engine for students to use. Icurio is perfect to be in used in conjunction with Project Based Learning because it provides a safe place for students to research and gather material for their projects. Discover Education works very much in the same way, but focuses on digital mediums of learning rather than research.

Overall, the video discussions between Mr. Capps and Dr. Strange prove that students desire an interactive learning environment. More so, when teachers give students an interactive environment, the students become more involved than ever. An interactive and engaging learning environment starts with interactivity, Project Based Learning, and an availability of the tools necessary to achieve these new methods of Education such as Icurio and Discovery Ed.

Based on these four videos.

Erin Crane: "Strange List of Tips For Teachers"

In the video, The Anthony-Strange Tips for Teachers, Anthony Capps and Dr. John Strange gave tips for beginning teachers to remember.  Anthony, a former EDM 310 student and well respected third grade teacher, and Dr. Strange imparted six “tips of wisdom” (as I like to call it) upon those who watched the video.  The list consisted of:

1. Be interested in learning.
2. Be ready to put in the hard work.
3. Be flexible with the way you teach.
4. Always start with a goal.
5. Engage your students 100% of the time.
6. Reflect,revise, share, and work with an audience.

A couple of these seemed like common sense advice, but it hit me that I hadn’t really thought of it.  I have always been a believer in the “you get as much effort as you put in” method so I understood the hard work tip.  The first piece of advice given, be interested in learning, put me at ease.  I’ve always had a fear of not remembering or knowing enough information to teach my students, but I realize I will have to teach myself new curriculum every day.  History is something that doesn’t change, but at the same time is constantly changing.  Everyday a new event will happen that I can compare to a past event in history, hence, “history repeats itself”.  As I get older I also realize my students may also start teaching me things, which is fine, it means they’re learning!  Another tip I liked was to be flexible with the way you teach.  I realize every class is different from the next, and some things I use in one I won’t be able to use in the others.  Having a plan set out is great, but I need to learn to be flexible to roll with whatever happens.  We may get on a topic the kids have a lot of questions about, and I won’t cover the rest of my lesson plans for the day.  I’ll have to make that up at some point in the week.  Flexibility is a great word for teachers to remember, as well as the tips given to us in this video.

Lance Wilkinson: “Don’t Teach Technology, Use It”

The video conversation between Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange “Don’t Teach Technology, Use It” focuses on the opinion that students should be familiarized and learn to apply technology through Project Based Learning. This belief is founded on the fact that technology will become immensely more prevalent during our future students’ lives, therefore technology should be a medium of the learning process.

According to Mr. Capps, technology is advantageous to learning because it is clean and sharable. A huge part of education, as well as technology is sharing. Therefore it would make sense that the two be combined. Technology also excites students and makes educational material seem more relevant to their daily lives.

By applying technology to Project Based Learning, students not only learn the material, but also become more familiar with technology through the project. Implementing technology into the classroom through Project Based Learning also teaches students problem solving skills. In addition, technology should be implemented gradually to familiarize students with technological mediums in order to build week by week on technological familiarity.

The main thesis of the video rests on having students engage in Project Based Learning by applying technology, rather than merely teaching technological applications to students. In this way students can apply what they’ve learned in the project’s subject and familiarize themselves with technology in an interactive and engaging learning process.

Wesley Etheridge: “Additional Thought About Lessons”

In the video, Additional Thoughts About Lesson, Anthony Capps explains that a lesson is 4 layers thick. The first "layer" of developing a lesson is thinking about how the lesson fits into your plan in terms of the entire year. This requires deciding if you are going to cover all of your content standards, and then writing out a curriculum map that ensures all of the standards are covered during the course of the year. The next layer is the unit. According to Anthony Capps it is vital that the unit is planned in a cohesive manor that ensures each unit sets up the next. This assures that you don't force students to learn everything about one particular unit in one day. Rather than forcing students to learn everything in a short amount of time, you plan a certain point in time where the students should be able to master the outcome. The third layer, so to speak, is planning your week. This entails having a goal for each week, and asking yourself what will you do each day to achieve that goal at weeks end. The fourth and final layer is the daily plan. The daily plan is how you engage students on a daily basis. Anthony says you start with a hook that gets the students engaged and then by the end of the day you use something to actually measure what they have discovered. You then take those measurements to plan your next day. Anthony Capps is clear to point out that it doesn't matter which layer you start with, but all four layers are equally important in having a successful lesson.

In this short video I learned a lot about a lesson. I agree with Anthony that all four layers are important, but the part that grabbed my attention the most was his comment on the importance of having a hook that engages students on the daily level. I would love to hear him discuss examples of hooks in the future with Dr. Strange.  

PLN Project #2-first progress report

     My PLN so far has been very informative.  I'm finding all these new things to incorporate in my classroom.  I chose Symbaloo to help me keep everything in order.  So far I only have ten tiles on my board, but they are websites I use often and will continue to use when I get to be a teacher.  Amongst the ten tiles I have included my personal blog and the class blog.  The class blog gives me easy access to all the students and educators connected to it, and my personal blog as well has a few of the students comments on there.  The class blog also has links to other educational media sites I can use.  I also included a tile on iCurio for the same reason.  I included my Gmail and Twitter tiles in there to keep up with other educators around the globe, even though I don't have many on there at the moment.  Youtube is probably the most useful tile I have on my Symbaloo as of now because once I watch one educational video another one will catch my eye in the suggestion box.  Once that happens its just a downward spiral and before I know it I've found ten different educator vlogs that I keep up with.  I have USA, Padlet, and Google Drive tiles up there as well for easy access.  I added the History Channel to my board as well.  As a history teacher I will be able to pull this up for quick informational tools and videos.  They also have a "What happened today" section and I can have that up for the students to see when they come in the classroom.  So far this is all I have developed on my PLN.

Degas Podcast Project #9