Conversations with Athony Capps

This week for EDM 310, the class watched several conversations between Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps.  Anthony Capps is a  "former student in EDM 310, former lab professional in EDM 310, now a 3rd grade teacher at Baldwin County Elementary School in Gulf Shores, and also a really good friend of [Dr. Strange] and EDM 310." Application of project based learning in elementary school was the overlying message of the conversations between Dr. Strange and Anthony; however, there was much more to these conversations than just simply explaining PBL.  In the first two videos, Capps discussed his own usage of PBL; the third and fourth video described two resources Anthony uses to enhance this teaching method; finally, in the fifth, sixth, and seventh videos, Dr. Strange and Anthony gave the viewers a few more tips on how to use PBL effectively in a classroom.  I learned even more about project based learning, I was also introduced to iCurio and Discovery Education from these videos.

In the first two videos I learned even more about project based learning from Anthony Capps.  Capps talked about his application of PBL in his own classroom, as well as gave the viewers some general guidelines for using project based learning.  One example Anthony gave in part two of the PBL conversations of his application particularly interested me.  His students completed a project in which they broke down a story into six scenes, like a comic strip, he said.  After they had the story organized into six scenes, the students were to think about the story in various contexts such as what would happen to the story if one scene were missing or if the scenes were in a different order.  They also had to decide which scene was the most important and choose three scenes that could stand alone and still tell the same story.  Anthony Capps did not just ask the students closed ended, boring questions about the story the children read.  He invited him the kids to dive deeper into the subject matter through the use of open ended questions and this allowed them to become more involved in the subject matter.  That is why this is an excellent utilization of project based learning.

Videos three and four describe two resources Anthony Capps uses to enhance the PBL teaching method in his classroom.  These resources are iCurio and Discovery Education. The first allows students to 1. safely search websites, 2. store information they may need or find interesting, and 3. use a directory to find specific information.  iCurio is a search engine that gives children access to websites that the teacher has currated (hence the name).  This give children the opportunity to conduct research without the teacher worrying that they may stumble upon information unsuitable for children.  This is incredibly important because there is just so much on the internet that is not appropriate for children in elementary school.  iCurio also provides storage space for the children to save the information the children come across.  Anthony explains this feature is helpful for the students to transition quickly. They can save their work easily, go on to another activity, then pick up right where they left off with little delay.  Lastly, iCurio has a directory that the children can use.  Capps enjoys this feature because sometimes the children are uncertain of exactly what they are searching for.  It allows them to put their feelers out for a new and exciting topic.  The other resource that Anthony Capps uses in his classroom is Discovery Education.  Discovery Ed has online textbooks and audiobooks as well as visuals for the children.  During this video, Dr. Strange says that children are moving from being readers and writers while learning to listeners and watchers. I would agree with Dr. Strange here; however, Anthony argues that the children really enjoy both.  He explains that the children like Discovery Ed because it has visual and audio qualities that enhances the children's learning.

Finally, the last three videos EDM 310 students watched this week left them with a few handy tips for applying project based learning in their own classroom when they get there. In The Anthony - Strange list of Tips for Teachers, Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps go back and forth creating a list of tips.  The list consists of five key components of using project based learning well.  The list is:

1. You must be interested in learning yourself.

2. Teaching is hard - work should not be separated from play, teaching is your hobby.

3. You must be creative and flexible.

4. You must start developing lessons with an end in mind.

5. Reflect upon what you have done, what works, and what does not work.

Dr. Strange and Anthony also give tips on how to 'teach' the children how to use technology in the video Use Technology, Don't Teach It. The two explain that children will pick up on how to use the technology in front of them if the teacher just gives them the opportunity to use it.  Practicing with technology is how children become technologically literate, not through a specific course or lesson.  They also mentioned that the students will probably be able to use the technology better than their teacher and that is normal.  Mrs. Holland, my EDU 330 professor said that if you don't know how to use a device, ask a child to show you.  I may have mentioned this in a previous post, but that tip has really stuck with me as I am venturing deeper and deeper into EDM 310.