Lauren Taylor's Portfolio

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Free Inquiry Blog #7

March 3, 2020 / / 0 Comments

For this week’s blog, I have chosen to compare Duolingo and another language program called Rosetta Stone. Each of these language programs have their pros and cons; therefore, it depends on your personal interest to which program will work best for you. Both of these language programs are available on IOS and Android devices. 

The largest difference in my opinion between these two language programs is the cost. Duolingo is free as Rosetta Stone can cost between 80 to 250 dollars. Free does not always mean better but you may want to consider how dedicated and motivated you are to learning a new language because you do not want to be spending that much money for a few lessons. 

Rosetta Stone offers 28 languages and Duolingo offers 21; therefore you may pick the language program depending on which language you want to learn. You may also pick which program based on how you learn best. Rosetta Stone’s approach to learning is “Dynamic Immersion.” Its focus is “less gamified but presents sounds, words, phrases, sentences, and dialogues.” The lessons include lots of matching pictures to words / sentences and only focuses on the language you are learning. Duolingo focuses on teaching the basics of the language by using more translation. Duolingo is commonly known to be easier to use than Rosetta Stone.  

When deciding which language program to use when learning a new language, it is important to consider what each program offers to pick the one that best suits your individual needs. 

The websites I used for this blog post: 

https://lifehacker.com/language-learning-showdown-rosetta-stone-vs-duolingo-1790938306

https://preply.com/en/blog/2018/12/13/language-learning-apps-duolingo-rosetta-stone-review/

https://www.alllanguageresources.com/duolingo-vs-rosetta-stone/

Blog #4

February 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This week is the beginning of the second part of our growth plan. During our work period today, I worked on the note C because it was a challenge in my first video. I was hitting the note well so I do believe it was because I did not want to annoy my neighbours in residence. Now, I plan to go to Learning Commons more frequently to practice and to record my next video. During our work period today I also discovered that the second song I chose to learn is way too challenging and is unrealistic to learn for the amount of time left in this term. I was planning on learning the Mii Channel Theme song but I have changed it to Happy Birthday. My new song, Happy Birthday, covers a wider range of notes than my previous song When the Saints Go Marching In so it will still be a challenge, but it is more realistic. I also believe this is a more beneficial song to learn for my career because I want to be a kindergarten teacher; therefore, I will be able to play it with my future students as they sing. Today I made a lot of progress. I began with choosing a new song, then wrote down the count on my sheet. This piece of music is three beats per measure. I then  watched a few videos on Youtube of people playing this song on the recorder to see the rhythm and the finger positions. As of this point, I have begun to learn the first part of the piece.

Group Inquiry Blog 4

February 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

For this week’s blog we have decided to discuss the article “Technology in the Classroom no Shortcut to Success: OECD Report” from CBC News referring to the inclusion of technology in the classroom. This article states that technology is constantly growing and becoming more heavily relied on, therefore, technology should not be eliminated from the classroom. Instead technology should have limits. We strongly agree with this statement based on our previous research of the benefits of having technology shortcuts in the classroom in which we learned how technology should not take away the teaching in the classroom. This is stated perfectly in the quote: “technology can amplify great teaching, but great technology cannot replace poor teaching” (Glowacki, 2015). For example technology can help students’ grammar but cannot teach students how to spell. This article states that students who use technology more frequently have lower performances. The article also states that “when students use word processors instead of writing by hand, they write more and their writing skills are notably better” (Glowacki, 2015). However, nothing can replace a solid foundation in literacy skills.  Research is supporting our thoughts of how though there are some positive benefits of shortcut tools, it is important to ensure students learn necessary literacy skills before utilizing the technology.  If these skills are not in place before students begin using shortcut tools, then the tools become more of a detriment to learning rather than a support. 

In next week’s blog we will discuss some of the negatives of utilizing technology shortcuts in the classroom. 

This is the link for the article: 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/technology-in-the-classroom-no-shortcut-to-success-oecd-report-1.3230587

 

February 26 Blog

February 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

On February 26th we had the privilege of going to Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt’s kindergarten classroom at George Jay Elementary. Rebecca spoke to us about how she teaches inquiry based learning. Prior to her presentation, I was unsure how inquiry based learning would work in a kindergarten classroom. After the presentation I surprised myself by actually liking this method of teaching. I thought it would only work for older students but Rebecca’s approach made sense for younger ones. I believe it is important for students to have a say in their learning and for educators to base their lessons off of the students interests. I believe this is important because students need to enjoy learning at this age as it can have a large impact on how they feel about school for their remaining years.

Although I enjoyed her presentation on how and why she implements inquiry based learning, I highly enjoyed walking around and looking at her classroom. Her classroom was very natural and was minimalistic compared to others I have been in. In many courses we have discussed the importance of having different types of seats for students that do not work well in a chair or on the carpet all but I have never actually seen a classroom that implemented this before today. Her classroom was also very minimalistic which I think is better so it is less overwhelming for the students. The last thing that stood out to me was the Indigenous learning materials on the walls. This is another topic that has been brought up in many courses but I have never seen in classrooms. Personally, I believe Rebecca’s classroom is a perfect example of how I want my future classroom.

Free Inquiry Blog #6

February 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

For this week’s blog on Duolingo I have done some research on the effectiveness of this app for learning a new language. The study I looked at was done over the course of 8 weeks. These users were done on users who were studying Spanish, were at least 18 years old, and English native speakers. The results showed that users who are learning Spanish for travelling are more successful than people who are learning for personal interests. Also, Duolingo is more effective for users who are beginners compared to users with previous knowledge in the language. The report stated, on average, 34 hours of work on Duolingo would cover the same amount of material in a first year college course. In my opinion, I believe a first year course would cover the basics of Spanish; therefore, in order to meet my goal for this term, I would need to spend this large amount of time on Duolingo. I believe this is accurate but I am unsure how much time I have spent on this app and how much I know of the basics.

I agree with this article because I believe I would be more determined to reach my goal if I had more of a reason than personal interest. For example, going on a trip. I believe this because having a strict deadline would be more motivating for myself. Personally, I believe Duolingo is effective as long as the user is motivated. 

 

The article: 

http://static.duolingo.com/s3/DuolingoReport_Final.pdf

Blog #3

February 23, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This week is midterms and unfortunately I am behind schedule on my learning plan. Due to my recorder problems I have learned how to play “When the Saints Go Marching In” but I have not begun to learn my second song yet. My plan was to get a start on my second song but I will have to do extra work in the second half of this term to reach my goal. I believe I will still be able to reach my end goal because I now have a recorder that works so there is nothing preventing me from practicing.

I just got my new recorder; therefore, I have begun to learn how the notes are actually supposed to sound in comparison to how they were with my broken recorder. As you can hear in my video, playing C is the most challenging note for me to play correctly. I think this is because you need a lot more power when you blow and since I am not supposed to make a lot of noise in my room, I am scared of being too loud.

Overall this first half of the term has not gone as planned. My recorder obstacles caused frustration but knowing that it was my recorder and not my playing skills was very relieving. I knew getting a new recorder would fix my problems. This next half of this term should be better.

Attached below is a video of me playing “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

IMG_2599

Group Inquiry Blog 3

February 14, 2020 / / 0 Comments

For this week’s blog, we have decided to discuss the pros towards including technology shortcuts into the classroom. As a group we discussed some pros to having technology shortcuts in a classroom from previous experiences or observations. To further our understanding and perspective on this topic we found an article. The article “What Middle School Educators Should Know about Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning” by Victoria Zascavage and Kathleen Winterman explains: 

  • There are many students with learning disabilities that are unable to succeed to their full potential without some aid from technology shortcuts.
  • Spelling is a challenge with many students. Having some help for the weaker spelling students gains them some independence because they do not have to rely so heavily on peers, teachers, or others in the classroom. 
  • Technology shortcuts can also aid students progress their writing skills. As the students become stronger writers, they can eliminate some of the help to be more independent. For example, a student can begin by using word predictions and then switch to spell check. 
  • Technology shortcuts are also a UDL. These tools provide the teacher with different ways to present the information to meet the needs of their students. 

For students who frequently experience “deficits in metacognition” as this article explains, this technology aids in students ability to set goals, focus, and monitor their progress. 

The article link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00940771.2009.11461681

 

This article speaks to benefits of ‘Speak to Text’ and the pros as described:

  • Learning disabilities, including dyslexia and dysgraphia
  • Repetitive strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Poor or limited motor skills
  • Vision impairments
  • Physical disabilities
  • Limited English Language

The link: https://www.readingrockets.org/article/speech-recognition-learning

 

This article describes the importance of accuracy in language and presentation in terms of using spell check and grammar check to ensure a professional image. Because these tools are not completely reliable, students should have a basic grasp of language skills and how to use these tools appropriately. Since these tools are available in the classroom and their use is so wide spread, students should have exposure to these tools.

The link: https://www.teachhub.com/technology-classroom-grammar-check-websites

February 11 Blog

February 12, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Today’s class was a big eye opener for myself on social media. I have always been conscious of what I put online because I know what I post will stay out there forever even if I delete it. I like the way Jesse Miller, our guest speaker, explained having a private account as putting up a glass wall. I always thought that if I post something on social media, only the people following me can see it but this is not always the case. This stresses me out because I am very aware of who is following me as I do not accept any requests to people that I do not know. 

I found it interesting how SnapChat keeps all the photos you take even if you do not send the photo. Also, I did not realize that they could use what we were wearing or the logos in the pictures for other companies’ benefits. 

The final topic that stood out to me during the presentation was how people’s screen time should be based on individuals needs, rather than children based on their ages. There are many articles that state how technology is ruining our children and how they should only be allowed a certain amount of time everyday. I strongly agree with Miller today when he said that some children use technology for many different reasons like doing school work or keeping in touch with someone that they do not see very often. These children should not have the same limit as children that use technology only for video games, youtube, TV, etc.

Today we also learned how to create and edit a video on IMovies. Alison and  I created a video together because we both have troubles with technology. Together we figured it out. The video we created was of me swimming at Junior Nationals a few years ago and I was not comfortable with posting this video online.

Free Inquiry Blog #5

February 11, 2020 / / 0 Comments

If I am being honest with my learning of Spanish last week, my motivation has decreased drastically. I lost my streak and have only been doing my lessons every other day at the most. I believe my motivation decreased last week because I would often do my Spanish for the day right before going to bed but last week I was preparing for a swim meet that weekend so I was trying to get a good night sleep. Instead of doing my Spanish, I would go straight to bed and this quickly became a routine. 

I did an online Spanish quiz yesterday to see what I remember. The link to the quiz that I used is provided below. I scored 93% which went better than I thought. Some of the words I knew in Spanish but I also relied on my knowledge in French. To figure out a word in Spanish, I thought of the word in French and took an educated guess.

My goal for this week and reading break is to get back in the routine of doing my Spanish daily. During  the reading break, I will have more time for work; therefore, I should not have an excuse to not do my Spanish lessons daily. The only time I know I will not be able to do Spanish is next week from Thursday to Saturday because I have Nationals and will be at the pool from early in the morning to late evening with only a few hours in between for time to recover, sleep and eat. I will do more Spanish before and after these days to ensure I do not fall behind. 

https://www.thequiz.com/hola-who-thinks-they-can-ace-this-basic-spanish-quiz/

Blog #2

February 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Learning my recorder has not been a smooth sail. I have been working on learning how to play my recorder about 20 minutes, four times a week. I have labeled the notes on my piece of music just to help me learn them. When I become more familiar with the notes, I will erase the letters. I have watched videos and looked at pictures on Google to learn how to play each note. I am still finding it very challenging to play the notes that involve more holes being covered. I am also finding it hard to play/learn the entire piece of music so I have split the piece of music into 4 different sections.

I have started to do less note studying and more playing of my recorder and I have run into some troubles. I was practicing and out of nowhere I was unable to get any sound out of my recorder, even without any holes covered except for the back one. I continued to play the piece of music with no sound to work on my finger positioning. I became very frustrated and had to take a break. A few hours later I returned and tried to play my recorder again and I got some noise out but not as much as I should. I originally thought it had something to do with too much moisture inside the recorder but I have no way of taking it apart because it is wooden and is only one piece. After leaving the recorder for a few hours and coming back and it still not working I have come to the conclusion that I will get a new recorder. Learning the notes and an instrument is already challenging for me and I do not need the extra stress and challenges of my instrument not working. Having to go and buy a new recorder may make me fall behind on my growth plan but I will work hard to catch up.

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