What do you learn from these conversations with Anthony Capps? Blog Post #6

In the first video with Anthony Capps I learned about Project Based Learning and his experience with his class writing letters to the Congress. I found it very interesting that he got the class to choose the best letters to send off. I think it is a great way for students to help each other out, while also making the letters as best as possible. With this project the class as a whole was allowed to participate and help each other out, knowing the class as a whole would be represented by the eight letters that got sent to Congress.
In the second video with Anthony Capps I learned that student choice is important in Project Based Learning. I learned that with allowing the students to choose what they want to do (with given guidelines) they will be more passionate and more willing to do well. When the student has a little bit of freedom for projects, they are more likely to be excited and proud of their outcome.
Before this blog post I had never heard of iCurio. iCurio is a like a search engine where you can drop any finds in to a folder and keep it for later use. It saves all documents, photos, videos that you have found for your class and keep it in one, easily accessible place. I have never heard of it, but I think it sounds very efficient. I think iCurio is a great tool, especially for Project Based Learning.
Discovery Ed is a search engine that students or teachers can use where you are able to get expert opinions through videos. I have never used this before but it sounds very efficient. I am definitely a visual learner, so I think seeing and hearing a video on information would be more interesting for me than reading from a book. I will definitely try out Discovery Ed and most likely use it in my classroom one day.
In the tips for teachers video, I learned that teaching is a never ending job, but a very rewarding job at that. I found out that you must be a constant learner, always willing and loving to learn new things to be a successful teacher. I found out you must be creative and be able to be put on the spot. If something goes wrong you should always have a back-up plan as a teacher, you should never assume that everything will go the way you plan. Things happen, you must be flexible enough to make every situation work.
In the sixth video I learned that you must not teach children technology. In place of teaching technology, let them learn from it, let the class play with different sites and applications and technology. You should not have to teach technology, you should just be able to use the technology. With letting the students explore technology they will learn themselves.
After watching all the videos of Anthony Capps I have learned a lot of helpful tips and advice for being a teacher. I have learned different techniques to keep the students involved and excited.