Monday, November 23, 2009
Website Evaluation and Google Docs
We learned how to judge websites today to make sure that they are reliable. There are some websites out there that look very legitimate, but are a complete farce. It was nice to learn some techniques and questions to ask to verify if the information you are getting off the internet is reliable and accurate. We also learned about Google Docs today. This is a resource that Google provides that allows you to share documents you are working on with other co-workers or other students. It allows them to make changes and edit the work. This tool would be of great use for group projects. I think it would work well in a school setting. For instance, if you are working on a test that the whole grade will be using not just your class, you can come up with a basic outline, share it with the other teachers in the grade, they can edit and make comments and changes, send it back to you and you can fix it up so it will suit everyone's needs before you even print your first page. There are many other ways that this can be useful and it is something I am sure I will be using in my future classroom.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Visit to Edith Bowen
In our class this week, we went to visit a third grade classroom at Edith Bowen. This classroom uses technology extensively. There are nearly enough computers for every student in the room and each student has their own Ipod. The teacher also uses an overhead projector to show lessons from the computer and to use learning websites like Celestia to teach the children. I got to visit with one of the students in the classroom and she told me about how she does her spelling and some of her math on the computer. She also showed me how she did this. The teacher informed us that the technology in his classroom came mostly from donations and grants, and the rest from the school. He actively pursues getting money for technology in his classroom as he feels it is of great benefit to the students.
I think that in order for me to have technology in my future classroom, I will have to purse the funding just as this teacher did. I do think that students respond well to the use of "gadgets" and that their interest does pick up when they are using technology, so it will be of great importance for me to find funding in order to have technology in my classroom.
I think that in order for me to have technology in my future classroom, I will have to purse the funding just as this teacher did. I do think that students respond well to the use of "gadgets" and that their interest does pick up when they are using technology, so it will be of great importance for me to find funding in order to have technology in my classroom.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Instructional Architect
This week we learned about the instructional architect website. It is a fabulous website for finding on-line resources to help teach lessons. It also has the cabability to create or find complete lesson plans for different subjects. I think this is a great way to use technology as well as other teachers in planning and preparing effective lessons. I really like that there are so many resources listed on the site and I think this will be of great help in my future teaching.
Monday, November 2, 2009
November 2nd Class
Today we finished up our Google survey lesson and then learned about instructional based learning lessons. We also learned about a great website called WebQuest. This website has all kinds of lessons that use technology in them.
I think that Google survey could be a great resource for questioning my students on facts we have learned in class. It also could be used to get parent feedback on their concerns and questions about our class.
I am excited to use WebQuest now and in the future for planning lessons. This looks like it will be a great resource for many subject areas. I definitely think I will be using this when I become a teacher.
I think that Google survey could be a great resource for questioning my students on facts we have learned in class. It also could be used to get parent feedback on their concerns and questions about our class.
I am excited to use WebQuest now and in the future for planning lessons. This looks like it will be a great resource for many subject areas. I definitely think I will be using this when I become a teacher.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Geometry Assignment
The geometry assignment was really fun. The programs we used, iPhoto and Comic Life, were easy to use and I think this would be a great assignment for my future students. I really think they would enjoy getting out and using the cameras. This could be done not only for geometry shapes but for other subjects such as science. They could take pictures of different kinds of insects or plant life, etc. I think using the pictures shows the students more real-life applications to what they are learning and they will be able to see that what they are learning is all around them.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Second Life
This was a very interesting lesson. I had only seen this done on CSI before and it appeared to be dangerous, so I was a little nervous about trying it out. It was amazing to see how it all worked and what can be done in Second Life.
I think it would be a different way for my students to learn and might be intriguing to them; however, because it is a social networking site, most schools will not allow Second Life along with Facebook, MySpace, etc. in the classroom. Because of this, I am not really sure how I could apply it in an elementary classroom setting. I also think the skill level required might be a bit much for elementary age students. It would definitely take a lot of precious class time getting it all set up and I am not sure the benefits would be worth it in the end.
So, as you can see, although it is an interesting concept having a virtual classroom, I do not think this would be advisable for use at an elementary age level. Perhaps some day a school-approved younger-aged user-friendly version will come out and I could rethink using it in my classroom.
I think it would be a different way for my students to learn and might be intriguing to them; however, because it is a social networking site, most schools will not allow Second Life along with Facebook, MySpace, etc. in the classroom. Because of this, I am not really sure how I could apply it in an elementary classroom setting. I also think the skill level required might be a bit much for elementary age students. It would definitely take a lot of precious class time getting it all set up and I am not sure the benefits would be worth it in the end.
So, as you can see, although it is an interesting concept having a virtual classroom, I do not think this would be advisable for use at an elementary age level. Perhaps some day a school-approved younger-aged user-friendly version will come out and I could rethink using it in my classroom.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
3rd grade lesson plan for collecting data and making graphs on-line
Collecting Data
Summary:Through this lesson students will learn to use tally marks and to take that information and create a bar graph and a pie chart. Students will also learn to create their own grid with coordinates then learn to find a specific coordinate on their grid.
Main Curriculum Tie:
Mathematics - 3rd Grade
Standard 5
Objective 1
Collect, organize, and display data to make predictions.
Materials:
Snacks Survey
Dice
Journal
Additional Resources Attachments·
snacks_survey.pdf
Sites·
Create a graph website
Background For Teachers:
Students should be taught specific vocabulary relating to the lesson before you begin, which should include: tally marks, bar graphs, pie charts. It would be very helpful if you could show them pictures or examples of each of the vocabulary words listed above. They should be taught and understand how data is used in the world and why it is important we learn to collect data and make predictions. Through this lesson students will learn to use tally marks and to take that information and create a bar graph and a pie chart.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
3. Reason logically, using inductive and deductive strategies and justify conclusions.
4. Communicate mathematical ideas and arguments coherently to peers, teachers, and others using the precise language and notation of mathematics.
5. Connect mathematical ideas within mathematics, to other disciplines, and to everyday experiences.
Instructional Procedures:
Invitation to Learn This activity is called “Roll the Dice.” Each pair of students should have two dice and a journal. Students will roll the dice and add the two dice together. The answer to the addition problem is then recorded in a journal using a bar graph. At the end of 12 rolls the students can see what the most popular sum and least popular sum were by examining their bar graph. They can then share their results with another group.
Instructional Procedures for making graphs on-line
Snacks Survey
1. Each student should receive a Snacks Survey Chart.
2. As a class, come up with five different snacks to go on the chart. (This can change each time you do this activity.)
3. Students then walk around the room, a table at a time, and ask their classmates which of these snacks are their favorites.
4. Fill in the tally table to show their answers.
5. Once they have completed the tally chart then they can then fill in the bar graph on the “Create a Graph” website to show the results of their snack survey.
Design tab: Bar Graph Data tab: Title= snack survey X-axis= snacks y-axis= students source= (leave blank). Items= 5 Groups=1 (Fill in their information on item label and value with the snack name and # of students who chose it.
6. As a table—or class—you can then have students answer the questions on the Snacks Survey Chart to find out what they have learned from their graph.
7. They then can share their results with another table.
8. To extend this activity, have students form a pie graph with the results of their survey.
9. Have the students create a pie chart on the “Create a Graph” website. They can go to the design tab and switch the design to pie graph. No need to enter the data twice.
10. Ask questions about the graph such as: Which snack is most liked by the class? Which snack does the class least like?
Family Connections
· Students can survey their family and friends outside of the classroom and have them complete the tally chart and bar graph. They can ask them about their favorite snacks, food, restaurants, games, or toys.
· Students can come up with their own original survey and share it with the class.
Assessment Plan:
· Teacher should walk around and assess each student’s bar graphs on the computer and their tally marks to see if they have completed them correctly.
· Another way to assess is to have the students work together and to assess each other’s tally marks and bar graphs.
· Have each student hand in their Snacks Survey Chart and print off their Bar Graph and Pie Chart with the questions answered. This will be a great way to see if they really understood how to make a bar graph from tally marks and also help the teacher assess if they understood the results by how they answered the questions.
Bibliography:
Research Basis Suydam, M. N., (1985). Recent Research on Mathematics Instruction. ERIC/SMEAC Mathematics Education Digest No. 2. ERIC Digests (ERIC Identifier: ED266019). Retrieved November 24, 2006. What have we learned from research about how to teach mathematics more effectively? By the early 1980s, a number of publications designed for teachers discussed research finding which have implications for classroom practice. They found that better teacher questioning practices lead to better learning by all students. The foundation of good questioning is strong content knowledge, which is critical factor in enabling teachers to understand and respond appropriately to students’ questions.
Klein, K., Jones, R., (2003). How Teachers Phrase Discussion Questions. Studies of Teaching 2003 Research Digest, Wake Forest University Leah P. McCoy, Editor. Classroom discussion is one of the most important teaching techniques used to help students learn and understand the information they are being taught. Discussion allows the students to become engaged with the material by formulating their own opinions, listening to other students’ opinions, and applying specific information to a broader situation.
Author:
Utah LessonPlans, revised by Hollie Downs
Created Date:
Jul 09 2007 13:00 PM, revised October 3, 2009
Summary:Through this lesson students will learn to use tally marks and to take that information and create a bar graph and a pie chart. Students will also learn to create their own grid with coordinates then learn to find a specific coordinate on their grid.
Main Curriculum Tie:
Mathematics - 3rd Grade
Standard 5
Objective 1
Collect, organize, and display data to make predictions.
Materials:
Snacks Survey
Dice
Journal
Additional Resources Attachments·
snacks_survey.pdf
Sites·
Create a graph website
Background For Teachers:
Students should be taught specific vocabulary relating to the lesson before you begin, which should include: tally marks, bar graphs, pie charts. It would be very helpful if you could show them pictures or examples of each of the vocabulary words listed above. They should be taught and understand how data is used in the world and why it is important we learn to collect data and make predictions. Through this lesson students will learn to use tally marks and to take that information and create a bar graph and a pie chart.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
3. Reason logically, using inductive and deductive strategies and justify conclusions.
4. Communicate mathematical ideas and arguments coherently to peers, teachers, and others using the precise language and notation of mathematics.
5. Connect mathematical ideas within mathematics, to other disciplines, and to everyday experiences.
Instructional Procedures:
Invitation to Learn This activity is called “Roll the Dice.” Each pair of students should have two dice and a journal. Students will roll the dice and add the two dice together. The answer to the addition problem is then recorded in a journal using a bar graph. At the end of 12 rolls the students can see what the most popular sum and least popular sum were by examining their bar graph. They can then share their results with another group.
Instructional Procedures for making graphs on-line
Snacks Survey
1. Each student should receive a Snacks Survey Chart.
2. As a class, come up with five different snacks to go on the chart. (This can change each time you do this activity.)
3. Students then walk around the room, a table at a time, and ask their classmates which of these snacks are their favorites.
4. Fill in the tally table to show their answers.
5. Once they have completed the tally chart then they can then fill in the bar graph on the “Create a Graph” website to show the results of their snack survey.
Design tab: Bar Graph Data tab: Title= snack survey X-axis= snacks y-axis= students source= (leave blank). Items= 5 Groups=1 (Fill in their information on item label and value with the snack name and # of students who chose it.
6. As a table—or class—you can then have students answer the questions on the Snacks Survey Chart to find out what they have learned from their graph.
7. They then can share their results with another table.
8. To extend this activity, have students form a pie graph with the results of their survey.
9. Have the students create a pie chart on the “Create a Graph” website. They can go to the design tab and switch the design to pie graph. No need to enter the data twice.
10. Ask questions about the graph such as: Which snack is most liked by the class? Which snack does the class least like?
Family Connections
· Students can survey their family and friends outside of the classroom and have them complete the tally chart and bar graph. They can ask them about their favorite snacks, food, restaurants, games, or toys.
· Students can come up with their own original survey and share it with the class.
Assessment Plan:
· Teacher should walk around and assess each student’s bar graphs on the computer and their tally marks to see if they have completed them correctly.
· Another way to assess is to have the students work together and to assess each other’s tally marks and bar graphs.
· Have each student hand in their Snacks Survey Chart and print off their Bar Graph and Pie Chart with the questions answered. This will be a great way to see if they really understood how to make a bar graph from tally marks and also help the teacher assess if they understood the results by how they answered the questions.
Bibliography:
Research Basis Suydam, M. N., (1985). Recent Research on Mathematics Instruction. ERIC/SMEAC Mathematics Education Digest No. 2. ERIC Digests (ERIC Identifier: ED266019). Retrieved November 24, 2006. What have we learned from research about how to teach mathematics more effectively? By the early 1980s, a number of publications designed for teachers discussed research finding which have implications for classroom practice. They found that better teacher questioning practices lead to better learning by all students. The foundation of good questioning is strong content knowledge, which is critical factor in enabling teachers to understand and respond appropriately to students’ questions.
Klein, K., Jones, R., (2003). How Teachers Phrase Discussion Questions. Studies of Teaching 2003 Research Digest, Wake Forest University Leah P. McCoy, Editor. Classroom discussion is one of the most important teaching techniques used to help students learn and understand the information they are being taught. Discussion allows the students to become engaged with the material by formulating their own opinions, listening to other students’ opinions, and applying specific information to a broader situation.
Author:
Utah LessonPlans, revised by Hollie Downs
Created Date:
Jul 09 2007 13:00 PM, revised October 3, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
YETC
I learned about so many different resources online today at the YETC. I had no idea how many different ways we could use the internet as a resource in our classrooms. I really liked how there are so many of these resources that are free. I think these will be great resources in my classroom and in my home. I don't want to lose any of these ideas, so I am going to list some of these websites here for easy remembering and access:
www.theopendisc.com/education (Provides software for free. It covers a lot of subjects and has an office program similar to word. I really liked the stellarium and celestia downloads for learning about space.)
www.zotero.org (This is a fabulous tool for research papers.)
storyonline.net (These are stories read online with some activities that go along with them.)
kiddyrecords.com (These are old records converted to mp3 format.)
pioneer-library.org (Using emedia we can find great resources for teaching.)
We also learned about using itune podcasts, Google's advanced search, phun (a drawing program), and format factory and video monkey (These sites help you download and watch videos. They change the formats to .wmv and then you can put them in your powerpoints!
I really enjoyed learning about all of these resources and I think I will be able to use them in my practicums as well as teaching.
www.theopendisc.com/education (Provides software for free. It covers a lot of subjects and has an office program similar to word. I really liked the stellarium and celestia downloads for learning about space.)
www.zotero.org (This is a fabulous tool for research papers.)
storyonline.net (These are stories read online with some activities that go along with them.)
kiddyrecords.com (These are old records converted to mp3 format.)
pioneer-library.org (Using emedia we can find great resources for teaching.)
We also learned about using itune podcasts, Google's advanced search, phun (a drawing program), and format factory and video monkey (These sites help you download and watch videos. They change the formats to .wmv and then you can put them in your powerpoints!
I really enjoyed learning about all of these resources and I think I will be able to use them in my practicums as well as teaching.
Monday, September 21, 2009
UEN
Today we set up our own MyUEN account and found different lesson plans that we can use while teaching. Our goal for the next two weeks is to change these lesson plans to add technology.
I am excited that I will be able to use this blog in my future classroom to help my parents stay connected to my classroom. I also want to be able to use my blog to help my students with their assignments. I could possibly post some podcasts further clarifying big projects assigned. I also would like to set it up so that my students will be able to post on our class blog and to make it more interesting for them and let their parents, grandparents, etc. see their work.
This week in my practicum, our math classes were able to go to the computer lab and play a factors game. It was a challenging (and addicting) game for the students. They had to think ahead two steps before making a move. They seemed to really enjoy it. In fact, several students went home and played it on their home computers trying to beat the computer in the game. My mentor teacher has this game on her school website, so it was easy for the students to access it. I hope to be able to use this game as well as others on my class blog to help my students in their learning.
I am excited that I will be able to use this blog in my future classroom to help my parents stay connected to my classroom. I also want to be able to use my blog to help my students with their assignments. I could possibly post some podcasts further clarifying big projects assigned. I also would like to set it up so that my students will be able to post on our class blog and to make it more interesting for them and let their parents, grandparents, etc. see their work.
This week in my practicum, our math classes were able to go to the computer lab and play a factors game. It was a challenging (and addicting) game for the students. They had to think ahead two steps before making a move. They seemed to really enjoy it. In fact, several students went home and played it on their home computers trying to beat the computer in the game. My mentor teacher has this game on her school website, so it was easy for the students to access it. I hope to be able to use this game as well as others on my class blog to help my students in their learning.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Web 2.0
We learned in class this week that web 2.0 is where we don't just view the world wide web anymore, we interact with it on sites such as blogger or facebook, etc. We are participants in the web and not just spectators.
Monday, September 14, 2009
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