Showing posts with label s2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label s2. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Internet Saftey Assignment
For this portion of the assignment, I talked with my 16 year old sister. Through my discussion with her I learned that she knew not to talk with strangers and not to share any personal information on the internet. I shared some of the resources we looked at for this assignment with her. For example, I discussed the article by Elder Ballard and some of the videos I watched like the Frontline PBS documentary. It was a positive experience and easy to do because she feels comfortable talking with me. It would have been harder if she and I were not used to talking about things and if she had any problems with it. Overall, this was a valuable experience because it allowed me to get practice in talking about this topic in a safe environment.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Integration Ideas
The presentations I listened to provided some great ideas about integrating technology into the classroom. First of all, Shaundra's lesson and presentation showed me that the technology does not have to be super fancy like a SmartBoard or I-Clickers. The website that she used was highly effective for teaching students about the water cycle. The website was creative, interactive and can allow each student to participate actively (as long as there are enough computers for all of the students). Another idea I learned was how we can use our own personal technological resources to prepare our technology enhanced lessons. Heather used the internet to search for a Jeopardy template to use for her math review. This also showed me how important reflecting can be. Through all of our reflections, we were all able to notice ways to change our lessons in the future. This opportunity to share with others was a great chance to get lots of ideas. Hopefully in the future, I will be able to continue sharing ideas and apply what I learned.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Internet Safety Articles
The article that I chose to read as my fourth article was found under the Internet section. It is called "I have a Question" by William C. Porter and can also be found in the March 2001 Ensign. Some of the most important things that I learned from these readings were various guidelines that need to be set in place when using the Internet and viewing other types of media. It was interesting to learn that one of the first things Satan will try to attack is the family. He tries to attack the family through the Internet and other media sources. I also learned how important it is to stay on top of things technologically. As I become a parent and/or teacher of children and youth, I will be able to use what I have learned through the readings (and videos) this week to help protect and guide them so that they remain safe. In the future, I will also be able to continue educating myself on the use of various types of technology so that I am aware of what my children are doing on the computer and Internet. By staying on top of things, I will also be aware of what types of media they are viewing and if it is appropriate. Likewise, the information gained will allow me to have a positive influence on my friends and family. Now that I know signs to watch out for, I can teach them and also keep an eye out on their activities. Through the information I have learned I can make sure that my friends and family are safe through their travels through Cyberspace.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
My Technology-Enhanced Lesson
For my technology-enhanced lesson, I reviewed the parts of plants with my first grade class using I-Clickers. Prior to the lesson, I designed a review in the CPS program for clickers that Deerfield elementary uses. Some of the questions I entered only had 3 choices. Others had 4. Three of the fifteen questions were left without pictures, but the majority of the questions had a picture illustrating the concept I was quizzing at that moment. The formatting and set-up of each question was slightly different too maintain interest from all of my students. In order to do this, I placed the picture in a different spot when compared to the question base and the answer choices. For the actual lesson, each student was given an I-clicker. I used an LCD projector to project the questions onto the screen so that all students could see it. I read each question to the class with the options. After the question was read, the students were able to select which answer they thought was correct, then set down their controller on their desk to show they were ready and remove the tempation to continue pushing buttons. After all students had answered, I ended the question, showed the class the correct answer and the number who answered it correctly. This allowed each student to monitor their own progress and knowledge/understanding. If there were a large number who got the answer wrong, I explained the correct answer and why that was the right answer. At the end of the lesson, students brought their clicker back up to the front of the room to be put away.
Prior to this activity with the class, I tested out the system to make sure it worked. This turned out to be a great idea since my mentor teacher's computer (which I was using for the activity) was not recognizing the response system. After several attempts to get this to work, I ended up emailing the file to the facilitator's computer to use during the lesson. During my first attempt of the lesson with the students, the pictures would not work from the faciliators computer. For this reason, I only did the questions without pictures that day and downloaded the files onto that computer as well and then completed the rest of the questions the following day with the class. All in all it was a great success and the students really enjoyed it!
Prior to this activity with the class, I tested out the system to make sure it worked. This turned out to be a great idea since my mentor teacher's computer (which I was using for the activity) was not recognizing the response system. After several attempts to get this to work, I ended up emailing the file to the facilitator's computer to use during the lesson. During my first attempt of the lesson with the students, the pictures would not work from the faciliators computer. For this reason, I only did the questions without pictures that day and downloaded the files onto that computer as well and then completed the rest of the questions the following day with the class. All in all it was a great success and the students really enjoyed it!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Technology-Enhanced Lesson
I have a couple of ideas that I might use for my technology-enhanced lesson during my first practicum. One idea I am planning on using in the future (and have done already) is to use a PowerPoint. Since our school has projectors, it is easy to create a PowerPoint that the students will enjoy and learn from. Although this is a relatively simple idea, technology is used so rarely in the first grade classroom I am working in that the students would absolutely love it.
Another idea I am planning on using will come after I have finished teaching my class about the different parts of a plant. I am planning on creating an I-Clicker review for the students. This would be completely new for them and let them actually become involved in the technological activity as well.
Another idea I am planning on using will come after I have finished teaching my class about the different parts of a plant. I am planning on creating an I-Clicker review for the students. This would be completely new for them and let them actually become involved in the technological activity as well.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Classroom Technology Inventory
I am completing my first practicum at Deerfield Elementary in a first grade classroom. I was surprised to notice that while this is a really nice school that places a lot of emphasis on the education of the students, there is not a lot of technology involved in the classroom. This is the case at least for the first grade.
In the classroom there is one computer. This is the teacher's personal computer which most students do not get to use. One student, an ELL student who is still learning the alphabet gets to use Starfall.com to practice and work with the alphabet. There is not any specialty software downloaded onto my mentor teacher's computer. The first grade at Deerfield got a projector this year to share between 5 classrooms. Since this is a new feature for the classrooms, most of the teachers do not use the projector very much. The students have scheduled opportunities in the computer lab with a 3 month cycle. The computers in this lab have Kidspiration and Google Earth downloaded onto them for students to use. At this point in the cycle, my class has P.E. and does not get to use computers very often. This means that very little technology is used in their education.
I was impressed that the teachers in the first grade classrooms have microphones to use in the classroom. (Talking with other cohort students at this school who are in other grades, I was able to learn that not all of the grades have this equipment.) The fifth grade got Smartboards for their classrooms this year. Over the next few years, all of the classrooms will be getting this equipment. All the classrooms also have access to I-Clickers.
It is interesting how little technology is used in the classroom with all of the different resources that are available. Hopefully, I will be able to pull a little bit more technology into use with my class.
In the classroom there is one computer. This is the teacher's personal computer which most students do not get to use. One student, an ELL student who is still learning the alphabet gets to use Starfall.com to practice and work with the alphabet. There is not any specialty software downloaded onto my mentor teacher's computer. The first grade at Deerfield got a projector this year to share between 5 classrooms. Since this is a new feature for the classrooms, most of the teachers do not use the projector very much. The students have scheduled opportunities in the computer lab with a 3 month cycle. The computers in this lab have Kidspiration and Google Earth downloaded onto them for students to use. At this point in the cycle, my class has P.E. and does not get to use computers very often. This means that very little technology is used in their education.
I was impressed that the teachers in the first grade classrooms have microphones to use in the classroom. (Talking with other cohort students at this school who are in other grades, I was able to learn that not all of the grades have this equipment.) The fifth grade got Smartboards for their classrooms this year. Over the next few years, all of the classrooms will be getting this equipment. All the classrooms also have access to I-Clickers.
It is interesting how little technology is used in the classroom with all of the different resources that are available. Hopefully, I will be able to pull a little bit more technology into use with my class.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Pre-Revolutionary War Events Tour
Here is the link to my Google Earth Tour of the Pre-Revolutionary War Events.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Google Earth Tour Plan and TPACK Questions
Here are the plans for a Google Earth Tour of the Key Events in the Revolutionary War.
TPACK Questions:
The content I am using for this lesson comes from the Utah State Core Curriculum for 5th Grade Standard 2, Objective 1, Indicator a. This indicator states: "Explain the role of events that led to declaring independence (e.g., French and Indian War, Stamp Act, Boston Tea Party)." During this lesson, students will be learning about the key factors that led to the American Revolution by examining the locations and history of four different events leading to the American Revolution. The pedagogy for this lesson will include various activities that will challenge students to gain a deep understanding of these specific events. These activities will be designed to help students placce themselves in the shoes of the early American Revolutionary citizens. The technology used in this lesson will be Google Earth. Through Google Earth, students will be able to see the location of the events and have access to the different activities corresponding to that event. Google Earth will also allow the students to read about the specific details of the event.
| Location | Activity | Google Earth Content |
| 1.Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: French and Indian War | Write down 3 facts about George Washington's involvement in the French and Indian War. How do you think this impacted the Revolutionary War? How do you think the American Revolution might have been different if the French and Indian War hadn't occurred? | Wikipedia Link, Picture of George Washington |
| 2.Great Britain: Stamp Act | Imagine that you are part of the British Parliament. You are assigned to design the stamp that will be placed on all of the products in the New World. Draw what your design would look like. Feel free to add a little bit of color to your design! | Wikipedia Link |
| 3.Boston Massachusetts: Boston Tea Party | The year is 1773 and the Boston Tea Party has just occured. You are a journalist for the Boston Tribune assigned to cover this exciting event. Write a newspaper article about the Boston Tea Party. Include accounts from witnesses, the sailors, Sons of Liberty, and government officials. | Wikipedia Link |
| 4.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Common Sense and Declaration of Independence | The year is 1776. You are now a citizen in the colonial city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Thomas Paine has recently published his pamphlet, Common Sense, and the Continental Congress is meeting. The fervor for independence from Britain is mounting. Thomas Jefferson is writing the Declaration of Independence. See how much you know about your new country and the events that have been occurring around you by completing the quiz at http://www.pbs.org/ktca/ | Wikipedia Link, Link to PBS's Quiz: Road to Revolution |
| Details of image overlay / path / polygon: | I will be using a picture overlay to help represent the events at that specific location. In this way, I will help bring those events to life for the students. I will also use a polygon overlay to map out pictures of Independence Hall so that students can see what it looks like today. | |
TPACK Questions:
The content I am using for this lesson comes from the Utah State Core Curriculum for 5th Grade Standard 2, Objective 1, Indicator a. This indicator states: "Explain the role of events that led to declaring independence (e.g., French and Indian War, Stamp Act, Boston Tea Party)." During this lesson, students will be learning about the key factors that led to the American Revolution by examining the locations and history of four different events leading to the American Revolution. The pedagogy for this lesson will include various activities that will challenge students to gain a deep understanding of these specific events. These activities will be designed to help students placce themselves in the shoes of the early American Revolutionary citizens. The technology used in this lesson will be Google Earth. Through Google Earth, students will be able to see the location of the events and have access to the different activities corresponding to that event. Google Earth will also allow the students to read about the specific details of the event.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Storyboard & TPACK Questions
Storyboard images for Shel Silverstein's "Boa Constrictor"
TPACK QUESTIONS
The content for this lesson comes from the Utah State Language Arts Core, Standard 1, Objective 1. This standard states that students will develop language for the purpose of effectively communicating through speaking, viewing, and presenting. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to speak clearly and audibly with expression in communicating ideas in their storyboard presentation. The students will base their storyboard on a Shel Silverstein poem of their choice.
During this lesson, aspects of Bloom’s Taxonomy will be used. Students will be asked to create, analyze, and interpret a poem/storyboard.
In this part of my lesson, students will use the Internet to search for poems by Shel Silverstein. Specific websites will be provided for them. After picking their favorite poem, students will create a storyboard outline. In the second part of the lesson, students will use clay to build a representation of their poem’s interpretation. They will then take pictures of the representations and incorporate their pictures and chosen text into a video presentation using PhotoStory. This is a good fit with content and pedagogy because students will be able to interpret and express their interpretation of a poem using found or created pictures. In addition, students will make their poem creation “come to life” by creating a storyboard video, which will include incorporating music and narrating the poem text.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
TPACK Questions
The content I was focusing on in my science lesson was the phases of the moon. This lesson teaches students how to identify the different phases of the moon.
The pedagogy I am using is discovery and hands-on learning. Through this lesson, students are able to discover what the moon’s phases are and when they will occur. They are then given the opportunity to use this knowledge and look at the moon in the night sky, seeing how Stellarium’s predicted view of the moon compares to the view the student actually sees. In addition, students are able to actively participate in the cookie activity portion of the lesson. Students are able to either eat or cut the cookies into the phases of the moon. The hands-on portion of the lesson helps students to develop concrete connections between the knowledge they gained using Stellarium and the first-hand experience they had with the cookies.
It is a good fit with the content because students need to be involved to discover and understand the fascinating world of science.
The technology that I’ll be using is Stellarium. This allows students to see a predicted picture of the moon, determine the date the moon will be in that phase, and verify that prediction by observing the night sky.
It is a good fit with the content and pedagogy because it enables students to see the actual phases of the moon by using technology. In addition, Stellarium requires student participation in order to complete the lesson activities.
The pedagogy I am using is discovery and hands-on learning. Through this lesson, students are able to discover what the moon’s phases are and when they will occur. They are then given the opportunity to use this knowledge and look at the moon in the night sky, seeing how Stellarium’s predicted view of the moon compares to the view the student actually sees. In addition, students are able to actively participate in the cookie activity portion of the lesson. Students are able to either eat or cut the cookies into the phases of the moon. The hands-on portion of the lesson helps students to develop concrete connections between the knowledge they gained using Stellarium and the first-hand experience they had with the cookies.
It is a good fit with the content because students need to be involved to discover and understand the fascinating world of science.
The technology that I’ll be using is Stellarium. This allows students to see a predicted picture of the moon, determine the date the moon will be in that phase, and verify that prediction by observing the night sky.
It is a good fit with the content and pedagogy because it enables students to see the actual phases of the moon by using technology. In addition, Stellarium requires student participation in order to complete the lesson activities.
Tech Savvy Teacher Article
Mmmmm… Mmmmm… Moon!
Tech savvy teachers are always in need of some great activities and ideas to liven up their classrooms. Here is a great idea for teaching sixth graders about the phases of the moon. This activity and lesson helps to fulfill Utah’s Core Curriculum for 6th grade Science, Objective 1: Explain patterns of changes in the appearance of the moon as it orbits Earth. For this activity, students will need access to Stellarium and some fantastic cookies. Stellarium is a program that allows viewers to see what the sky looks like at any specific time and place. Stellarium helps to outline the constellations, view planets and moons close up, and explore other aspects of astronomy.
During this lesson, students will use Stellarium to capture screen shots of the different phases of the moon. Beginning at the current date, students will use the search function of Stellarium to find the moon and zoom into a close view. Fast-forwarding through time students will look first find the next full moon. They will then look for each of the other phases of the moon. As each phase is reached, students will return to real time to take a screen shot, as directed by the teacher. As each screen shot is taken, students will make note of the date that phase of the moon. These screen shots will then be arranged into a cycle of the moon with the use of Microsoft Word. Below, screen shots taken in February through March 2009 are shown with the appropriate date and phase of the moon.
February 10, 2009
Full Moon
February 12, 2009
Waning Gibbous
February 15, 2009
Last Quarter
February 19, 2009
Waning Crescent
February 23, 2009
New Moon
February 28, 2009
Waxing Crescent
March 4, 2009
First Quarter
March 8, 2009
Waxing Gibbous
March 11, 2009
Full Moon
Students will also be given the opportunity to apply the knowledge they have gained about the phases of the moon by creating the phases of the moon out of cookies. Each student will be given two cookies. They will then get to eat the cookies into the shapes of the various phases of the moon. Have the students copy the teacher’s demonstration of eating the cookies, stopping each time a new phase of the moon is created. If students did not want to eat the cookies into the various phases, they could follow along with the teacher by cutting the cookies into the phases of the moon. This could also be done using cheese or fruit. The following pictures represent what the cookie eating process will look like at each phase of the moon. (NOTE: Starting at the full moon, students will get the second cookie after the new moon has been created. The new moon is reached when the first cookie is completely devoured.)
Full Moon
Waning Gibbous
Last Quarter
Waning Crescent
New Moon
Waxing Crescent
First Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
TPACK and Science/Math Technologies
During class this week, I learned about the 3 different types of knowledge: content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and technological knowledge (TK). TPACK is a combination of these three types of knowledge that all teachers should strive for. When TPACK is reached, teachers have the right amount of pedagogical, content, and technological knowledge. Thus the know their content, how to teach it, and how to use technology to enhance what that specific subject. The idea of reaching TPACK and its blending of CK, PK, and TK is best seen with a Venn Diagram containing 3 circles. In this diagram, TPACK is the center portion where all three circles are connected and overlapping.
It is necessary for teachers to have this knowledge so that the amount of knowledge and information they are able to give to their students is as large as it could be. Through the use of TPACK, students are best able to learn. Technology will help keep students interested and the teacher and students on the same page, while pedagogical knowledge will give the teacher the skills and "know how" to teach the students, and content knowledge will allow the teacher to know what needs to be taught.
Also in class this week, we looked at various science and math technologies. My favorite of these various technologies was the Stellarium program. This is a great device that allows viewers to see what the sky looks like at any specific time and place. Through Stellarium you can even go back in time and see what the night sky looked like on the night you were born. Stellarium helps to outline the constellations, view planets and moons close up, and explore other aspects of astronomy. Stellarium is a great tool to use to teach an astronomy lesson or even a lesson about rotation and revolution.
It is necessary for teachers to have this knowledge so that the amount of knowledge and information they are able to give to their students is as large as it could be. Through the use of TPACK, students are best able to learn. Technology will help keep students interested and the teacher and students on the same page, while pedagogical knowledge will give the teacher the skills and "know how" to teach the students, and content knowledge will allow the teacher to know what needs to be taught.
Also in class this week, we looked at various science and math technologies. My favorite of these various technologies was the Stellarium program. This is a great device that allows viewers to see what the sky looks like at any specific time and place. Through Stellarium you can even go back in time and see what the night sky looked like on the night you were born. Stellarium helps to outline the constellations, view planets and moons close up, and explore other aspects of astronomy. Stellarium is a great tool to use to teach an astronomy lesson or even a lesson about rotation and revolution.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
RSS and Web 2.0
During class this week I learned what an RSS is. Prior to this point, I had absolutely no idea what that was. An RSS is a tool that allows you to get updates on all of your favorite websites without actually visiting those sites at that moment. Through this tool, updates are sent directly to your email, blog, etc. so that all the information you like to look at is available in one spot. I also learned about some various Web 2.0 tools. These tools can be useful for me as an educator. As I begin my career as an elementary teacher, I will be able to Goodreads.com as an easy access tool. As I have parents and students request information on books, or books that are appropriate to read, I can direct them to this site where they will easily be able to access a list of some great books. At the same time, this will be a great resource for me to share and access books with other teachers. Delicious will also be a nice tool to have access to so that I can bookmark great online resources for easy access from one site.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
My Technology Experience
I have had a little bit of experience. Like many people in today's society, I am familiar with email and use of the internet. While working at my parent's business, where we ship, do basic graphic design, and copy/print services, I have gained very basic graphic and computer skills. I am comfortable using a computer and can figure out the program given some time to work with it. However, there is a lot about technology and computers that I do not know and thus I have a lot to learn in the future.
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