We currently have an underused Smart Board at my school. As I always think about ways I could, in fact, use this technology here are three lesson ideas:
1. Inspiration! Another great technology resource I don't use enough is Inspiration. What a great tool to great webs and organizers with elementary school kids. Using the interactive board with Inspiration would be a student-centered, student-created endeavor. Okay, let's say the kids need to do a web about crayfish using information they find on the Internet. I could start them off with the subtopics of structures, behaviors, and habitats. Every time a student found a piece of information for the web they could come up to the interactive board and add it themselves. When all was said and done I could save the web and print out a copy for everyone. This could be used at several given times during the course of our crayfish unit. It would allow students to synthesize information while immediately using that information in a useful way.
2. Microsoft Word Scavenger Hunt! With Office 2007 my kids are having a hard time finding things on the ribbon and appopriately using the new features. It would be great to somehow create an interactive version of a Word document that could be used as a scavenger hunt.
I would ask students to find certain features. They would use the interactive board to point to the feature they think I'm talking about. If it was right, a bubble would appear to confirm their guess. If it was wrong, a bubble would appear and tell them to try again. This could be used in many other programs as well and would allow students to become more comfortable with program we use frequently in school.
3. Angles! We do a lot of work with angles; types of angles, measuring angles, drawing angles. I found this oh-so-cool website ( http://www.active-maths.co.uk/whiteboard/) that offers a free trial (or subscription - it's from the UK so prices are in pounds) which allows you to do a variety of sheets. One the sheets was a place to measure angles with a huge protractor on a white board! This would engage the kids so much that I believe it would help them better understand how to measure angles.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Output devices
After exploring output devices in class, three I would like to/plan to use in my classroom are iMovie, iPod, and DVD.
I loved dabbling in the uses of iMovie in class last week. With 4th graders I could see using iMovie with a variety of projects. One specific one I was thinking of was our Living Author's Museum. Students research an author and do a presentation as that author. How cool would it be for students to still do this portion of the project but also add real video footage or photographs of their author in an iMovie? This would be a great way for students to do a few kinds of research and intergate technology at the same time.
As for iPods I actually use my iPod quite frequently in my classroom already however we basically use it for fun. I have playlists for when we clean our desks, work on projects, have writing workshop time, etc... I don't think podcasts are in my near future but I think a better use of music from my iPod is possible. During a particular unit in social studies we talk about different types of music (jazz, blues, bluegrass, etc...) and what influences impacted the creation of that music. To make better use of my iPod I could upload different examples of that music and do some kind of listening activities with it. I could even use the iPod for part of the assessment of that unit where kids would have to listen to and identify the different kinds of music we studied.
DVDs are an output device that can be easily used at any grade level for a variety of activities. Obviously there is the advantage of using DVD over video for the simple fact that you can show specific chapters of a movie/show instead of showing the whole thing or worrying about fastforwarding. Actually, for a point-of-view writing project last year, I did just that. We watched scenes from 4 different movies and then wrote from the point-of-view of each of the characters. Aside from viewing options, I could use DVD to create a classroom set of something where each kid had their own chapter. For example, we sometimes include explorers in our social studies curriculum. Each student could present their explorer, which we could record, then put in chronological order on a DVD. It would be a student-centered historical timeline!
I loved dabbling in the uses of iMovie in class last week. With 4th graders I could see using iMovie with a variety of projects. One specific one I was thinking of was our Living Author's Museum. Students research an author and do a presentation as that author. How cool would it be for students to still do this portion of the project but also add real video footage or photographs of their author in an iMovie? This would be a great way for students to do a few kinds of research and intergate technology at the same time.
As for iPods I actually use my iPod quite frequently in my classroom already however we basically use it for fun. I have playlists for when we clean our desks, work on projects, have writing workshop time, etc... I don't think podcasts are in my near future but I think a better use of music from my iPod is possible. During a particular unit in social studies we talk about different types of music (jazz, blues, bluegrass, etc...) and what influences impacted the creation of that music. To make better use of my iPod I could upload different examples of that music and do some kind of listening activities with it. I could even use the iPod for part of the assessment of that unit where kids would have to listen to and identify the different kinds of music we studied.
DVDs are an output device that can be easily used at any grade level for a variety of activities. Obviously there is the advantage of using DVD over video for the simple fact that you can show specific chapters of a movie/show instead of showing the whole thing or worrying about fastforwarding. Actually, for a point-of-view writing project last year, I did just that. We watched scenes from 4 different movies and then wrote from the point-of-view of each of the characters. Aside from viewing options, I could use DVD to create a classroom set of something where each kid had their own chapter. For example, we sometimes include explorers in our social studies curriculum. Each student could present their explorer, which we could record, then put in chronological order on a DVD. It would be a student-centered historical timeline!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Technologies I Can't Live Without!
Although not as dependent or as efficient as others at intergrating technology into my classroom, it is certainly something I have grown to absolutely need! I currently teach 4th grade as I have been for the last seven years. I love my school, and I as often say I thank my lucky stars that I got job there when I did! My school currently has approximately 470 students serving kindergarten through fifth grade students. We are part of a fairly affluent community with much parental involvement and support.
It is safe to say that my school, while ahead of many, is far behind in terms of educational technology. Yes, it's great and wonderful that my 4th graders can create PowerPoint presentations and know basic terminology, but there's so much room for growth it's overwhelming! With that said, there are a few things I CANNOT live without in my teaching life. I can't live without the Internet. We do several research projects throughout the year and several of the topics are rather obscure. (Most 4th graders don't do biographies on people like John A. Logan or Robert Wadlow!) Without the Net, a lot of information would not be available to them. Other than research, my class and I use the Net for creating rubrics, developing lessons, communicating classroom happenings, playing educational games, and using educational sites like United Streaming.
Additionally, I can't live without my overhead! Yes, I recognize that in the coming years this piece of "technology" will probably be obsolete. But for the time being, as someone who hates chalk and chalkboards, I have to have to have my overhead. I use it everyday when the kids come in, most of the time for math, and some of the time in all other subjects. My LRC director and I have an ongoing joke that I burn out overhead lightbulbs more than anyone else! But seriously, I love my overhead and I am not ashamed to admit it.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Evidence-based posting #4
Evidence-based posting #4: Virtual Worlds for Kids!
As an elementary school teacher I am often introduced to things by my students that I am not familiar with. Webkinz and Club Penguin are two of these things. Webkinz and Club Penguin are two virtual world sites that my students have been talking about for months. In light of the discussions our class has had about the validity and role of Second Life in education, I thought this would be a good topic.During our last few minutes in computer lab today I had a few students come and share with me how Webkinz and Club Penguin work. Both these sites involve creating characters that are then able to function in a virtual world setting. The Webkinz involves purchasing a stuffed animal from Hallmark to obtain a code to use, while Club Penguin requires registration to create a penguin character. On Club Penguin there are different levels of registration; parent permission is required to become an actual member of the site. Both sites allow interaction between characters; Club Penguin allows actual dialogue between characters where Webkinz only allows the use of pre-written text. (My students were quick to inform me that this helps stop people from saying mean things.) I asked about ten of the students how often they visited these sites and for how long they usually visit. On average it seemed that most went about three times a week for about an hour each time. They also shared the activities they can do with their characters such as attend parties, go shopping, and play games.In previous sessions of Second Life we have discussed how it could be used with students and if it had a place in education. After talking with my students today and seeing what could be considered primary versions of Second Life, I think virtual worlds will have a place in education in the near future. Again, how it can be used and the safety issues must be considered, but if a group of fourth graders are already using virtual worlds during their free time, I’m sure teachers will be able to find a way to incorporate them into their instruction in the future. I thought it was very interesting that kids can only “talk” in Webkinz using predetermined phrases – this kind of feature can be helpful in monitoring what the students are actually saying. Club Penguin also has its own safety features for this kind of thing too- one of my students was actually banned from Club Penguin for a day for typing in a curse word.There are a lot of things that would need to happen for students at my elementary school to be able to use virtual worlds at school but after talking to my students I feel that it is something that can happen.
http://www.clubpenguin.com
http://www.webkinz.com
As an elementary school teacher I am often introduced to things by my students that I am not familiar with. Webkinz and Club Penguin are two of these things. Webkinz and Club Penguin are two virtual world sites that my students have been talking about for months. In light of the discussions our class has had about the validity and role of Second Life in education, I thought this would be a good topic.During our last few minutes in computer lab today I had a few students come and share with me how Webkinz and Club Penguin work. Both these sites involve creating characters that are then able to function in a virtual world setting. The Webkinz involves purchasing a stuffed animal from Hallmark to obtain a code to use, while Club Penguin requires registration to create a penguin character. On Club Penguin there are different levels of registration; parent permission is required to become an actual member of the site. Both sites allow interaction between characters; Club Penguin allows actual dialogue between characters where Webkinz only allows the use of pre-written text. (My students were quick to inform me that this helps stop people from saying mean things.) I asked about ten of the students how often they visited these sites and for how long they usually visit. On average it seemed that most went about three times a week for about an hour each time. They also shared the activities they can do with their characters such as attend parties, go shopping, and play games.In previous sessions of Second Life we have discussed how it could be used with students and if it had a place in education. After talking with my students today and seeing what could be considered primary versions of Second Life, I think virtual worlds will have a place in education in the near future. Again, how it can be used and the safety issues must be considered, but if a group of fourth graders are already using virtual worlds during their free time, I’m sure teachers will be able to find a way to incorporate them into their instruction in the future. I thought it was very interesting that kids can only “talk” in Webkinz using predetermined phrases – this kind of feature can be helpful in monitoring what the students are actually saying. Club Penguin also has its own safety features for this kind of thing too- one of my students was actually banned from Club Penguin for a day for typing in a curse word.There are a lot of things that would need to happen for students at my elementary school to be able to use virtual worlds at school but after talking to my students I feel that it is something that can happen.
http://www.clubpenguin.com
http://www.webkinz.com
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
PowerPoint
My PowerPoint can be found using the PowerPoint link on my web page:
http://page.bps101.net/web/T4000/TIE542
http://page.bps101.net/web/T4000/TIE542
Friday, May 25, 2007
Sites of the Week
Site of the Week #4 (May 28th)
http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/
This site has so many fun reading and writing activities that it has definite appeal to students of varying ages. There are also some great resources for teachers and parents. One of the best tools on the site is the Book Zone. In the book zone you can browse different book lists, post and read reviews, listen to stories, and find out about your favorite authors. Another great feature is the Activity Lab. This area of the site allows you to explore several different language arts activities. The search feature in the Activity Lab allows you to look for activities within specific topics and age groups. I simply typed in "story" with "9-12" year olds and many activities came up. Of course students will probably most enjoy the Game Station area of the site. The games I looked at included a poetry activity, a story-maker, and several word study games. The only drawback to this site is that some of it requires membership. But even with that, there is so much to do and explore that it is a valuable site.
Learning Standards: 1a Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections. 1b Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency. 3c Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
Site of the Week #3 (May 14th)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/
This website, which is part of Education World, offers many lessonplans, tips, articles, games, and templates for teachers to use in theclassroom. The site, which focuses on technology integration, has manythings for teachers to explore as they look for more effective ways toinclude technology in the classroom. One article I found interesting was about 5 technology lessons toimplement in the classroom that focus on teaching about technology.These lessons include activities to teach students about surfing theInternet, word processing, and using e-mail. In addition to this onearticle, there are also hundreds of links to other technology-orientedlesson plans for all grade levels from kindergarten through high school. I think this website can be a great resource for anyone - fromcomplete novices to those people who regularly integrate technology inthe classroom. It is definitely a site worth exploring.
NETS standards: all
Site of the week #2 (April 30th)
http://www.infoplease.com/states.html
This website has information on all 50 states. This information includes facts about states' geographic features, history, economic activities, and government. It is also has games that help students learn the names of states and their capitals. I use this site with my fourth graders as we learn about each region of the country. The especially like playing the games to learn the states because each set of games comes in a variety of levels. That way they can challenge themselves as much as they want.
Learning Standards: 17a Locate, describe and explain places, regions, and features of Earth. 17c Understand relationships between geographic features and society. 17d Understand the historical significance of geography.
Site of the Week #1 (April 16th)
http://www.aaamath.com
Website description: This site provides practice for several mathconcepts over several grade levels. It is organized for students ingrades kindergarten through 8th grade with a variety of options forgames and math practice. Games can also be accessed by math conceptinstead of grade level. Some of the math concepts that students canpractice with are: algebra, comparing, counting, decimals, division,equations, estimation, exponents, fractions, geometry, graphs,measurement, multiplication, naming numbers, patterns, percent, placevalue, properties, ratios, statistics, and subtraction. The site isalso available in Spanish.
Learning Standards: 6a Demonstrate knowledge and use of numbers in their representations ina broad range of theoretical and practication settings.6b Investigate, represent and solve problems using number facts,operations and their properties, alogrithms and relationships.6d Solve problems using comparison of quantities, ratios, proportions,and percents.7a Measure and compare quantities using appropriate units, instrumentsand methods.8b Interpret and describe numerical relationships using tables, graphs,and symbols.8d Use algebraic concepts and procedures to represent and solveproblems.9a Demontrate and apply geometric concepts involving points, lines,planes, and space.10a Organize, describe, and make predictions for existing data.
http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/
This site has so many fun reading and writing activities that it has definite appeal to students of varying ages. There are also some great resources for teachers and parents. One of the best tools on the site is the Book Zone. In the book zone you can browse different book lists, post and read reviews, listen to stories, and find out about your favorite authors. Another great feature is the Activity Lab. This area of the site allows you to explore several different language arts activities. The search feature in the Activity Lab allows you to look for activities within specific topics and age groups. I simply typed in "story" with "9-12" year olds and many activities came up. Of course students will probably most enjoy the Game Station area of the site. The games I looked at included a poetry activity, a story-maker, and several word study games. The only drawback to this site is that some of it requires membership. But even with that, there is so much to do and explore that it is a valuable site.
Learning Standards: 1a Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections. 1b Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency. 3c Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
Site of the Week #3 (May 14th)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/
This website, which is part of Education World, offers many lessonplans, tips, articles, games, and templates for teachers to use in theclassroom. The site, which focuses on technology integration, has manythings for teachers to explore as they look for more effective ways toinclude technology in the classroom. One article I found interesting was about 5 technology lessons toimplement in the classroom that focus on teaching about technology.These lessons include activities to teach students about surfing theInternet, word processing, and using e-mail. In addition to this onearticle, there are also hundreds of links to other technology-orientedlesson plans for all grade levels from kindergarten through high school. I think this website can be a great resource for anyone - fromcomplete novices to those people who regularly integrate technology inthe classroom. It is definitely a site worth exploring.
NETS standards: all
Site of the week #2 (April 30th)
http://www.infoplease.com/states.html
This website has information on all 50 states. This information includes facts about states' geographic features, history, economic activities, and government. It is also has games that help students learn the names of states and their capitals. I use this site with my fourth graders as we learn about each region of the country. The especially like playing the games to learn the states because each set of games comes in a variety of levels. That way they can challenge themselves as much as they want.
Learning Standards: 17a Locate, describe and explain places, regions, and features of Earth. 17c Understand relationships between geographic features and society. 17d Understand the historical significance of geography.
Site of the Week #1 (April 16th)
http://www.aaamath.com
Website description: This site provides practice for several mathconcepts over several grade levels. It is organized for students ingrades kindergarten through 8th grade with a variety of options forgames and math practice. Games can also be accessed by math conceptinstead of grade level. Some of the math concepts that students canpractice with are: algebra, comparing, counting, decimals, division,equations, estimation, exponents, fractions, geometry, graphs,measurement, multiplication, naming numbers, patterns, percent, placevalue, properties, ratios, statistics, and subtraction. The site isalso available in Spanish.
Learning Standards: 6a Demonstrate knowledge and use of numbers in their representations ina broad range of theoretical and practication settings.6b Investigate, represent and solve problems using number facts,operations and their properties, alogrithms and relationships.6d Solve problems using comparison of quantities, ratios, proportions,and percents.7a Measure and compare quantities using appropriate units, instrumentsand methods.8b Interpret and describe numerical relationships using tables, graphs,and symbols.8d Use algebraic concepts and procedures to represent and solveproblems.9a Demontrate and apply geometric concepts involving points, lines,planes, and space.10a Organize, describe, and make predictions for existing data.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Evidence-based posting #3
Evidence-based posting #3: “One Laptop per Child”
Last night on 60 Minutes, there was an interesting piece about a man who was working to provide every child in the world with an affordable laptop. “One Laptop per Child” is the vision of a man named Nicholas Negroponte whose dream is to supply $100 laptops to all children, even those in poor, underdeveloped countries. “One Laptop per Child” sounded like a worthwhile program that had no reason to be challenged or questioned. As I kept watching, I learned that thought was not entirely true.
When Negroponte’s program began, the vision was simple – have cheap, easy-to-work laptops available to any child. His vision grew into a nonprofit organization that produces laptops that are cheap, reliable, and easy to use. These laptops began popping up in both industrialized and developing nations and seemed to promise at least one equity amongst the world’s youth. As his program became more successful, new challenges arose. These challenges came in the shape of Intel and other giants of the computer industry. How did these major companies challenge Negroponte’s program? These companies developed their own inexpensive laptops to market which directly affected Negroponte’s efforts. How could large for profit corporations come in and undermine one man’s dream to help children?
The answer was debatable. Negroponte feels like the corporations saw the millions of children that would need laptops and that translated into dollar signs. The corporations feel that they are expanding a new market and therefore choice benefits everyone. There is validity to both sides of the discussion, as long as both sides don’t lose sight of the original vision. I think Negroponte’s motives are of the best intentions, but can he really be mad if other products come out that are similar to his? The large corporations have every right to produce products for whatever need they find, but did they really need to target a not for profit humanitarian effort? Like so many things “One Laptop per Child” is composed of ideals that are almost impossible to reach. But as the argument between Negroponte and the corporations presses on, it is only safe to assume that the goals of “One Laptop per Child” will become completely impossible to reach, and instead one man’s dream will crumble, and corporations will be faced with the “what ifs” of failed business venture.
Stahk, L. (2007, May 20). What if Every Child Had a Laptop? Retrieved May 21, 2007, from cbsnews: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/20/60minutes/main2830058.shtml
Last night on 60 Minutes, there was an interesting piece about a man who was working to provide every child in the world with an affordable laptop. “One Laptop per Child” is the vision of a man named Nicholas Negroponte whose dream is to supply $100 laptops to all children, even those in poor, underdeveloped countries. “One Laptop per Child” sounded like a worthwhile program that had no reason to be challenged or questioned. As I kept watching, I learned that thought was not entirely true.
When Negroponte’s program began, the vision was simple – have cheap, easy-to-work laptops available to any child. His vision grew into a nonprofit organization that produces laptops that are cheap, reliable, and easy to use. These laptops began popping up in both industrialized and developing nations and seemed to promise at least one equity amongst the world’s youth. As his program became more successful, new challenges arose. These challenges came in the shape of Intel and other giants of the computer industry. How did these major companies challenge Negroponte’s program? These companies developed their own inexpensive laptops to market which directly affected Negroponte’s efforts. How could large for profit corporations come in and undermine one man’s dream to help children?
The answer was debatable. Negroponte feels like the corporations saw the millions of children that would need laptops and that translated into dollar signs. The corporations feel that they are expanding a new market and therefore choice benefits everyone. There is validity to both sides of the discussion, as long as both sides don’t lose sight of the original vision. I think Negroponte’s motives are of the best intentions, but can he really be mad if other products come out that are similar to his? The large corporations have every right to produce products for whatever need they find, but did they really need to target a not for profit humanitarian effort? Like so many things “One Laptop per Child” is composed of ideals that are almost impossible to reach. But as the argument between Negroponte and the corporations presses on, it is only safe to assume that the goals of “One Laptop per Child” will become completely impossible to reach, and instead one man’s dream will crumble, and corporations will be faced with the “what ifs” of failed business venture.
Stahk, L. (2007, May 20). What if Every Child Had a Laptop? Retrieved May 21, 2007, from cbsnews: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/20/60minutes/main2830058.shtml
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