Create and post a planning document on your blog before the class activity. Include the following information:
Link to the activity or web site: Click here.
Specific NETS for Student standard(s) this activity will fulfill:
7. "Select and use the appropriate tools and digital resources to accomplish a variety of tasks and to solve problems." 6a. "Understand and use technology systems."
Activity plan including a description of the activity, how you will prepare for the activity, how class will participate in the activity and how learning will be assessed:
To prepare, I, as the teacher, will become familiar with the SMARTboard presentation which I am using. (If it was a real classroom, I would likely find vocabulary appropriate for a specific book we were studying.) The class will participate by interacting with the SMARTboard verbally and physically. Assessment will be based on participation.
This activity is for language arts and is based on learning to use a thesaurus. For a 7th grade class, they likely already know the basics of how to use a thesaurus. However, this is good, interactive review. And it gives the opportunity to use an internet thesaurus.
My role, as the teacher, is to simply start by asking the class if they know what a thesaurus is used for. I will then drag the link in the first slide to find the answer. I will explain that a thesaurus can be found in book form but also online, following the link on the first slide. I will ask the class to give me a word that I can type into the thesaurus website, demonstrating how to use the tool.
Moving to the next slide, I will instruct three members of the class to look up one word each: angry, careful, and middle. They will use the aforementioned thesaurus site to do this and will then write one of the synonyms on the SMARTboard. I then might show the answers the slide itself gives.
For the next slide, I will ask one student to come forward and match the words on the left to their respective definitions. I will then allow the student to click "check" for accuracy.
On the next slide, I will underline several words and ask students to shout out synonyms for those words. We will then "click for the answer."
If you have made changes to the SB Lesson Activity please talk about the changes and how they will improve the lesson for your students:
I decided not to make changes. The way in which this activity is set-up does not allow for duplication or deletion of page elements. My only option was to create totally new pages. I did not because it was not necessary for this activity. However, if I was using this to teach a specific lesson in a classroom, I would need to change the words to fit / be more applicable.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Election Curriculum
This is one of the "10 reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."
Click here. It's a section of the Washington Secretary of State website. I found it on accident when I was searching for information about voter registration because, well, I don't know how to vote or even how to register to vote.
This site is for teachers and gives "election curriculum," which teaches students about voting in the U.S. and, more specifically, in Washington state. It has curriculum sections for K-4, 5-7, and 8-12. They are very age-appropriate, starting K-4 with the idea of community and voting, leading 5-7 into specific voting terms and the importance of voting, and ending 8-12 with practical help on actually registering to vote and going to the polls. It gives activities for students and pre-made lesson plans for teachers. It also shows the teacher which EALRs are being met.
Though I'm not passionate about voting, (the fact that a 21-year-old was searching online to learn how to register to vote points to that fact), I am interested in avoiding dictatorship. I personally think this site is cool because it gives teachers great tools for teaching kids, even from a very young age, about voting. How else will the process of voting be kept alive? People our age (college students) are the least likely to vote. Perhaps if this curriculum is used in K-12 classrooms, that can change.
Click here. It's a section of the Washington Secretary of State website. I found it on accident when I was searching for information about voter registration because, well, I don't know how to vote or even how to register to vote.
This site is for teachers and gives "election curriculum," which teaches students about voting in the U.S. and, more specifically, in Washington state. It has curriculum sections for K-4, 5-7, and 8-12. They are very age-appropriate, starting K-4 with the idea of community and voting, leading 5-7 into specific voting terms and the importance of voting, and ending 8-12 with practical help on actually registering to vote and going to the polls. It gives activities for students and pre-made lesson plans for teachers. It also shows the teacher which EALRs are being met.
Though I'm not passionate about voting, (the fact that a 21-year-old was searching online to learn how to register to vote points to that fact), I am interested in avoiding dictatorship. I personally think this site is cool because it gives teachers great tools for teaching kids, even from a very young age, about voting. How else will the process of voting be kept alive? People our age (college students) are the least likely to vote. Perhaps if this curriculum is used in K-12 classrooms, that can change.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
"Dare to Dream- Classroom Technology"
I found the link to this blog in the list of "educational blogs" on our class blog... Wow, I just typed "blog" about 100 times. Anyway, here is the link: http://dare-to-dream--classroom-technology.blogspot.com/
The entry I'm writing about is called "This one blew my socks off! What a tool!" The author is a school administrator. She was meeting with her technology coordinator and found something called the TouchGraph. To help you understand what it looks like, look at this picture.
Basically, it takes the place of endless pages of Google search results. Instead, a person can enter a topic, just as they do on Google, and come up with a graph which shows a whole network of subtopics. Each subtopic is linked, so it just requires a click. This not only shows search results but also helps students determine relevancy and understand how a network works, linking related information.
This tool will be useful to me as a teacher both to help myself and to help my students. When looking for online resources, I can type in a phrase and easily/quickly get relevant sites. When teaching students how to research, I can show them this tool and how it will make their search for sources better/easier.
The entry I'm writing about is called "This one blew my socks off! What a tool!" The author is a school administrator. She was meeting with her technology coordinator and found something called the TouchGraph. To help you understand what it looks like, look at this picture.
Basically, it takes the place of endless pages of Google search results. Instead, a person can enter a topic, just as they do on Google, and come up with a graph which shows a whole network of subtopics. Each subtopic is linked, so it just requires a click. This not only shows search results but also helps students determine relevancy and understand how a network works, linking related information.
This tool will be useful to me as a teacher both to help myself and to help my students. When looking for online resources, I can type in a phrase and easily/quickly get relevant sites. When teaching students how to research, I can show them this tool and how it will make their search for sources better/easier.
"Using Compensating Technology With Special-Need Children" by Ed Clement
This is another one of the "reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."
I found an interesting article which addresses both technology and special needs in the classroom. Here is the link: http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ntol/howto/incorptech/c13456,.htm
The author, Ed Clement, describes meeting a millionaire who was in a wheelchair because he was crippled. Curious at how he became a millionaire in spite of his disability, Clement asked the man. The man responded, "technology."
As the author points out, sometimes students with special needs won't be able to do things in a classroom the traditional way. He lists products, simple though they may be, that he uses to help his students with special needs:
-Calcuator: for all students, to help with mathematical and literacy deficiencies
-Pocket translator: for ELL students
-Talking pocket dictionaries: for students who struggle with reading or are bi-lingual
-Pocket spell-checker: for any student who struggles with writing
-PC/Internet: for, the author says, the purpose of finding grant money for additional technological devices
I find it interesting that such simple technology could make a noticable impact on the progress of special needs students. Imagine what the students could do with more advanced technology.
I found an interesting article which addresses both technology and special needs in the classroom. Here is the link: http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ntol/howto/incorptech/c13456,.htm
The author, Ed Clement, describes meeting a millionaire who was in a wheelchair because he was crippled. Curious at how he became a millionaire in spite of his disability, Clement asked the man. The man responded, "technology."
As the author points out, sometimes students with special needs won't be able to do things in a classroom the traditional way. He lists products, simple though they may be, that he uses to help his students with special needs:
-Calcuator: for all students, to help with mathematical and literacy deficiencies
-Pocket translator: for ELL students
-Talking pocket dictionaries: for students who struggle with reading or are bi-lingual
-Pocket spell-checker: for any student who struggles with writing
-PC/Internet: for, the author says, the purpose of finding grant money for additional technological devices
I find it interesting that such simple technology could make a noticable impact on the progress of special needs students. Imagine what the students could do with more advanced technology.
SES
This is another of the "reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."
This was something I took note of last Friday as I was observing my 7th grade language arts class.
I mentioned in a previous blog that, in 2nd period, there is a high-cap and low-cap class in the same room. On Friday, I joined the low-cap class as they went into a separate room to take their vocabulary test. After they were finished and returned to their main room, my cooperating teacher, Mrs. P, and I had some time to talk.
Mrs. P thumbed through their vocab tests as we talked. "A student," she'd say. "C student." (She exaplained that she found a strong correlation between the students' first semester grades and their current tests. She could tell, by looking at tests, which grade the student had gotten first semester.) After looking at a blank test Mrs. P said to me, "This student failed last semester." The fact that the test was blank was particularly sad, as she had given them 1 of the answers and instructed them to fill it in.
Perplexed, I asked her why there are some students who don't even make an effort. Mrs. P said that some who continually get D grades actually do try. They come in for the voluntary Tuesday and Thursday study hall, they stay extra hours, and they still do not succeed academically. "But some," she added, "have parents who are not involved at all. This student," she continued, looking at another paper, "I have tried to contact his parent several times; she never calls back. If I had a kid who was failing, I'd make sure he was in study hall. But some of these single-parent homes just don't make time for the kids."
I then asked Mrs. P how Northshore Junior High School was split up in terms of socio-economic status. She told me that they were getting more and more lower students, and that that was key. Parents who have a low income and who are single often work long hours to provide for themselves and literally do not have time to pay attention to their kids' schooling. "It's not that they don't want to be involved; sometimes they just can't be," she said.
This was something I took note of last Friday as I was observing my 7th grade language arts class.
I mentioned in a previous blog that, in 2nd period, there is a high-cap and low-cap class in the same room. On Friday, I joined the low-cap class as they went into a separate room to take their vocabulary test. After they were finished and returned to their main room, my cooperating teacher, Mrs. P, and I had some time to talk.
Mrs. P thumbed through their vocab tests as we talked. "A student," she'd say. "C student." (She exaplained that she found a strong correlation between the students' first semester grades and their current tests. She could tell, by looking at tests, which grade the student had gotten first semester.) After looking at a blank test Mrs. P said to me, "This student failed last semester." The fact that the test was blank was particularly sad, as she had given them 1 of the answers and instructed them to fill it in.
Perplexed, I asked her why there are some students who don't even make an effort. Mrs. P said that some who continually get D grades actually do try. They come in for the voluntary Tuesday and Thursday study hall, they stay extra hours, and they still do not succeed academically. "But some," she added, "have parents who are not involved at all. This student," she continued, looking at another paper, "I have tried to contact his parent several times; she never calls back. If I had a kid who was failing, I'd make sure he was in study hall. But some of these single-parent homes just don't make time for the kids."
I then asked Mrs. P how Northshore Junior High School was split up in terms of socio-economic status. She told me that they were getting more and more lower students, and that that was key. Parents who have a low income and who are single often work long hours to provide for themselves and literally do not have time to pay attention to their kids' schooling. "It's not that they don't want to be involved; sometimes they just can't be," she said.
High-Cap, Low-Cap
This is one of the "10 reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."
This reflection is based on my classroom observations from February 11, 2008 (for a 7th grade language arts class.)
I'm having trouble resolving the 2nd period classroom structure. Since there are two teachers, there are two classes. Normally, the teachers just teach all the students as a whole. But in 2nd period there is a "high-cap" class and a "low-cap" class: one on each side of the room, with their respective teacher.
I asked whether adaptations were made for the lower level. The teacher said no, that the curriculum was the same, though the performance expectations were a bit lower. (I thought she made a good point by saying that she needs to challenge them and can't just adapt because she can't guarantee that future teachers will. Her students need to be prepared.)
I agree with all that. What disturbs me is the placement of the lower students with the higher students. The lower-level class needs so much micro-managing / individualized attention, which is fine; it just distracts the higher-level students on the other side of the room. Also, within the low-cap group, there is so much variation. Some of the kids are very capable at completing the assignments, while some are not at all. In fact, the teacher has requested that one girl be put in special education classes next year.
I say this only because I wonder how effective a classroom can be when it's like this. I guess I'll find out.
This reflection is based on my classroom observations from February 11, 2008 (for a 7th grade language arts class.)
I'm having trouble resolving the 2nd period classroom structure. Since there are two teachers, there are two classes. Normally, the teachers just teach all the students as a whole. But in 2nd period there is a "high-cap" class and a "low-cap" class: one on each side of the room, with their respective teacher.
I asked whether adaptations were made for the lower level. The teacher said no, that the curriculum was the same, though the performance expectations were a bit lower. (I thought she made a good point by saying that she needs to challenge them and can't just adapt because she can't guarantee that future teachers will. Her students need to be prepared.)
I agree with all that. What disturbs me is the placement of the lower students with the higher students. The lower-level class needs so much micro-managing / individualized attention, which is fine; it just distracts the higher-level students on the other side of the room. Also, within the low-cap group, there is so much variation. Some of the kids are very capable at completing the assignments, while some are not at all. In fact, the teacher has requested that one girl be put in special education classes next year.
I say this only because I wonder how effective a classroom can be when it's like this. I guess I'll find out.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 presents opportunities never before available, as well as enhances already-existing tools. Things like the Wikis and RSS feeds give opportunity for online collaboration, possibly with classmates for a group project. Also, something like podcasting could help students who missed a day of class or parents who want to hear what the teacher is teaching, as discussed in class. The visual programs could be beneficial for students who want to do presentations. Things like the virtual whiteboards make note-taking and organizing data easier. Communication tools like Skype could bring to life other students from around-the-world, possibly making international collaboration a part of the classroom. Blogs could be used by teachers to communicate with students and parents or by students as a way of keeping track of their progress and assignments. The list could go on...
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