My passion for learning about technology and how to effectively incorporate it into my classroom is not going to stop after CEP 812 or after MAET. Below I have created a podcast and screen cast, two technologies I have learned to use this semester in order to share my accomplishments as well as share what I will continue to work on throughout MAET and beyond.
Here is a podcast of my Personal Learning Reflection for CEP 812:
Podcast
Script to Podcast:
After reviewing my goals from CEP 810 and CEP 811, I have learned an immense amount of knowledge up to this point in my masters. When I started MAET, I had never created a blog, a web page, or used an RSS Reader. I was unfamiliar with Google for Documents, Forms, Drawing, and creating Presentations, as well as little knowledge on numerous educational learning sites. Wow, has my knowledge for technology grown in just in a short few months!
Most of my goals from CEP 810 and 811 have been fulfilled. One of the most beneficial findings is learning from others on social learning sites such as MACUL space. Also, I have created a website for student and parent use, as well as a blog.
In my current CEP classes, I have learned about a variety of content management systems such as Weebly, Moodle, Wiki, and Wordpress. I learned how to create a screen cast as well a podcast.
This semester, one of the projects I learned the most from was through the Wicked Project. Not only did I learn from my own, but through my group member’s projects as well. The group I was assigned was a perfect fit. For example, Steve Veldman’s project was on students editing and revising their written work. I struggle with this issue on a daily basis. After seeing his overall success with VozME, I too want to use this technological tool to enhance student learning. Amanda Kain worked with WikiSpaces which I am not very knowledgeable on and Linnea Czerney worked with increasing parent communication. All of these issues were relevant to my teaching and I enjoyed discovering new websites and information to enhance my teaching.
As I said before and I will continue to say, I will always search for new ways of incorporating more technology into the classroom. I am becoming more confident in my abilities with technology. My long-term goals are to discover many more free online technological resources that are user-friendly to implement into my classroom. I am more confident in my abilities; however, I know I still have so much more to learn and that learning won’t stop after this class or after getting my masters. As I mentioned last semester, I am still focused on getting Google accounts for students, as well as creating online portfolios.
I am very thrilled that our school is finally getting on board with SMARTboards. I am trying to talk my principal into technology training on the SMARTboards and incorporate that into our Summer School Program for our youngsters struggling in math. This is a great way for professional development and immediately use it for student learning.
I know as I continue through my masters degree I am going to continue to learn an immense amount of knowledge.
End of Script
I wanted to create a Screencast in order to show some of the ways I have learned about technology and/or incorporated technology into my teaching.
Here is a screen cast made from Jing on my Personal Learning Reflection for CEP 812:
Screencast
I am excited to see what the rest of the masters program has to offer!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Wicked Project Part D
My project and plan of using math games to engage and effectively teach students did get implemented as planned. I noted every time we did math centers or used the SMARTboard for interactive learning, overall student enthusiasm increased. Even though I know the SMARTboard is new in our classroom and students are excited to discover it, a majority of hands raised when they got the opportunity to complete a math problem on the board. Although I would have liked to implement math centers a bit more, I got enough results to analyze.
After completing math centers or working on the SMARTboard, I have a quick discussion with my students on the positives and negatives of each technology used. This is a great way for me to gauge student interest in particular math games and to realize what did not work well. For example, my fifth graders just began adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. For CEP 820, I am in the process of creating a unit on this concept. I gave students the opportunity to play any of the games listed on my website Fraction Fun Website. I discovered very quickly the games that were very popular (Fruit Shoot Fraction, Head to Paradise, Battleship Math) and the game that was not as action packed and popular (Math Playground). I also found out that the online board game from Math-Play Board Game does not change its problems so this would be more effective as a SMARTboard activity where students would rotate through this station instead of play it over and over.
Also on my website, I created a Google Form that became a quick way for me to see if students were actually retaining knowledge on fractions after playing games. My results were very positive, meaning that most students were understanding how to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. This short tool became a perfect way to quickly assess their knowledge. I can’t say enough about what Google has to offer.
Given a chance to redo this, I may be more successful now because I already had student feedback on what worked well and did not work as well. In this way, I can now provide the tools that were the most effective and fun to my students without having them sort through non-effective games first. I definitely learned how important it is to get student feedback in their learning. This allows each child to take ownership in their education. However, I also have to remember that all students learn differently and what interests one may not interest another. Therefore, I will continue to search for a variety of online games to provide to the ever-changing learner.
This project allowed me to gain insight into effective teaching strategies for math and will be utilized in the future.
After completing math centers or working on the SMARTboard, I have a quick discussion with my students on the positives and negatives of each technology used. This is a great way for me to gauge student interest in particular math games and to realize what did not work well. For example, my fifth graders just began adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. For CEP 820, I am in the process of creating a unit on this concept. I gave students the opportunity to play any of the games listed on my website Fraction Fun Website. I discovered very quickly the games that were very popular (Fruit Shoot Fraction, Head to Paradise, Battleship Math) and the game that was not as action packed and popular (Math Playground). I also found out that the online board game from Math-Play Board Game does not change its problems so this would be more effective as a SMARTboard activity where students would rotate through this station instead of play it over and over.
Also on my website, I created a Google Form that became a quick way for me to see if students were actually retaining knowledge on fractions after playing games. My results were very positive, meaning that most students were understanding how to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. This short tool became a perfect way to quickly assess their knowledge. I can’t say enough about what Google has to offer.
Given a chance to redo this, I may be more successful now because I already had student feedback on what worked well and did not work as well. In this way, I can now provide the tools that were the most effective and fun to my students without having them sort through non-effective games first. I definitely learned how important it is to get student feedback in their learning. This allows each child to take ownership in their education. However, I also have to remember that all students learn differently and what interests one may not interest another. Therefore, I will continue to search for a variety of online games to provide to the ever-changing learner.
This project allowed me to gain insight into effective teaching strategies for math and will be utilized in the future.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Group Leadership Part B-Storyboard and Script
My group's leadership project is dealing with the presentation tool called Prezi. I completed the portion on how to set up Prezi. Our group will all contribute during the final project.
Here is the link to the storyboard my group created on Google Presentation.
Here is our step-by-step script my group will use for our final presentation.
1.How to get started with Prezi (Lisa)
The following script will be said as one of our group members are demonstrating the process to create a Prezi. We will demonstrate with step by step directions why Prezi is a unique presentation tool. We will be using Adobe Connect for our presentation. The presentation we will create on Prezi will be a variety of technology tools to enhance learning.
Script:
Our group decided to teach others about Prezi, a free cloud-based presentation application. Prezi is not like traditional PowerPoint or Google Presentation. What makes Prezi unique is that it uses a canvas. Information is placed on the canvas and grouped in frames. Information is zoomed in on to get a different perspective and look than traditional presentation applications. Framing on a Prezi will be discussed in more detail later in the presentation.
First, you need to sign up for this free presentation application. Once you sign up and get an account, you can create your own Prezi. To do so you first click New Prezi. You will now have to title your Prezi and you may write a description of your new presentation if you wish. Once you write your title and description click New Prezi. This will bring you to a template page. Choose the template that you wish to use. You can use a blank template or one that is already created. Now it is time to be creative! Click anywhere on the template to type information in. If you look to the left of your screen, you have a large circle with small circles surrounding it. The four categories are Insert, Frame, Path, and Colors. Click one of the smaller circles to get more specific functions related to that category. For instance, if you click Insert you can now insert a shapes, files, images, YouTube videos, and/or particular drawings.
Transition: Now that you learned the basics you are ready to move, rotate,scale, and zoom in on pictures and text.
2. How to move, rotate, scale, and zoom (Steve)
Movement of pictures and text in the Prezi program is a very intuitive action. Those of you who have used any touch screen devices will feel right at home. To move a picture or text box just click on the object you want moved and drag your mouse. The object will move with your cursor. When you reach the desired location for your object, let go of your cursor.
Now that you are able to move items let’s discuss how to change their appearance. First click on the picture that you desire to change. You will see a circular graphic pop up over the picture. This circular graphic contains the tools you will need to rotate, scale, and zoom your picture. First to rotate your picture click, and hold, on the border circumference of the circle. On the outside of the circle you will see an arrow indicating you now able to rotate the picture. To rotate the picture just drag your mouse the direction you would like to rotate the picture, release the mouse click and and your picture will be in its new rotational position.
To scale your picture, which will change what the viewer sees of your image, again click the picture bringing up the circular graphic. In the lower right corner of the circle is a pencil. If you click the pencil, a rectangular bracket will appear on your picture. To change the dimensions of the picture click and grab the corners of the brackets to the desire position. When you are satisfied with the dimensions of the picture let go of your click and the new looking picture will be saved.
The last editing tool we will discuss is the ability to zoom in and out on your pictures. Again, to begin, you will click on your picture. This will bring up the circular editing graphic. To zoom in on your picture click the plus button in the interior of the circle. To zoom in further on your picture continue to click the plus button until the picture is at your desired size. To zoom out on your picture, repeat the previous process using the minus button.
Now that you have learned how to edit your pictures and text boxes, you are ready to learn how to create paths and frames in your presentations.
3. How to create a path and frame (Linnea)
When putting words and pictures into your prezi, frames are an excellent way to group them according to a theme, topic, or purpose. To choose a frame, go to the guide and click the frame circle. (move mouse over the frame option while pausing in script). A frame can be a square, a bracket, or a circle frame. (hover mouse over each and insert each into the prezi) It does just that, “frames” your presentation. They can serve the purpose of framing, or to create an additional visual aspect. I would recommend either mixing up your frames or using the same shape for consistency. These then also make choosing your path much easier and add an element to choose as a stop on your path.
This is where your prezi really comes to life. The path is how your presentation will flow as you go from step to step. The most important part is to decide where you want emphasis and the importance to be during your presentation. (show the path option in guided) You can use the path to add emphasis as you zoom in and out. (zoom sound as you move in and out) The path decides how much is shown in each view which you click through, each click changes a step on the path. First, decide where your prezi will start, mostly likely at title and author or introduction. Using the path, you can show further out and zoom in to show more detail. For example, the first part of the path may be the whole view of the title and author, then zoom in on the second step of the path to just the author or a picture. (at this time, demonstrate labeling the path) Be creative! Using the path you can allow yourself more time transitioning by setting the path on arrows between, and you can also have the path continue to zoom in/out or rotate as you go to make it more visually stimulating. However, you have to be cautious that you do not get carried away, too many path turns may make your audience dizzy. You can set a step of the path on any object in your prezi, this may be a picture, a word, a frame, an arrow, etc. (show how to change the path or add a step) Then you can zoom in or out depending on emphasis. Be careful when you zoom out, that other pictures or words don’t come into the view and distract the audience.
Once you have set your path, you can always change it by dragging that number to another object. However, you can’t have more than one number per object; that’s how frames and separating text can help. Using the path view, shows each path step at the bottom of your screen. Make sure the flow makes sense. (preview the path) There’s no limit to how many steps you can have in your path. Your path is really what makes the prezi because no matter how great your text or images, if your audience is not following, then it does not help. After you finish, your audience will surely clap for you (insert clapping sound) and then ask you for the prezi link.
4. How to invite others to view (Amanda)
Once you have created your Prezi you are able to share it with others. First, you want to change the privacy settings. You can do this by clicking on my Prezi. Then, click on the arrow that says Allow Copy. Here you will have the option of making your Prezi public and allow copy, public, or private. If you choose public and allow copy, others will be able to save an editable copy of your Prezi. This is the easiest way to share templates, assets, animations, and sound effects you have used in your Prezi. The great thing about it is that your original Prezi will always remain untouched, only the copies are modified. The second option is to make your Prezi public. This allows your Prezi to be viewed by anyone who is searching for it. The last option is private, which can only be accessed by the owner, co-editors, and invited viewers.
To publish your Prezi all you have to do is go to prezi.com/my and check the box marked Publish. On the Share tab, you can invite others to view or edit your Prezi. This is also where you can obtain an embed code to add the Prezi to your blog or website. So, to invite someone to view your Prezi click on Share and then the Viewing tab. Then, you can choose to share through email, facebook, or twitter. All you have to do is click on the icon you want at the bottom of the window. If you would like to allow someone to edit your Prezi, click on Share and then click on the Editing tab. Then again you can choose to share through email, facebook, or twitter using the icons at the bottom of the window. If you would like the embed code to share your Prezi on your blog, click on Share again, and at the bottom you should click on Embed. This will give you the code you need.
Another option you have once you have created your Prezi is to download it as a portable Prezi. A portable Prezi is an exported or downloaded version of your Prezi presentation. These can be viewed without Internet access and without a Prezi account. If you want to do this, you click on your Prezi and select Download from the options bar, choose to Export to Portable Prezi and click download. You will be prompted to click to download your file. You will receive a zip file. Save this and then upzip it and start Prezi.exe (PC) or the Prezi file (Mac) to load your portable Prezi. Now you can present without an Internet connection, burn your Prezi on a CD or DVD, and distribute your Prezi.
Here is the link to the storyboard my group created on Google Presentation.
Here is our step-by-step script my group will use for our final presentation.
1.How to get started with Prezi (Lisa)
The following script will be said as one of our group members are demonstrating the process to create a Prezi. We will demonstrate with step by step directions why Prezi is a unique presentation tool. We will be using Adobe Connect for our presentation. The presentation we will create on Prezi will be a variety of technology tools to enhance learning.
Script:
Our group decided to teach others about Prezi, a free cloud-based presentation application. Prezi is not like traditional PowerPoint or Google Presentation. What makes Prezi unique is that it uses a canvas. Information is placed on the canvas and grouped in frames. Information is zoomed in on to get a different perspective and look than traditional presentation applications. Framing on a Prezi will be discussed in more detail later in the presentation.
First, you need to sign up for this free presentation application. Once you sign up and get an account, you can create your own Prezi. To do so you first click New Prezi. You will now have to title your Prezi and you may write a description of your new presentation if you wish. Once you write your title and description click New Prezi. This will bring you to a template page. Choose the template that you wish to use. You can use a blank template or one that is already created. Now it is time to be creative! Click anywhere on the template to type information in. If you look to the left of your screen, you have a large circle with small circles surrounding it. The four categories are Insert, Frame, Path, and Colors. Click one of the smaller circles to get more specific functions related to that category. For instance, if you click Insert you can now insert a shapes, files, images, YouTube videos, and/or particular drawings.
Transition: Now that you learned the basics you are ready to move, rotate,scale, and zoom in on pictures and text.
2. How to move, rotate, scale, and zoom (Steve)
Movement of pictures and text in the Prezi program is a very intuitive action. Those of you who have used any touch screen devices will feel right at home. To move a picture or text box just click on the object you want moved and drag your mouse. The object will move with your cursor. When you reach the desired location for your object, let go of your cursor.
Now that you are able to move items let’s discuss how to change their appearance. First click on the picture that you desire to change. You will see a circular graphic pop up over the picture. This circular graphic contains the tools you will need to rotate, scale, and zoom your picture. First to rotate your picture click, and hold, on the border circumference of the circle. On the outside of the circle you will see an arrow indicating you now able to rotate the picture. To rotate the picture just drag your mouse the direction you would like to rotate the picture, release the mouse click and and your picture will be in its new rotational position.
To scale your picture, which will change what the viewer sees of your image, again click the picture bringing up the circular graphic. In the lower right corner of the circle is a pencil. If you click the pencil, a rectangular bracket will appear on your picture. To change the dimensions of the picture click and grab the corners of the brackets to the desire position. When you are satisfied with the dimensions of the picture let go of your click and the new looking picture will be saved.
The last editing tool we will discuss is the ability to zoom in and out on your pictures. Again, to begin, you will click on your picture. This will bring up the circular editing graphic. To zoom in on your picture click the plus button in the interior of the circle. To zoom in further on your picture continue to click the plus button until the picture is at your desired size. To zoom out on your picture, repeat the previous process using the minus button.
Now that you have learned how to edit your pictures and text boxes, you are ready to learn how to create paths and frames in your presentations.
3. How to create a path and frame (Linnea)
When putting words and pictures into your prezi, frames are an excellent way to group them according to a theme, topic, or purpose. To choose a frame, go to the guide and click the frame circle. (move mouse over the frame option while pausing in script). A frame can be a square, a bracket, or a circle frame. (hover mouse over each and insert each into the prezi) It does just that, “frames” your presentation. They can serve the purpose of framing, or to create an additional visual aspect. I would recommend either mixing up your frames or using the same shape for consistency. These then also make choosing your path much easier and add an element to choose as a stop on your path.
This is where your prezi really comes to life. The path is how your presentation will flow as you go from step to step. The most important part is to decide where you want emphasis and the importance to be during your presentation. (show the path option in guided) You can use the path to add emphasis as you zoom in and out. (zoom sound as you move in and out) The path decides how much is shown in each view which you click through, each click changes a step on the path. First, decide where your prezi will start, mostly likely at title and author or introduction. Using the path, you can show further out and zoom in to show more detail. For example, the first part of the path may be the whole view of the title and author, then zoom in on the second step of the path to just the author or a picture. (at this time, demonstrate labeling the path) Be creative! Using the path you can allow yourself more time transitioning by setting the path on arrows between, and you can also have the path continue to zoom in/out or rotate as you go to make it more visually stimulating. However, you have to be cautious that you do not get carried away, too many path turns may make your audience dizzy. You can set a step of the path on any object in your prezi, this may be a picture, a word, a frame, an arrow, etc. (show how to change the path or add a step) Then you can zoom in or out depending on emphasis. Be careful when you zoom out, that other pictures or words don’t come into the view and distract the audience.
Once you have set your path, you can always change it by dragging that number to another object. However, you can’t have more than one number per object; that’s how frames and separating text can help. Using the path view, shows each path step at the bottom of your screen. Make sure the flow makes sense. (preview the path) There’s no limit to how many steps you can have in your path. Your path is really what makes the prezi because no matter how great your text or images, if your audience is not following, then it does not help. After you finish, your audience will surely clap for you (insert clapping sound) and then ask you for the prezi link.
4. How to invite others to view (Amanda)
Once you have created your Prezi you are able to share it with others. First, you want to change the privacy settings. You can do this by clicking on my Prezi. Then, click on the arrow that says Allow Copy. Here you will have the option of making your Prezi public and allow copy, public, or private. If you choose public and allow copy, others will be able to save an editable copy of your Prezi. This is the easiest way to share templates, assets, animations, and sound effects you have used in your Prezi. The great thing about it is that your original Prezi will always remain untouched, only the copies are modified. The second option is to make your Prezi public. This allows your Prezi to be viewed by anyone who is searching for it. The last option is private, which can only be accessed by the owner, co-editors, and invited viewers.
To publish your Prezi all you have to do is go to prezi.com/my and check the box marked Publish. On the Share tab, you can invite others to view or edit your Prezi. This is also where you can obtain an embed code to add the Prezi to your blog or website. So, to invite someone to view your Prezi click on Share and then the Viewing tab. Then, you can choose to share through email, facebook, or twitter. All you have to do is click on the icon you want at the bottom of the window. If you would like to allow someone to edit your Prezi, click on Share and then click on the Editing tab. Then again you can choose to share through email, facebook, or twitter using the icons at the bottom of the window. If you would like the embed code to share your Prezi on your blog, click on Share again, and at the bottom you should click on Embed. This will give you the code you need.
Another option you have once you have created your Prezi is to download it as a portable Prezi. A portable Prezi is an exported or downloaded version of your Prezi presentation. These can be viewed without Internet access and without a Prezi account. If you want to do this, you click on your Prezi and select Download from the options bar, choose to Export to Portable Prezi and click download. You will be prompted to click to download your file. You will receive a zip file. Save this and then upzip it and start Prezi.exe (PC) or the Prezi file (Mac) to load your portable Prezi. Now you can present without an Internet connection, burn your Prezi on a CD or DVD, and distribute your Prezi.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Mobile Learning Lab
The first tool I explored was how to use a cell phone in the classroom. I read the article called, 25 Practical Reasons for Using a Cell Phone. To be honest, I am not a strong advocate for the use of cell phones in my fifth grade classroom. First, not every students has a cell phone. Also, I know how easy it is to use a cell phone to do other functions (text, check email, go on twitter, facebook, etc.) However, I think the use of cell phones for upper elementary students would be effective to use as a homework assignment that kids could complete at night. After setting up a poll from Poll Everywhere I realized what a great tool it is. Here is an example of a question I created- Poll Everywhere. Ultimately, I believe a cell phone in fifth grade could be beneficial using at home for a question of the day.
I am a strong advocate for iPads in the classroom. Although they are similar to cell phones where students can be off task, I think it would be easier to manage iPads with students. For example, I looked up a variety of apps for elementary students. A few apps in particular stood out to me. First, miTables Lite is a free app for children to practice their multiplication facts. This would be a great tool for students to review multiplication the first few weeks of fifth grade. Whether you believe it or not, knowing your multiplication facts quickly and fluently will benefit your students for their entire lives. Another app I found was for science called Molecules. This free app gives three-dimensional depictions of molecules. This would be a great hands on tool to help students understand an abstract concept such as matter and molecules.
Another mobile device I would love in my classroom would be flip cameras. In Using Flip Cameras in the Classroom, many practical educational and fun learning ideas were presented. For example, in math students could talk through the steps in solving a particular math problem. In reading, students could act out a scene from a book, record a book talk, or narrate a story. Students could act out a scene from the past acting like historical characters for social studies. The positive aspect of a flip camera is that you do not need a classroom set. One per three or four children would be ideal.
As I am learning about all the ways to incorporate technology into the classroom, it tends to leave me bittersweet. As great as all these ideas and tools are, it does come down to funding in the classroom. I would love flip cameras, iPods, and iPads in the classroom; however, unfortunately most school budgets do not allow for that much technology. Even having my students use the computers is difficult enough because our school library is not available for half of the day and there are not enough computers for each students.
I am a strong advocate for iPads in the classroom. Although they are similar to cell phones where students can be off task, I think it would be easier to manage iPads with students. For example, I looked up a variety of apps for elementary students. A few apps in particular stood out to me. First, miTables Lite is a free app for children to practice their multiplication facts. This would be a great tool for students to review multiplication the first few weeks of fifth grade. Whether you believe it or not, knowing your multiplication facts quickly and fluently will benefit your students for their entire lives. Another app I found was for science called Molecules. This free app gives three-dimensional depictions of molecules. This would be a great hands on tool to help students understand an abstract concept such as matter and molecules.
Another mobile device I would love in my classroom would be flip cameras. In Using Flip Cameras in the Classroom, many practical educational and fun learning ideas were presented. For example, in math students could talk through the steps in solving a particular math problem. In reading, students could act out a scene from a book, record a book talk, or narrate a story. Students could act out a scene from the past acting like historical characters for social studies. The positive aspect of a flip camera is that you do not need a classroom set. One per three or four children would be ideal.
As I am learning about all the ways to incorporate technology into the classroom, it tends to leave me bittersweet. As great as all these ideas and tools are, it does come down to funding in the classroom. I would love flip cameras, iPods, and iPads in the classroom; however, unfortunately most school budgets do not allow for that much technology. Even having my students use the computers is difficult enough because our school library is not available for half of the day and there are not enough computers for each students.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Part C- Implimentation
Podcast
Screencast of Humpty Dumpty Math Fraction Review
Screencast of Decimal Race
Here is the text in written form:
The educational need I am in the process of addressing in my Wicked Project is how to use math games to get students engaged in their learning. So far, I have had the opportunity to implement math centers numerous times in the past month, as well as use my newest and greatest classroom addition, the SMARTboard.
During centers, I have witnessed student engagement increase compared to daily work without games or the use of the SMARTboard. On a daily basis, I have been pleasantly surprised when I ask math questions because almost 100% of my kids hands go up. They all want the opportunity to show their work on the SMARTboard.
There are some changes I would make though through the use of math games and SMARTboard lessons. First, not all the lessons I have chosen on the SMARTboard have been as interactive as I would like. Also, only one student is able to write on the board at a time. This causes a long wait time and students grow more disinterested in the task at hand. For example, I did a SMARTboard lesson on reviewing fractions. Although it was a great lesson, it was time consuming for each child to come up and solve a problem. I saw some students bored, while others only were interested in getting called on and not watching the work being done.
However there has been a lot that has went well so far. I found a decimal race game where students are trying to get the highest decimal. They roll a dice and write down the digit in one of the decimal place values. As I watched students from afar, they were very energetic about the game and for the students who forgot place value of decimals, it was a way to recall their past knowledge. Also, I allow students to choose the computer math game they want to play based on three or four choices I provide. This way they are engaged more because they have a say. I have tried it where I give students one game and they get bored easily with this.
Screencast of Humpty Dumpty Math Fraction Review
Screencast of Decimal Race
Here is the text in written form:
The educational need I am in the process of addressing in my Wicked Project is how to use math games to get students engaged in their learning. So far, I have had the opportunity to implement math centers numerous times in the past month, as well as use my newest and greatest classroom addition, the SMARTboard.
During centers, I have witnessed student engagement increase compared to daily work without games or the use of the SMARTboard. On a daily basis, I have been pleasantly surprised when I ask math questions because almost 100% of my kids hands go up. They all want the opportunity to show their work on the SMARTboard.
There are some changes I would make though through the use of math games and SMARTboard lessons. First, not all the lessons I have chosen on the SMARTboard have been as interactive as I would like. Also, only one student is able to write on the board at a time. This causes a long wait time and students grow more disinterested in the task at hand. For example, I did a SMARTboard lesson on reviewing fractions. Although it was a great lesson, it was time consuming for each child to come up and solve a problem. I saw some students bored, while others only were interested in getting called on and not watching the work being done.
However there has been a lot that has went well so far. I found a decimal race game where students are trying to get the highest decimal. They roll a dice and write down the digit in one of the decimal place values. As I watched students from afar, they were very energetic about the game and for the students who forgot place value of decimals, it was a way to recall their past knowledge. Also, I allow students to choose the computer math game they want to play based on three or four choices I provide. This way they are engaged more because they have a say. I have tried it where I give students one game and they get bored easily with this.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Part A-Brainstorming Session
The web conferencing tool my group used was Adobe Connect. The advantages to using this tool was that is was easy to use and there was an unlimited time to communicate with group members, unlike other web conferencing tools just as Jing. Also, it was a way to quickly communicate about our project instead of sending constant emails or postings to Google docs. The disadvantage was that in order to use Adobe Connect, we had to first have our instructor set one of us up to have hosting rights. Nonetheless, it was helpful because Chuck explained what I had to do to web conference quickly and effectively.
http://connect.msu.edu/p1tktsq8ij4/
http://connect.msu.edu/p1tktsq8ij4/
Monday, February 6, 2012
Wicked Project Part B-Application of TPACK
Based on the TPACK, I need to know how to combine content (subject area to teach), pedagogy (how to teach), and technology (tools that help make teaching more effective) together. It is not only important to use technology, but innovate technology into learning. As the teacher, my job is to not only become an expert on the curriculum. It is my job to integrate as much technology as possibly into my instruction. Using math games from http://www.mrnussbaum.com/ or hundreds of other effective math sites, will allow my students to grasp the curriculum in an authentic and creative manner. Also, I will utilize the SMARTboard daily to get students excited about their learning.
One of the issues with learning mathematics is that students solve problem after problem, not being able to relate their work to the real world. Also, they may struggle because they are not given a visual and hands-on representation. My fifth grade curriculum is a textbook. If I simply assigned problems out of the textbook each day, students would not be engaged, not have memorable learning opportunities, and would most likely dislike everything about math. I would not blame them for disliking math with that type of teaching. By using the SMARTboard even as a math warm-up exercise, children are able to work hands on. For example, as a five minute review before I started my lesson on the angles of a triangle, students were given the opportunity to estimate angles on the SMARTboard. The object of the lesson was to collect as many bananas as they could for the monkey. The closer they were to the angle given, the more bananas they would collect. This activity got students excited about estimating angles much more than giving them a worksheet to fill out. I had the majority of kids raising their hand to participate because they were engaged. Technology is a way to engross students positively and help them become more successful as a learner.
One of the first jobs as a teacher is to find out how your students learn. I found out my students learn most effectively by working with partners in math. With the curriculum very challenging, students tend to succeed in pairs or with a teacher led small group. Once I discovered how my students learn, I had to figure out ways to help them grasp information easier. One way I found was by giving them choices. For example, during math centers students were given approximately three or four math activities and games they could complete. In this way, they stayed focused on their learning. If they were very successful with measuring angles, but struggled with finding unknown angles, they had the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning and chose the game that would help them succeed the most. Also, this helped to differentiate between all my students. They learned the content in the most effective way and in an appealing fashion through the use of technology.
One of the issues with learning mathematics is that students solve problem after problem, not being able to relate their work to the real world. Also, they may struggle because they are not given a visual and hands-on representation. My fifth grade curriculum is a textbook. If I simply assigned problems out of the textbook each day, students would not be engaged, not have memorable learning opportunities, and would most likely dislike everything about math. I would not blame them for disliking math with that type of teaching. By using the SMARTboard even as a math warm-up exercise, children are able to work hands on. For example, as a five minute review before I started my lesson on the angles of a triangle, students were given the opportunity to estimate angles on the SMARTboard. The object of the lesson was to collect as many bananas as they could for the monkey. The closer they were to the angle given, the more bananas they would collect. This activity got students excited about estimating angles much more than giving them a worksheet to fill out. I had the majority of kids raising their hand to participate because they were engaged. Technology is a way to engross students positively and help them become more successful as a learner.
One of the first jobs as a teacher is to find out how your students learn. I found out my students learn most effectively by working with partners in math. With the curriculum very challenging, students tend to succeed in pairs or with a teacher led small group. Once I discovered how my students learn, I had to figure out ways to help them grasp information easier. One way I found was by giving them choices. For example, during math centers students were given approximately three or four math activities and games they could complete. In this way, they stayed focused on their learning. If they were very successful with measuring angles, but struggled with finding unknown angles, they had the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning and chose the game that would help them succeed the most. Also, this helped to differentiate between all my students. They learned the content in the most effective way and in an appealing fashion through the use of technology.
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