1. Name of Activity: Introducing Adjectives
Age Level: Grades 2,3
Subject Recommendation: English Language Arts
Description of how you plan to implement with students:I would use this activity as an introduction to adjectives in writing to make papers more interesting. It would be a whole-group mini-lesson before writing. The slide presentation begins with Schoolhouse Rock- "Grammar Rock- Unpack Your Adjectives." Then it asks students to explain what an adjective is. It includes activities where students can identify the adjectives in a short selection. It also has students provide adjectives to describe nouns. Finally, it has a word sort, where students put the correct word in the adjective or noun column.
2. Name of Activity: Number Sense, Place Value
Age Level: Grades 3-6
Subject Recommendation: Mathematics
Description of how you plan to implement with students:I would use this activity as an introduction to place value in math. Students learn place value and terms such as expanded form. It has an activity where students roll the dice (virtually), place the numbers on the chart, and read the number. It could be used as a whole group- mini lesson, with students breaking off into pairs with dice to do the same activity. Then they would come back to learn about expanded form. Next, the slide has a chart where students fill in the missing part: the number or the expanded form. Finally, the slide introduces a game called Bingo Lingo.
3. Name of Activity: Graphing
Age Level: Grades 3-5
Subject Recommendation: Mathematics
Description of how you plan to implement with students:I would use this activity as an introduction to basic graphing in math. The activity only discusses two types of graphs- bar graphs and pictographs. However, after it introduces the type of graph, it invites the students to create their own. Here, I would probably have each table create one on chart paper. Then we would share them in class. The activity does the same for a pictograph. Again, I would have students create one with their groups and share with the class. The activity concludes with a short matching voacabulary review. I like this activity because it does use vocabulary students need to be familiar with when graphing. It also leads nicely into a discussion on mean and mode.
Friday, July 27, 2012
M5 Reading Log Blogs
Power Up! Stimulating Your Students With Power Point
The author, Andre Harrison, suggests using Power Points to engage students in the classroom. The slide presentations can be used to play games, such as Jeopardy, as a fun way to review for a test. Or it can be a way for students to take notes instead of listening to a dry lecture. Animations, graphs, maps, and audio can be added to enhance the presentations. Harrison also encourages having the students create the power points to share different topics that have been covered in class. It helps with the different learning styles, too.
I have used power point in my classes before, and think that third grade is not too young to create a simple power point. he author has his high school students doing it, but with the ease of making power points, third graders should be able to do it, as well.
Point/ Counterpoint- Is Power Point Crippling Our Students?
In this selection, two instructors share their view on this topic.
Kathy Johnson, a technology professor, takes the view that power point is crippling our children. She believes that the value of the instructor is diminished with power point. She also states that it becomes another mindless media. There is no interaction with it. Students are not discussing or forming opinions. The answers to their questions are one slide away. All they need to do is wait. Johnson compares it to television with the closed caption on.
Vicki Sharp, on the other side, takes a different view of power points. She believes they add excitement to the classroom and students are eager to create them. They add creativity to their presentations such as film clips, photos, music, and other effects. The students learn from each other in their productions, too. Sharp relays that even her reluctant readers are eager to read and explore topics.
My view point? I can see where a poor point presentation could easily mimic the slide shows of yesteryear. However, with the technology today, power points can be both exciting and informative.
Readers Respond- Is Power Point Crippling Our Students?
The second part of this discussion allows readers to chime in. It seems that 59% of the readers do not feel that power point is hurting our students, whereas, 41% agree that power point is crippling our students. The majority believe that it encourages creativity, fosters learning through research, and is a great hands-on activity. However, the minority believe that it is boring and over-used because it's easy for teachers to do. They believe it is good technology gone bad.
Again, my thoughts are that any learning tool can enhance learning or cremate it. It depends on the teacher and her use of best practices.
The author, Andre Harrison, suggests using Power Points to engage students in the classroom. The slide presentations can be used to play games, such as Jeopardy, as a fun way to review for a test. Or it can be a way for students to take notes instead of listening to a dry lecture. Animations, graphs, maps, and audio can be added to enhance the presentations. Harrison also encourages having the students create the power points to share different topics that have been covered in class. It helps with the different learning styles, too.
I have used power point in my classes before, and think that third grade is not too young to create a simple power point. he author has his high school students doing it, but with the ease of making power points, third graders should be able to do it, as well.
Point/ Counterpoint- Is Power Point Crippling Our Students?
In this selection, two instructors share their view on this topic.
Kathy Johnson, a technology professor, takes the view that power point is crippling our children. She believes that the value of the instructor is diminished with power point. She also states that it becomes another mindless media. There is no interaction with it. Students are not discussing or forming opinions. The answers to their questions are one slide away. All they need to do is wait. Johnson compares it to television with the closed caption on.
Vicki Sharp, on the other side, takes a different view of power points. She believes they add excitement to the classroom and students are eager to create them. They add creativity to their presentations such as film clips, photos, music, and other effects. The students learn from each other in their productions, too. Sharp relays that even her reluctant readers are eager to read and explore topics.
My view point? I can see where a poor point presentation could easily mimic the slide shows of yesteryear. However, with the technology today, power points can be both exciting and informative.
Readers Respond- Is Power Point Crippling Our Students?
The second part of this discussion allows readers to chime in. It seems that 59% of the readers do not feel that power point is hurting our students, whereas, 41% agree that power point is crippling our students. The majority believe that it encourages creativity, fosters learning through research, and is a great hands-on activity. However, the minority believe that it is boring and over-used because it's easy for teachers to do. They believe it is good technology gone bad.
Again, my thoughts are that any learning tool can enhance learning or cremate it. It depends on the teacher and her use of best practices.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
M4 Smart Exchange Ideas
Name of Activity: Fractions
Age Level: Grades 2 and 3
Subject Recommendation: Math
Description of how you plan to implement with students: Initially, I would use this activity as an introduction to fractions on the whiteboard, as a whole group activity. It explains the difference between numerators and denominators. This activity also relates fractions as parts of a whole and parts of a set. Finally, it has a check your understanding in the middle,matching the picture to the number and one where you match the number to the words. At the end, it offers students two different games they can play, where if they match the correct picture to the number, they move up a level. This part of the activity would be used as a station for children at the computers, while I worked with another group using fraction pies. Then the groups would exchange places.
Name of Activity: How to Read Maps
Age Level: Grades1,2,3
Subject Recommendation: Geography, Social Studies
Description of how you plan to implement with students: I would use this activity as an introduction to identifying maps, atlases, and globes, and reading maps on the whiteboard, as a whole group activity for my third grade social studies classes. It has great activities that allow students to take turns coming up and trying on the whiteboard. It also has questions geared for discussing with the group, or as partners, or tables. There are two parts to this activity, I couldn't get to work- locked out. One was the Category Sort. Students are to put the labels under the correct category- map, atlas, globe. That is not enough to deter me from this section. Writing the labels on tag-board with a magnet placed behind each would allow for the activity to still be completed. The other activity that wouldn't work was X Marks the Spot. I think we'd be okay to skip this. One activity, Connect-the-Dots, has the students using the pen that goes with the whiteboard. Even though I would use this as a whole group lesson, I can see students engaged and excited.
Name of Activity:Plane Shapes/ Geometry
Age Level: Grades 1-3
Subject Recommendation: Mathematics
Description of how you plan to implement with students: Initially, I would use this activity as an introduction to geometry on the whiteboard, as a whole group activity.It begins simple with identifying basic shapes. Then it has a matching game where you match the names to the shapes. For some reason, the shapes wouldn't show up. However, I'd just put the figures on tag-board with a magnet on the back, place it on the whiteboard and have student match the names. Next it has a matching game where you put the circles where the vertices are and the sticks go where the sides are. They also have a little quiz, called Guess the Mystery Shape. They also have some sorting games about angles. There is so much in this presentation, it would probably take the entire math period. So as to completely engage all students, I would pass out the dry-erase boards and markers. I would have them draw some of these shapes, angles, etc., as we went over them on the whiteboard. This would give students a good beginning in geometry.
Age Level: Grades 2 and 3
Subject Recommendation: Math
Description of how you plan to implement with students: Initially, I would use this activity as an introduction to fractions on the whiteboard, as a whole group activity. It explains the difference between numerators and denominators. This activity also relates fractions as parts of a whole and parts of a set. Finally, it has a check your understanding in the middle,matching the picture to the number and one where you match the number to the words. At the end, it offers students two different games they can play, where if they match the correct picture to the number, they move up a level. This part of the activity would be used as a station for children at the computers, while I worked with another group using fraction pies. Then the groups would exchange places.
Name of Activity: How to Read Maps
Age Level: Grades1,2,3
Subject Recommendation: Geography, Social Studies
Description of how you plan to implement with students: I would use this activity as an introduction to identifying maps, atlases, and globes, and reading maps on the whiteboard, as a whole group activity for my third grade social studies classes. It has great activities that allow students to take turns coming up and trying on the whiteboard. It also has questions geared for discussing with the group, or as partners, or tables. There are two parts to this activity, I couldn't get to work- locked out. One was the Category Sort. Students are to put the labels under the correct category- map, atlas, globe. That is not enough to deter me from this section. Writing the labels on tag-board with a magnet placed behind each would allow for the activity to still be completed. The other activity that wouldn't work was X Marks the Spot. I think we'd be okay to skip this. One activity, Connect-the-Dots, has the students using the pen that goes with the whiteboard. Even though I would use this as a whole group lesson, I can see students engaged and excited.
Name of Activity:Plane Shapes/ Geometry
Age Level: Grades 1-3
Subject Recommendation: Mathematics
Description of how you plan to implement with students: Initially, I would use this activity as an introduction to geometry on the whiteboard, as a whole group activity.It begins simple with identifying basic shapes. Then it has a matching game where you match the names to the shapes. For some reason, the shapes wouldn't show up. However, I'd just put the figures on tag-board with a magnet on the back, place it on the whiteboard and have student match the names. Next it has a matching game where you put the circles where the vertices are and the sticks go where the sides are. They also have a little quiz, called Guess the Mystery Shape. They also have some sorting games about angles. There is so much in this presentation, it would probably take the entire math period. So as to completely engage all students, I would pass out the dry-erase boards and markers. I would have them draw some of these shapes, angles, etc., as we went over them on the whiteboard. This would give students a good beginning in geometry.
M4 Reading Log Blogs
Principals for Web 2.0 Success
Daniel Light, in his article, Principals for Web 2.0 Success, shares ten suggestions for technology to be integrated into the classroom. 1. Invest in a virtual learning environment. He suggests that by using sites as Blackboard, Edmodo, Schoology, Moodle or Drupal, you are connecting a classroom to a specific meeting place. 2. Talk up the fact that web 2.0 can be incredibly easy to use. Teachers are afraid that the technology to using these programs can be overwhelming. So they won't try them. They are actually easy to use and filled with information. 3. Use web 2.0 tools for professional development and community building. By having PD on this subject, teachers can try out the technology and learn their uses first hand. 4. Show your support via social media as well as the old-fashioned way. Light suggests to principals to get substitutes for PD, to let teachers become more acclimated. He also says to send praise via texting to give teachers immediate feedback. I'm not so sure about that, as we are not to have our phones out during school. 5. Share success stories so teachers can learn from each other. We have a teacher at our school who was praised for learning how to email others. 6. Allow teachers to customize their personal classrooms. Making individual class websites will help to meet the needs of that class because not everybody needs the same thing on their web pages.7. Ease teachers' administrative burdens with simple productivity tools. This helps teachers with tracking the progress of students, as well as, individualizing their needs. 8. Update tools regularly. It is important that teachers get the current technology products. This takes away frustrations for both teachers and students.9. Keep communication open. Teachers are encouraged to communicate with students in both public and private online discussions. 10. Create clearly defined virtual communities to foster vibrant learning communities. It is important that students know cyberbullying will not be permitted.The discussion boards are for productive criticism because it is hard to put your thoughts out for everyone to see.
Social Networking Goes to School
Michelle Davis, the author, discusses schools having a Facebook page. She says that it is a way people can learn about the school, sports, trips, etc. It also allows students a chance to blog about things happening in the school.Davis explains that according to research, social net-working is on the rise. She gave an example about a school in Florida doing a project called"Around the World with 80 Schools." The teacher used Ning, and the students had different jobs assigned to them to get the necessary information. Another school received a grant for smartphones. Blogs, twitters, chats are all ways to not only improve student learning, but educators, too. Many teachers are getting useful information via these sites to aid in their teaching.
However, there are obstacles that educators face with these social networks. One area, Davis describes, is schools barring teachers and students from"friending" each other, some school systems block the sites entirely. Then there is the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Davis warns educators that they need to be familiar with this act, as children under 13 are not allowed on many of these sites.Privacy is an important issue. Davis suggests that wikis, blogs, or other school social networking would be safer for those younger.
I'm not sure that I agree with allowing Facebook at school. Our school just started a Facebook account. However, it does let parents know about what is going on at school. I, too, have an issue concerning privacy. It will be interesting when somebody submits an unpopular blog.
Daniel Light, in his article, Principals for Web 2.0 Success, shares ten suggestions for technology to be integrated into the classroom. 1. Invest in a virtual learning environment. He suggests that by using sites as Blackboard, Edmodo, Schoology, Moodle or Drupal, you are connecting a classroom to a specific meeting place. 2. Talk up the fact that web 2.0 can be incredibly easy to use. Teachers are afraid that the technology to using these programs can be overwhelming. So they won't try them. They are actually easy to use and filled with information. 3. Use web 2.0 tools for professional development and community building. By having PD on this subject, teachers can try out the technology and learn their uses first hand. 4. Show your support via social media as well as the old-fashioned way. Light suggests to principals to get substitutes for PD, to let teachers become more acclimated. He also says to send praise via texting to give teachers immediate feedback. I'm not so sure about that, as we are not to have our phones out during school. 5. Share success stories so teachers can learn from each other. We have a teacher at our school who was praised for learning how to email others. 6. Allow teachers to customize their personal classrooms. Making individual class websites will help to meet the needs of that class because not everybody needs the same thing on their web pages.7. Ease teachers' administrative burdens with simple productivity tools. This helps teachers with tracking the progress of students, as well as, individualizing their needs. 8. Update tools regularly. It is important that teachers get the current technology products. This takes away frustrations for both teachers and students.9. Keep communication open. Teachers are encouraged to communicate with students in both public and private online discussions. 10. Create clearly defined virtual communities to foster vibrant learning communities. It is important that students know cyberbullying will not be permitted.The discussion boards are for productive criticism because it is hard to put your thoughts out for everyone to see.
Social Networking Goes to School
Michelle Davis, the author, discusses schools having a Facebook page. She says that it is a way people can learn about the school, sports, trips, etc. It also allows students a chance to blog about things happening in the school.Davis explains that according to research, social net-working is on the rise. She gave an example about a school in Florida doing a project called"Around the World with 80 Schools." The teacher used Ning, and the students had different jobs assigned to them to get the necessary information. Another school received a grant for smartphones. Blogs, twitters, chats are all ways to not only improve student learning, but educators, too. Many teachers are getting useful information via these sites to aid in their teaching.
However, there are obstacles that educators face with these social networks. One area, Davis describes, is schools barring teachers and students from"friending" each other, some school systems block the sites entirely. Then there is the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Davis warns educators that they need to be familiar with this act, as children under 13 are not allowed on many of these sites.Privacy is an important issue. Davis suggests that wikis, blogs, or other school social networking would be safer for those younger.
I'm not sure that I agree with allowing Facebook at school. Our school just started a Facebook account. However, it does let parents know about what is going on at school. I, too, have an issue concerning privacy. It will be interesting when somebody submits an unpopular blog.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
M3- Smart Exchange Activities
Name of Activity: Main Idea and Details
Age Level: Grade 3-5
Subject Recommendation: Reading
Description of how you plan to implement with students: This activity starts off like a power point explaining what a main idea is and telling what details are. It then goes on to explain where they can be found in a paragraph. Here is where the activity begins. Students are asked to find the main idea and details of the examples. I would use this on the white board as a whole group instruction to begin with. It recommends that you use red to underline the main ideas and blue to underline the details. This would be a great mini-lesson. They give you 4 examples that can be done as whole group instruction. You can slide the answers over to check their work. At the end they have 2 resources that students can click on to go to for practice on their own- Kids Lab Grade 3, Main Idea online Quizzes, and Gamequarium Main Idea and Detail Game. After doing the mini-lesson with the group, students would go to their different stations. One would be the computers, where they would go to this site and practice finding the main ideas through both links, another would be with me, where we would practice finding main ideas and details in their reading selections as we read, and a third station would be writing a paragraph that had a main idea with three supporting details.
Name of Activity:Landforms
Age Level:Designed for 1st Grade, but can be used K-12
Subject Recommendation: Social Studies
Description of how you plan to implement with students:This activity introduces landforms. It is suggested that the students create examples of the landforms with play-doh while going through the slides. It explains the different landforms. Then it allows you to roll a dice and match the name on the dice with the picture of the landforms. Then there is a concentration game where you match the word to the landforms. There is also a matching game where they match the definition to the correct name of the landforms. I would use this as a whole group activity with my social studies classes. Since I only have 30 minutes, I would have my students use the play-doh, as well. We would go through the entire slide activities using the white-board. At the end of class, I would have a simple matching, cut/ paste activity, where they match the definition and name to the picture of the landforms. This would be their exit slip.
Name of Activity:Past-Tense Verbs
Age Level:Grade 2-3
Subject Recommendation:Language Arts/ Grammar
Description of how you plan to implement with students: This lesson introduces what a past-tense verb is and the rules for adding ed or doubling a letter and then adding ed. It has a cute little robot that transforms the words. It also has a word sort at the end for students to put the words in the correct category- - add ed, irregular verb- not a verb. I would use this as a min-lesson for spelling. I would put this on the white- board and have students follow along with a dry-erase board. Students would write examples when asked to do so. We would put suggestions on a large chart- paper to keep in our writing area.We would discuss irregular verbs and irregular past-tense verbs. We would add them to our chart, also. At the end when students are asked to sort the words in the correct category, I would ask them to divide their slate in three parts and come up with an example of their own. (A formal assessment). These would also be added to our chart paper.
Age Level: Grade 3-5
Subject Recommendation: Reading
Description of how you plan to implement with students: This activity starts off like a power point explaining what a main idea is and telling what details are. It then goes on to explain where they can be found in a paragraph. Here is where the activity begins. Students are asked to find the main idea and details of the examples. I would use this on the white board as a whole group instruction to begin with. It recommends that you use red to underline the main ideas and blue to underline the details. This would be a great mini-lesson. They give you 4 examples that can be done as whole group instruction. You can slide the answers over to check their work. At the end they have 2 resources that students can click on to go to for practice on their own- Kids Lab Grade 3, Main Idea online Quizzes, and Gamequarium Main Idea and Detail Game. After doing the mini-lesson with the group, students would go to their different stations. One would be the computers, where they would go to this site and practice finding the main ideas through both links, another would be with me, where we would practice finding main ideas and details in their reading selections as we read, and a third station would be writing a paragraph that had a main idea with three supporting details.
Name of Activity:Landforms
Age Level:Designed for 1st Grade, but can be used K-12
Subject Recommendation: Social Studies
Description of how you plan to implement with students:This activity introduces landforms. It is suggested that the students create examples of the landforms with play-doh while going through the slides. It explains the different landforms. Then it allows you to roll a dice and match the name on the dice with the picture of the landforms. Then there is a concentration game where you match the word to the landforms. There is also a matching game where they match the definition to the correct name of the landforms. I would use this as a whole group activity with my social studies classes. Since I only have 30 minutes, I would have my students use the play-doh, as well. We would go through the entire slide activities using the white-board. At the end of class, I would have a simple matching, cut/ paste activity, where they match the definition and name to the picture of the landforms. This would be their exit slip.
Name of Activity:Past-Tense Verbs
Age Level:Grade 2-3
Subject Recommendation:Language Arts/ Grammar
Description of how you plan to implement with students: This lesson introduces what a past-tense verb is and the rules for adding ed or doubling a letter and then adding ed. It has a cute little robot that transforms the words. It also has a word sort at the end for students to put the words in the correct category- - add ed, irregular verb- not a verb. I would use this as a min-lesson for spelling. I would put this on the white- board and have students follow along with a dry-erase board. Students would write examples when asked to do so. We would put suggestions on a large chart- paper to keep in our writing area.We would discuss irregular verbs and irregular past-tense verbs. We would add them to our chart, also. At the end when students are asked to sort the words in the correct category, I would ask them to divide their slate in three parts and come up with an example of their own. (A formal assessment). These would also be added to our chart paper.
M3- Reading Log Blogs
A Day in the Life of Web 2.0
The author, David Warlick, tells how one school is connected through the use of technology. The uses are amazing! He starts by giving us a glimpse of how a teacher uses her MP3 player to download podcasts to preview to use in her classroom. While another uses blogs to posts homework assignments, course topics, and course material that will be taught. The blogs are syndicated, allowing students, parents, administrators, and other teachers to view them. The health teacher gets information from the science teacher, thus connecting their lessons. The librarian and tech facilitator look at the Monday report blogs and starts finding resources for the teachers. The teachers use Wikis for their students. One teacher uses a microphone to record the lesson for the day and a parent can listen in on the classroom discussion. It is a school that is linked to everybody. With a connection like that, the students,parents, community, teachers, and administration are in constant communication and know what is going on in the classrooms.
Integrating the iPod Touch in K-12 Education: Visions and Vices
Savilla Banister, Mitchell Miller, and Terry Herman, the authors of this piece, claim that the iPod Touch has many uses in the classroom setting. They describe that it is easy for preschoolers to use. There are apps that can be downloaded for them that help them play, explore, and discover. The authors state there are many uses in the classrooms. There are media uses that will allow for students to use YouTube. There is a clock app to give different time zones in different countries, calculator, maps, weather, and they can take notes to email for future reference. The authors refer to it also as an internet in their pocket. However, it does not allow them to copy and paste. They will have to read the information and take notes. This is considered a plus. Students are having to read, think, and reword to take notes on information. The authors also state that there are free apps, but some do have a price, as well. However, many are as inexpensive as .99, and of course you can go as high as $10 or more. The authors see this as a future technology that has many uses that haven't even been explored, yet. The biggest vice is the teachers have to find a way to "track, charge, and manage the content on the iPod Touches. " In today's ever changing technology, give it a month or two and they'll have that figured out, too.
RSS for the Educators: Blogs, Newsfeeds, Podcasts, and Wikis in the Classroom
Finally, I can understand what some of this technology is about! In an excerpt from John G. Hendron's book, he explains what RSS, Read/Write Web, podcasting and Wikis are. He explains that RSS is just a way to connect everything together and let others be able to get it without having to constantly check for it and then download it. He said it was like email. He explains what a Wiki is. (I've been wondering). He said it came from a Hawaiian term meaning quick or fast, and is just a "Web site that enables different users to publish documents and create links between documents." That is what I thought it was, but now am glad I know for certain. The term is what always threw me. He explained that podcasting was just a way to share audio and video files. Now the first article I read- A Day in the Life of Web 2.0 by David Warlick- makes more sense.I can understand about the use of the MP3. Other articles I have read mention Atom. Hendron explains that this is a lot like RSS. He also informs us of the importance in using technology in the classroom- jobs are becoming more technology-based. Less and less jobs are physical labor. We must get our students on board and connect them to the 21st century skills required in today's job market. (Added side note- I went online to purchase his book).
The author, David Warlick, tells how one school is connected through the use of technology. The uses are amazing! He starts by giving us a glimpse of how a teacher uses her MP3 player to download podcasts to preview to use in her classroom. While another uses blogs to posts homework assignments, course topics, and course material that will be taught. The blogs are syndicated, allowing students, parents, administrators, and other teachers to view them. The health teacher gets information from the science teacher, thus connecting their lessons. The librarian and tech facilitator look at the Monday report blogs and starts finding resources for the teachers. The teachers use Wikis for their students. One teacher uses a microphone to record the lesson for the day and a parent can listen in on the classroom discussion. It is a school that is linked to everybody. With a connection like that, the students,parents, community, teachers, and administration are in constant communication and know what is going on in the classrooms.
Integrating the iPod Touch in K-12 Education: Visions and Vices
Savilla Banister, Mitchell Miller, and Terry Herman, the authors of this piece, claim that the iPod Touch has many uses in the classroom setting. They describe that it is easy for preschoolers to use. There are apps that can be downloaded for them that help them play, explore, and discover. The authors state there are many uses in the classrooms. There are media uses that will allow for students to use YouTube. There is a clock app to give different time zones in different countries, calculator, maps, weather, and they can take notes to email for future reference. The authors refer to it also as an internet in their pocket. However, it does not allow them to copy and paste. They will have to read the information and take notes. This is considered a plus. Students are having to read, think, and reword to take notes on information. The authors also state that there are free apps, but some do have a price, as well. However, many are as inexpensive as .99, and of course you can go as high as $10 or more. The authors see this as a future technology that has many uses that haven't even been explored, yet. The biggest vice is the teachers have to find a way to "track, charge, and manage the content on the iPod Touches. " In today's ever changing technology, give it a month or two and they'll have that figured out, too.
RSS for the Educators: Blogs, Newsfeeds, Podcasts, and Wikis in the Classroom
Finally, I can understand what some of this technology is about! In an excerpt from John G. Hendron's book, he explains what RSS, Read/Write Web, podcasting and Wikis are. He explains that RSS is just a way to connect everything together and let others be able to get it without having to constantly check for it and then download it. He said it was like email. He explains what a Wiki is. (I've been wondering). He said it came from a Hawaiian term meaning quick or fast, and is just a "Web site that enables different users to publish documents and create links between documents." That is what I thought it was, but now am glad I know for certain. The term is what always threw me. He explained that podcasting was just a way to share audio and video files. Now the first article I read- A Day in the Life of Web 2.0 by David Warlick- makes more sense.I can understand about the use of the MP3. Other articles I have read mention Atom. Hendron explains that this is a lot like RSS. He also informs us of the importance in using technology in the classroom- jobs are becoming more technology-based. Less and less jobs are physical labor. We must get our students on board and connect them to the 21st century skills required in today's job market. (Added side note- I went online to purchase his book).
Sunday, July 8, 2012
M2- Smart Exchange Activities
1.
Name of Activity: Dr. Jean’s Songs
Age Level: Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3
Subject Recommendation: Mathematics, Music, Geography,
English Language Arts
Description of how you plan to
implement with students:
I
really like the words to the different Geography songs. The words, music, and
motions help students to learn the locations and names of the continents,
oceans, and states. The music to the lyrics is easy to pick up as it is sung to
familiar tunes. I would use this to help my third grade students learn the
names and locations of the continents and oceans on the globe and map. I could
display a map on the white board first with the words and then we’d sing the
song- music could be playing in the background. Then we could sing it again
with a map that was not labeled showing on the white board.
2.
Name of Activity: Measurement
Age Level: Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5
Subject Recommendation: Mathematics
Description of how you plan to
implement with students:
This
activity gives choices as to where students can visit. It has metric,
converting, standard measurement, and an area they can practice converting
inches to feet, cm to km, etc.
After
reviewing measurement with my students, I can see this being used as a station
on the computers. The students, working in pairs, can navigate to the areas
they want to explore and do the practice at the end on a piece of paper. That
would be a quick formative assessment.
3.
Name of Activity: Incredible Inferences
Age Level: Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5
Subject Recommendation: English Language Arts
Description of how you plan to
implement with students:
This
lesson is a great activity to introduce inferences. I would put this on the
white board and we would use this as a mini-lesson on inferences. I really like
how they use the graphic organizer: What I Read + What I Know Already = What I
Infer. I would follow up with reading from our selection that day and picking
out any inferences.
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