One of the math projects that I typically have my students complete at the beginning of the year requires them to keep track of a budget. I tell my students that they earn "X" number of dollars at their job, as well as how many children they have (if any). Students are told to document how much money they spend per week on various household items, utilities, car/transportation, housing, and "extras." Students always record their information in a pre-made sheet, but I think that using Spread Sheet is a better idea. Students can create their columns and enter in their data. Students will also learn how to use the formula function within the program. This will make the data collection process much easier for the students, and grading much easier for me.
With science, and even math, I love using Vernier probes and my graphing calculator. These tools allow students to immediately observe what is happening, and they can also predict what will happen with the next trial. It's fun to do investigations with miniature cars. Students create ramps from textbooks and rulers, and race their cars down the ramps at different inclines. Students use the probeware to determine speed and distance. They can record their results, adjust their incline, and predict what will happen with the next run. Students enjoy using the probeware because it does most of the work for them. I always have them record their data and re-create the graphs that they saw on the calculator.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Chapter 10: Homework and Practice
My principal doesn't encourage teachers to give students homework, for fear that it will never get done or that textbooks will be lost forever. This makes it difficult for students to practice skills at home, unless teachers photocopy assignments to hand-out and pray that they return. In order for students to practice, and practice the skill often, I like to have my students do a lot of research on math related concepts (and now I will also require it for science concepts as well). Students typically do their research on our designated lab days, which only happen to be once a month...then they have to wait their turn for the student computer in the classroom unless I can gain access to one of the mobile labs. When my students have done research in the past, I've always sent them to Google or Bing. I guess that I'm one of the teachers that the authors referred to in that I didn't know there was a research option within Word. When my students complete research projects this year, that will be the first place that I send them.
To practice skills and new concepts repeatedly, I often use BrainPop. This program has a lot of great mathematical concepts developed into easy to understand (and follow) video clips. The students like the videos because they are all animated. When I use BrainPop as a review, or an introduction even, I have my students take notes in their journals. We usually watch the video clip two times...The first time, students are completely engaged, listening to the information being presented. The second time, students are busy taking notes over what they are hearing and seeing. Once we have watched the video clips twice, we discuss them as a class and then complete the short quiz that follows the video. I have never had the students complete the video online, as I want individual results. I always print the quiz off and run copies for all students. This is a fun and different way to keep the students engaged.
To practice skills and new concepts repeatedly, I often use BrainPop. This program has a lot of great mathematical concepts developed into easy to understand (and follow) video clips. The students like the videos because they are all animated. When I use BrainPop as a review, or an introduction even, I have my students take notes in their journals. We usually watch the video clip two times...The first time, students are completely engaged, listening to the information being presented. The second time, students are busy taking notes over what they are hearing and seeing. Once we have watched the video clips twice, we discuss them as a class and then complete the short quiz that follows the video. I have never had the students complete the video online, as I want individual results. I always print the quiz off and run copies for all students. This is a fun and different way to keep the students engaged.
Chapter 9: Identifying Similarities and Differences
As a teacher, I often rely on Microsoft Word to create many documents...along with Excel. I think that using these two programs as a means of creating graphic organizers and comparison tables/charts is very useful. Graphic organizers are a great way to get students to remember content, especially new content which they were not introduced to in the previous year. Graphic organizers can be used to compare and contrast objects, such as biotic and abiotic organisms in science. Excel can be used to compare animals, planets, plants, heights, etc. Once students are familiar with entering data into the program, they can even use it to enhance their charts by figuring in calculations as well.
I am very excited to try Inspiration this year. I love the idea that I can create graphic organizers for my students, or allow them to do so themselves, and even add graphics to them. This will be an effective learning tool for the students, as well as myself. Teaching new science concepts can be a difficult task, especially if students struggle with the terminology. Being able to add pictures to the graphic organizers will help tremendously. The only drawback I see to having the students use Inspiration themselves is that they cannot do it from home. Many of my students do not have computer access outside of school, so I could never have them create a graphic organizer from home. Also, being able to have access to enough computers while at school is sometimes an issue.
I am very excited to try Inspiration this year. I love the idea that I can create graphic organizers for my students, or allow them to do so themselves, and even add graphics to them. This will be an effective learning tool for the students, as well as myself. Teaching new science concepts can be a difficult task, especially if students struggle with the terminology. Being able to add pictures to the graphic organizers will help tremendously. The only drawback I see to having the students use Inspiration themselves is that they cannot do it from home. Many of my students do not have computer access outside of school, so I could never have them create a graphic organizer from home. Also, being able to have access to enough computers while at school is sometimes an issue.
Chapter 8: Reinforcing Effort
Many students, especially in this day and age, have the idea engraved in their minds that if they don't do well in school it's because their parents never did well when they were growing up. Students have a difficult time relating the amount of time and effort that they put into an assignment, or even the attention that they give a lesson, to achievement. I really found the idea of using Spread Sheet to show students just how effort and achievement are tied together. I think that having students keep track of the amount of time and effort they put into an assignment or class per week is a wonderful idea. I often hear from students,"Why did you give me that grade? You want me to fail, don't you?" It's never,"Man, I guess I didn't try hard enough. I'll have to do better next time." If students had a Spread Sheet in which to document how much effort was afforded to each task, I think that they would better understand the relationship. Creating a Spread Sheet isn't a time consuming task, so it wouldn't be difficult to have something like this ready for the start of the year. Students could paste it into their journals each week, and document their effort. Students could then use the results to create a graph so that they can visually see what they might need to improve upon.
Along with the Spread Sheet, using SurveyMonkey to create an effort survey would be a great idea. I've never used this particular program, but I'm willing to give it a try. It's important for me to teach students that grades are earned, not given, and that if the effort isn't there then they are going to receive the grade that's most appropriate. It would be interesting to see how students respond, especially if done the first week of school, to the questions on the survey. Using the survey at the beginning of the year would give me an idea as to how the students feel that they perform in school and on homework assignments. I think that this type of survey would be most helpful to students if given at least twice during the year. Students should complete the survey within the first week of school, and then again around semester break. I think that they would have a different opinion about the amount of effort that they put into something if they could compare the two surveys...especially after having been in school for an entire semester.
Along with the Spread Sheet, using SurveyMonkey to create an effort survey would be a great idea. I've never used this particular program, but I'm willing to give it a try. It's important for me to teach students that grades are earned, not given, and that if the effort isn't there then they are going to receive the grade that's most appropriate. It would be interesting to see how students respond, especially if done the first week of school, to the questions on the survey. Using the survey at the beginning of the year would give me an idea as to how the students feel that they perform in school and on homework assignments. I think that this type of survey would be most helpful to students if given at least twice during the year. Students should complete the survey within the first week of school, and then again around semester break. I think that they would have a different opinion about the amount of effort that they put into something if they could compare the two surveys...especially after having been in school for an entire semester.
Chapter 7: Cooperative Learning
Seeing that I will be teaching science this year, for the first time in 7 years, I would like to do something different with my students. I like the idea of using student-created videos to enhance a curricular topic. While this process requires a lot of pre-planning and preparation on the part of the teacher, I think that it would be benificial to the students in the long run. I would like to have students create short video clips in which the demonstrate chemical reactions or even how density columns work. Students would have different responsibilities during the creation of the video clips, working together to produce a solid presentation. I think that it would also be interesting to have the students use multimedia to create some type of interactive journal for future use in the classroom or preceding grade levels.
I also find the idea of keypals very interesting. I've had students in previous years write letters to students in Minnesota, discussing math concepts and comparing processes of instruction and learning. I think that having students use ePals, or even a blog, to keep in contact with students in Minnesota or other states or countries would be benificial. The students could discuss science concepts, such as weather conditions, and journal or blog about the differences in each state/country. This would give the students an opportunity to better understand the types of weather conditions, especially during the different seasons (since our area rarely sees snow, for example). Students could then use their information obtained from their ePals to create charts, or even to complete a compare/contrast graphic organizer.
I also find the idea of keypals very interesting. I've had students in previous years write letters to students in Minnesota, discussing math concepts and comparing processes of instruction and learning. I think that having students use ePals, or even a blog, to keep in contact with students in Minnesota or other states or countries would be benificial. The students could discuss science concepts, such as weather conditions, and journal or blog about the differences in each state/country. This would give the students an opportunity to better understand the types of weather conditions, especially during the different seasons (since our area rarely sees snow, for example). Students could then use their information obtained from their ePals to create charts, or even to complete a compare/contrast graphic organizer.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Chapter 6: Summarizing and Note Taking
To enhance the note taking that takes place within my classroom, I would like to incorporate Power Point to create combination notes. I think that all students, if they aren't already familiar with it, should be able to create a power point presentation at some point. Using Power Point as a means of taking notes and adding graphics to those notes would tackle two areas for teachers...familiarizing the students with Power Point and teaching another way to go about taking notes in class. I think though, just as the authors stated, it's necessary to set rules for the note taking. Students, just as some adults, tend to write down every word that is said or every piece of information that they read in a text. It's important to teach the students that unnecessary information should be deleted...only key points should be recorded. Students should also be taught how to locate clip art, or other forms of graphics, that will accurately portray their information and assist their memory recall.
I would like to try to use Wikis or blogs with my students this coming year. I do see a lot of problems with this, however. On my campus, not many of the students have access to a computer outside of school....none within the household, and some aren't able to go to the public library. If students only have access to a computer at school, and it's very limited access, blogs and wikis may not be a successful tool. I suppose that setting up a blog for students to use only during projects would suffice, except that I'm worried that they will forget passwords and usernames every time that they are used...since they would be used so intermittently.
I would like to try to use Wikis or blogs with my students this coming year. I do see a lot of problems with this, however. On my campus, not many of the students have access to a computer outside of school....none within the household, and some aren't able to go to the public library. If students only have access to a computer at school, and it's very limited access, blogs and wikis may not be a successful tool. I suppose that setting up a blog for students to use only during projects would suffice, except that I'm worried that they will forget passwords and usernames every time that they are used...since they would be used so intermittently.
Chapter 5: Nonlinguistic Representation
Because I require my students to keep up with a mathematics journal, and now a science journal starting this year, I think that using the software provided through Inspiration would make the process a lot easier. The students would be able to enter their notes, or other data, into the program and then neatly organize their information. Because many of the students, and myself included, often understand definitions more thoroughly when pictures are provided, the students could also use the Inspiration software to incorporate graphics into their notes. This would be a much easier way of notetaking for the students, and it also enables them to become more familiar with the computer and its many functions.
Previously, I have used Vernier probes in my math class to demonstrate temperature changes and speed. I think that these tools are wonderful, and when used with a graphing calculator, they provide students with easy to read data. These tools also save time...allowing students and teachers to focus on the concept of the lesson, and the TEK, rather than drawing every chart and graph by hand. Some students have difficulties labeling the x-axis and y-axis correctly, and knowing which one is dependent and which is independent. Using the Vernier probes resolves that issue for children, while getting them used to seeing the appropriate placement of each. Eventually, students should be able to construct such a graph without the use of so much technology, but in a technological society (and job force) it's necessary to know how to use the probes and read the results.
Previously, I have used Vernier probes in my math class to demonstrate temperature changes and speed. I think that these tools are wonderful, and when used with a graphing calculator, they provide students with easy to read data. These tools also save time...allowing students and teachers to focus on the concept of the lesson, and the TEK, rather than drawing every chart and graph by hand. Some students have difficulties labeling the x-axis and y-axis correctly, and knowing which one is dependent and which is independent. Using the Vernier probes resolves that issue for children, while getting them used to seeing the appropriate placement of each. Eventually, students should be able to construct such a graph without the use of so much technology, but in a technological society (and job force) it's necessary to know how to use the probes and read the results.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)