For Web 2.0 The tool I chose is called Photo sharing “Photos”
http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=photos
This site is a social networking site for those interested in collaborating and sharing their work through pictures and photos. This is a latest collaborative technology in education. This site is a supportive community and a comfortable place to start being a part of the digital dialog. We can explore many tagged threads under this site to find out about more details. This site has many educational sharing areas available.
Many workshops, forums and tutorials.
Video hosting/Streaming.
K-12 open source lesson plans that are free.
Wikis and blogs.
This site has been awarded “best educational” use of social networking service” by Edublog directors in 2007. This provides “positive power” of social net working in education.
The photo sharing has many benefits. I visited several sites and this is what I found out.
· We can share pictures with family and friends.
· Free web site.
· Animoto software Upload pictures and it turns the slides into a beautiful fast paced slide show like TV commercials.
· Upload music from the library to our videos and pictures.
· Information on Flickr and creating hot spots.
· Free online picture storage.
· Digital picture projects for classrooms.
· Photo story 3 , Movie maker, Voice thread.
I visited the following sites;
Elizabeth Davis, Jeremy Aldrich, Barbara , Ginger Lewman. All these are tagged under (pictures,profile,photos,reviews,backupfiles,upload,flickr,hotspots,help,needed,save,storage,videos,digital) Everything under this photo sharing is positive. Students and teachers from other countries can share pictures of class with each other and benefit educationally.
1. How did you choose your profile photo? By Elizabeth Davis
She talks about how people choose their pictures to post on their blogs. Some want just a pretty picture of their face and some don’t care how their picture looks on their photo sharing. We can participate in a forum discussion or e-mail to this site. http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=photos
This site gives us some ideas about the options we have posting our photos to share.
2. Domo arigato Mr. Animoto ! By Jeremy Aldrich
www.classroom20.com/forum/topic/show?id=649749%3ATopic%3A56905
This site talks about the Animoto software site that can take our uploaded pictures and makes them into a fast paced beautiful slide show just like the commercials we see on the television. There are several free music pieces available on the library or we can add our own to our slide shows. This site also talks about how some teachers are using this site to do classroom projects and how much the students are enjoying the hands-on activities.
3. Need help with Flickr? By Barbara
http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topic/show?id=649749%3ATopic%3A37404
This site talks about how we can use the Flickr to create beautiful photos and how to set a hot spot on the pictures. In the classroom this is used for Visual Literacy Projects by Mr. John Maklary. This is also great feature for old family photos and reunions. There are many more uses of this in academic and personal. This was also shared in the Global education ning program. We can visit the site for more information and uses.
4. Suggestions needed for online storage! By Ginger Lewman
http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topic/show?id=649749%3ATopic%3A21244
This site talks about how one can get free on line storage and how students can access their photos from any where. We can also get upgraded storage areas. The other storage sites mentioned were http://mediafire.com/ and http://www.box.net/. Students are able to use these sites a lot to store their documents and share with each other.
I visited the following sites on our class blog that had a different tool than mine.
Ms. Ashlee wrote about GOOGLE EARTH and its benefits. I learned that this is a very beneficial tool for all people .This site has satellite imagery,maps and 3D buildings to access on line just by typing the address and pressing search we can receive the information for travel. This site is always useful to locate hotels,restaurants,schools, parks,hospitalsand any other information about the community we are interested in.Schools can use rhis site for geography and science projects especially intermediate levels. This is very helpful for visual learners like me.
I visited Casey's blog on Collaborative documentation. I learned about many new sites that allow the collaborative documentation.Google docs was very interesting and provides documents from scratch,such as bulleted, lists, sorting by columns,adding tables,images,comments,formulas,changing fonts and more. This helps to create on-line collaborative documents for research and presentations and it is free.Your draft is another one she mentioned in her tools which allows us to use our document as a WYSWYG, then we can edit online editor then we are able to share, publish documents as HTML and no password is needed to share with others.Write wirth is another important tool she mentioned which lets us upload our documents, share with other people,chat, assign tasks and track everyones actions. we are able to receive feed back and are able to blog.She also described about the Zoho writer is also a free tool she mentioned on her blog that is very beneficial which creates spread sheets,presentation ware,word processing and free templates that can be added as pages to a notebook. Write board is another site she mentioned that is very collaborative tool. The special feature allows us to edit and save every edited copy so you can always go back to every copy edited.This is very useful for students, professors,authors,songwriters,poets,editors,publishers,bloggers and comedians etc.
Ivisited Laura's blog and enjoyed learning about the Shared calendars. These are very very useful especially when we need to collaborate with other teachers and administrators. I liked the idea of everyone posting their calendars on to this online calendar so it can be viewed by the group of teachers or administrators that we need to collaborate with. There is no wasted time or arguments when everything is on our calendar so it is right there to view and plan for the activities and field trips. I think when schools use a very organized calendarthey should all this type of tool. This can be useful with any family that has a busy schedule. All family members can post their busy calendars on to this paperless calendar and stay organized.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
JOURNAL # 9 CONCEPT MAP-kidspiration
S E C T I O N 3 • C U R R I C U L U M I N T E G R A T I O N • S C I E N C E
Home Sweet Home
Science
Primary Grades PreK–2
Purpose
http://cnets.iste.org/students/pdf/preK2HomeSweetHome.pdf
Young scientists learn from the world around them by observing habitats and their organisms and by
recording data in scientific journals. Such exercises help develop the intellectual methods of scientific inquiry.
Description
Students enjoy investigating and becoming aware of the habitats around them. They record their
observations in scientific journals. Data collection can take the form of a simple drawing or taking digital photos or videos in the habitats of their choice. Students reconstruct the facts in their journals, in an electronic format, or edit original recordings to share with other children and adults.
Activities
P R E P A R A T I O N
Identify safe areas around the school for student investigations
ô€€”Using multimedia-authoring or Web page creation software, students
replicate the observed habitat. They may animate their electronic habitat
to duplicate their observations. Students use the software’s text function to describe the habitat.
For software evaluation I chose Kidspiration. I created a science lesson plan for pre k-2.This was very simple and it did not take too much time to put a picture board to go with my lesson on animal habitats. I liked all the pictures available on this website. The name is so appropriate that all the kids interested in visual learning can create their own games and activities. They can share with their peers. The drag and drop and clicking on the pictures makes this software easy to operate. Research has shown that visual learning is one of the best methods for teaching thinking skills and creativity. http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=kidspiration.com&form=QBRE
The following are some benefits we receive from the program:
Graphic idea organizing software.
Global classroom activities.
Downloadable templates.
Free tutorials on how to use the software.
Supports curriculum
Best practices of technology integration.
Brainstorm ideas with words and pictures.
Strong thinking skills.
Educational software for schools, students, teachers and parents.
iMovie is another very interesting technology project we completed in the classroom. The editing of clips given to us was very educational because we had to think about what we need to do in a story form for our video. The video clips given to us had different times on each one of them. We had to think of a theme for our iMovie. We edited the clips and added transition in between each slide to make the movie interesting. We were able to add music to our iMovie and layered some special effects to complete.
http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/ We can learn more from this web site
I found iMovie easy to use once I understood the process. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to select and organize the clips. The special effects were also easy to incorporate into my assignment. I was amazed that there was a program that would enable a novice like myself to produce a very short subject video presentation in a short amount of time. The most challenging portion of the assignment was to add the audio to the video, however, by following the clear instructions I was able to complete the project in time.
I think my students would enjoy creating an audio- video presentation in the classroom. They would be thrilled to use their own clips and select a sound track of their own choosing. Students could use iMovie for a variety of classroom assignment as well as collaborative projects with their classmates. I can incorporate iMovie into my curriculum with almost any project. Students would like using iMovie and consider it as something innovative and challenging. I think this would be an excellent tool for my RSP students.
I enjoyed using the iMovie tutorials found at Atomic Learning. It was very easy to view and it really helped me to understand the process of using iMovie to make a short audio-visual presentation. I was also amazed to see just how many tutorials there are for educational and technology software there are in Atomic Learning.
Responses
1. I enjoyed using this software to create a simple lesson plan on journal writing for my Prek-2 lesson plan for life sciences. I used this for the first time and I felt very comfortable. I think this will be easy to use by the students in a Pre k-2 situation. The students can work individually or in small groups to create their electronic journals. The pictures available are very real and helps my visual learners to understand the lesson concepts better. I would like to use these creative software with my special education students to help them understand the lessons better. This will provide their hands on experience. I also like the fact that we can download the program free for a trial period and experiment with it before we buy it, this is a great way of giving everyone an opportunity to try it and decide if they want to invest in it.
2. I will be able to use this program in my classroom in the following ways to enhance my student learning. The students can use this program to create many different assignments.
· Electronic journal writing with pictures.
· Picture poster creating.
· Writing a summary of the trip to the zoo through pictures.
· Creating new puzzles and games with pictures.
· Writing research papers with pictures.( The students that have writing problems can illustrate and summarize their projects.)
· Make science, math, reading and other projects.
· Prepare music grams for each other.
3. I really enjoyed visiting the atomic learning. It is applicable to all tech coordinators so they don’t have to be in every place at the same time. This can be viewed from anywhere on the world where internet access is available. This atomic learning site has technology driven online learning tutorials and support which can be used with almost any subject, professional training, development of students and teachers. There are 25,000 tutorials available which are accessible 24/7.This site is updated with new tutorials all the time. Administrators can use this as a training tool to train their staff globally. This reduces costs of travelling and time. Students and parents can use this to create their own blogs to communicate with their friends and family. This increases the technology skills for everyone. The atomic learning sites can increase the quality of assignments.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Journal # 8 Technology and Teacher Retention
Technology and Teacher Retention
By Robert Kadel Learning & Leading with Technology May 2007 Pgs. 27-28.
This article focuses on how technology can help the administration in the area of teacher retention. The author Robert Kadel did some research and proposed some good ideas in this article to benefit both teachers and administrators. The proposed plan is called TSE which is called Technology Supportive Environment. Simply having technology in school is not enough but the school must provide training and support to teachers so it can be utilized in the classrooms to enhance the lesson plans. The author proposed the following guidelines that could be used in implementing these technology support procedures to teachers.
1. Providing pre-service support by gathering information about other campuses and technology available.
2. Provide positive support in the use of technology.
3. Provide insevice meetings and training to teachers during the year so they can learn and will be able to teach the students.
4. Be proactive in the organization of new technology.
5. School leaders making use of technology a priority.
6. Provide technology solutions tailored to the specific needs of the school and the district.
There are three major areas that need to be addressed when discussing this topic. They are the responsibility of the administrators of schools. Proactive can be very helpful to teacher retention. Staying focused by the administration is also helpful to retain teacher retention. Intensive training and monitoring of technology use in the classroom and support is very important to teacher retention.
QUESTIONS:
1. How can you measure the teacher retention in Schools?
We can measure the teacher retention by using the simple formula that is proposed in the article. This can be measured by dividing the number of teachers who are still teaching at the same school at the start of a new school year by the number of teachers who were teaching at that school at the start of the previous school year which gives a simple percentage.
2. What are other uses of TSE (Technology Supportive Technology) in the schools?
We can also measure student absenteeism, student achievement in math, reading, science or any other subject or any other school related survey we need to accomplish in our schools. We can get more information through these resources:
http://www.iste.org/LL
By Robert Kadel Learning & Leading with Technology May 2007 Pgs. 27-28.
This article focuses on how technology can help the administration in the area of teacher retention. The author Robert Kadel did some research and proposed some good ideas in this article to benefit both teachers and administrators. The proposed plan is called TSE which is called Technology Supportive Environment. Simply having technology in school is not enough but the school must provide training and support to teachers so it can be utilized in the classrooms to enhance the lesson plans. The author proposed the following guidelines that could be used in implementing these technology support procedures to teachers.
1. Providing pre-service support by gathering information about other campuses and technology available.
2. Provide positive support in the use of technology.
3. Provide insevice meetings and training to teachers during the year so they can learn and will be able to teach the students.
4. Be proactive in the organization of new technology.
5. School leaders making use of technology a priority.
6. Provide technology solutions tailored to the specific needs of the school and the district.
There are three major areas that need to be addressed when discussing this topic. They are the responsibility of the administrators of schools. Proactive can be very helpful to teacher retention. Staying focused by the administration is also helpful to retain teacher retention. Intensive training and monitoring of technology use in the classroom and support is very important to teacher retention.
QUESTIONS:
1. How can you measure the teacher retention in Schools?
We can measure the teacher retention by using the simple formula that is proposed in the article. This can be measured by dividing the number of teachers who are still teaching at the same school at the start of a new school year by the number of teachers who were teaching at that school at the start of the previous school year which gives a simple percentage.
2. What are other uses of TSE (Technology Supportive Technology) in the schools?
We can also measure student absenteeism, student achievement in math, reading, science or any other subject or any other school related survey we need to accomplish in our schools. We can get more information through these resources:
http://www.iste.org/LL
Journal # 7 No Data Left Behind
No Data Left Behind By Edwin Wargo
Learning & Leading with Technology February 2006 Pgs. 22-25.
It is very important to use technology to integrate all the educational data to see what the numbers look like in each area of education. It is very easy to track down the comparisons and improvements needed in the school system when proper data is gathered and entered in the computers. Educational related data collection and compilation is called Ed Tech data. This is broken into five important areas:
1. Capacity: this is what tells us what the technology is capable of providing, eg: collection tools like PRTG and Cat Tools. Videoconferencing is a great tool for he students but it requires a bandwidth and high performance computers.
2. Issue Tracking: this is having teachers, staff, administrators and all other district personnel log their issues in a web program called Help Desk software which can be used for teacher training.
3. Logging: this provides information on the internet access, entering to objectionable web sites and all other important troubleshooting. The tool is called Kiwi Syslog Daemon.
4. Availability and performance: this tool provides all staff the important information on how long it takes to work. The best tool available is called Host Monitor. This web page saves the school personnel time.
5. Resource Management: this is where database is created and used for finding out its applications. This consists of network infrastructure diagrams. This can be found through Ilient technologies which can help track and decision making in schools as an efficient tool.
QUESTIONS:
1. How is this Ed Tech data useful in the schools?
Ed Tech Data is very useful in schools for great and important decision making. These decisions may be in the areas of curriculum, instruction, learning and most of all in determining assessments of students and teachers.
2. How is this information presented to school stakeholders?
This information can be presented to the school stakeholders through three different ways: web based reports, dashboards and through e-mails. More information can be found in the following references.
HostMonitor: http://www.ks-soft.net/
Ilient: http://www.ilient.com/
Kiwi Syslog Daemon: http://www.kiwisyslog.com/
National Education Technology Plan: http://www.nationaledtechplan.org/
PRTG: http://www.paessler.com/
Schools Interoperability Framework Association: http://www.sifinfo.org/
Learning & Leading with Technology February 2006 Pgs. 22-25.
It is very important to use technology to integrate all the educational data to see what the numbers look like in each area of education. It is very easy to track down the comparisons and improvements needed in the school system when proper data is gathered and entered in the computers. Educational related data collection and compilation is called Ed Tech data. This is broken into five important areas:
1. Capacity: this is what tells us what the technology is capable of providing, eg: collection tools like PRTG and Cat Tools. Videoconferencing is a great tool for he students but it requires a bandwidth and high performance computers.
2. Issue Tracking: this is having teachers, staff, administrators and all other district personnel log their issues in a web program called Help Desk software which can be used for teacher training.
3. Logging: this provides information on the internet access, entering to objectionable web sites and all other important troubleshooting. The tool is called Kiwi Syslog Daemon.
4. Availability and performance: this tool provides all staff the important information on how long it takes to work. The best tool available is called Host Monitor. This web page saves the school personnel time.
5. Resource Management: this is where database is created and used for finding out its applications. This consists of network infrastructure diagrams. This can be found through Ilient technologies which can help track and decision making in schools as an efficient tool.
QUESTIONS:
1. How is this Ed Tech data useful in the schools?
Ed Tech Data is very useful in schools for great and important decision making. These decisions may be in the areas of curriculum, instruction, learning and most of all in determining assessments of students and teachers.
2. How is this information presented to school stakeholders?
This information can be presented to the school stakeholders through three different ways: web based reports, dashboards and through e-mails. More information can be found in the following references.
HostMonitor: http://www.ks-soft.net/
Ilient: http://www.ilient.com/
Kiwi Syslog Daemon: http://www.kiwisyslog.com/
National Education Technology Plan: http://www.nationaledtechplan.org/
PRTG: http://www.paessler.com/
Schools Interoperability Framework Association: http://www.sifinfo.org/
Journal # 6 Using Video Streaming
Using Video Streaming Setting up a Cheap System for Distributing Information to Teachers and Students By Thomas McNeal, Jr. and Landon Kearns Learning & Leading with Technology Volume 32 Number 6 Pgs. 16-19
This article explains about how video streaming can be used in classrooms as an effective tool to teach technology to students. This is available in many classrooms. In this article they have explained how they have taken free software, older computers and borrowed hardware and built the units. Over the past few years the Deaf Education PT3 joined together the project of video conferencing and streaming as part of the benefits for the Deaf Education. A famous professor at KSU Dr. Harold Johnson who was interested in Deaf Education has researched into the benefits of videoconferencing and communication. The two areas he investigated are the affordability and teacher pre-service to students. Internet videoconferencing is done by a network of people that are interested in the same research. The team decided on this project based on the following facts:
· Portability
· Ease of set up
· Affordability
By using two inexpensive video cameras and connecting them together we can do successful videoconferences with the deaf education. We can also connect the video to a laptop and do a great communication.
QUESTIONS:
1. How can we create our own video streamer?
It is very easy to create our own video streamer with three simple components. They are
a) Laptop running via video
b) Encoder PC
c) Streaming server
The authors of this article confirmed that this is not a pretty model invented but it will get the job done as a low cost model. More information and details on this project can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/sysreq.aspx
2. What are some benefits of videoconferencing?
There are several benefits of videoconferencing. They are as follows. This reduces the isolation of students. Pre-service students can observe a teacher at work from many miles away. Collaborative work of educators can be easily done.
Can be easily used in a K-12 setting. Very affordable project by using technology that is already available to all people.
This article explains about how video streaming can be used in classrooms as an effective tool to teach technology to students. This is available in many classrooms. In this article they have explained how they have taken free software, older computers and borrowed hardware and built the units. Over the past few years the Deaf Education PT3 joined together the project of video conferencing and streaming as part of the benefits for the Deaf Education. A famous professor at KSU Dr. Harold Johnson who was interested in Deaf Education has researched into the benefits of videoconferencing and communication. The two areas he investigated are the affordability and teacher pre-service to students. Internet videoconferencing is done by a network of people that are interested in the same research. The team decided on this project based on the following facts:
· Portability
· Ease of set up
· Affordability
By using two inexpensive video cameras and connecting them together we can do successful videoconferences with the deaf education. We can also connect the video to a laptop and do a great communication.
QUESTIONS:
1. How can we create our own video streamer?
It is very easy to create our own video streamer with three simple components. They are
a) Laptop running via video
b) Encoder PC
c) Streaming server
The authors of this article confirmed that this is not a pretty model invented but it will get the job done as a low cost model. More information and details on this project can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/sysreq.aspx
2. What are some benefits of videoconferencing?
There are several benefits of videoconferencing. They are as follows. This reduces the isolation of students. Pre-service students can observe a teacher at work from many miles away. Collaborative work of educators can be easily done.
Can be easily used in a K-12 setting. Very affordable project by using technology that is already available to all people.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Journal # 5 Meet Harriet Tubman The Story of a Website
Taverna, P., Hongell, T., Reissman, R. White, C. S., Meet Harriet Tubman The Story of A Website
Learning & Leading with Technology .Volume 27, Number 6, 2000, Pgs.42-45,62.
This article explains to the students how to use computers to select a famous historical biography. The teacher will ask the students to talk about what kind of person this individual was and list their character traits and supporting facts. The teachers can take the students on two field trips where the students might obtain more in-depth understand of the person. The teacher can ask the students to identify important dates and events in the life of the person. The teacher can ask the students to use Kid Pix to illustrate one event per group of students during two 40-minute class periods. The computer teacher will create individual Web pages for each pair’s event. The students will be given directions on how to complete the project. The teacher will then guide each student to make a multiple-choice quiz about the person. The teacher can ask the computer teacher to select questions from the students’ quiz. Then the student pairs will be asked to prepare puzzles on the Puzzle maker Web site. The teacher will check for spelling and show the students how to save their puzzles. The teacher will ask the students to select objects significant to the historical person from clip art to use as navigational tools on the website. The teacher will ask the computer teacher to create teacher links and a class activity page to make the site useful for other teachers’. We need to get permission from any copyrighted sources to be listed on the website page. This will give all the students to participate in an in-class commemoration of events in the person’s life and important historical events. The teachers prepare activities that will help students make connections to the life of the person and make comparisons with the lives of two other famous people.
QUESTIONS:
1. Is it important for students to be involved with developing web sites to share?
The earlier we expose our learners to the computer technology the better it is for the future generations. This will prepare them for all their advanced technology and research they need to be involved with their education and career. When these students grow up they intern will be able to invent and come up with great new technologies.
2. How does the puzzle maker and the multiple choice quiz help the students?
When students use the puzzle maker and design the puzzles they will need to know the spelling words and their meanings this will help them improve their word power and vocabulary. Preparing the multiple choic quizzes and using different programs on the web will help our students to improve their comprehensive reading skills.
Learning & Leading with Technology .Volume 27, Number 6, 2000, Pgs.42-45,62.
This article explains to the students how to use computers to select a famous historical biography. The teacher will ask the students to talk about what kind of person this individual was and list their character traits and supporting facts. The teachers can take the students on two field trips where the students might obtain more in-depth understand of the person. The teacher can ask the students to identify important dates and events in the life of the person. The teacher can ask the students to use Kid Pix to illustrate one event per group of students during two 40-minute class periods. The computer teacher will create individual Web pages for each pair’s event. The students will be given directions on how to complete the project. The teacher will then guide each student to make a multiple-choice quiz about the person. The teacher can ask the computer teacher to select questions from the students’ quiz. Then the student pairs will be asked to prepare puzzles on the Puzzle maker Web site. The teacher will check for spelling and show the students how to save their puzzles. The teacher will ask the students to select objects significant to the historical person from clip art to use as navigational tools on the website. The teacher will ask the computer teacher to create teacher links and a class activity page to make the site useful for other teachers’. We need to get permission from any copyrighted sources to be listed on the website page. This will give all the students to participate in an in-class commemoration of events in the person’s life and important historical events. The teachers prepare activities that will help students make connections to the life of the person and make comparisons with the lives of two other famous people.
QUESTIONS:
1. Is it important for students to be involved with developing web sites to share?
The earlier we expose our learners to the computer technology the better it is for the future generations. This will prepare them for all their advanced technology and research they need to be involved with their education and career. When these students grow up they intern will be able to invent and come up with great new technologies.
2. How does the puzzle maker and the multiple choice quiz help the students?
When students use the puzzle maker and design the puzzles they will need to know the spelling words and their meanings this will help them improve their word power and vocabulary. Preparing the multiple choic quizzes and using different programs on the web will help our students to improve their comprehensive reading skills.
Monday, November 26, 2007
JOURNAL 4 - A TECHNOLOGY UPDATE LEONARDO DA VINCI AND THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT BODY .
A Technology Update Leonardo da Vinci and the Search for the Perfect Body By Morgan, B., Jernigan, J.
Learning & Leading with Technology. Volume 26, Number 4, 1999, Pgs. 22-25.
This article explains to the students that Leonardo da Vinci made many studies of the human body to try and come up with the perfect measurements of the human body. It explains to the students that what he came up with were two ratios that compared three measurements. It tells the students how they will be using their knowledge of ratios and proportions to make a spreadsheet that will give them the dimensions of the perfect body. This article explains daily practical examples to the students that they can take a survey of measurements of their classmates and use that information to make a database in the classroom. The example given to the students was that they can take measurements of their height without shoes then the height from the floor to their belly button and write them on the worksheet. It also explained to the students that they can take a measurement from finger tip to finger tip with their arms extended to the side and write it on the worksheet. It explained to the students that each of them can easily enter their own measurements onto the computer spreadsheet called the “Body Proportions Spreadsheet” with formulas to determine the accuracy of da Vinci’s work. It talked about how a teacher can explain the use of ratios on the chalkboard. This can be demonstrated by the teacher how to calculate the two ratios: first, by dividing the total height by the belly button height, second, by dividing the arm span by the total height. The teacher can then ask the students to round their result to three decimal places. The students can compare their results with the ratios that da Vinci developed in 1492 and determine if any student has the perfect ratios. Finally the teacher can ask the students to determine the average ratio for the entire class, for girls only and for boys only.
QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you see the need for students to know how ratio and proportion works?
It is very important for all of us to know ratio and proportion work. Mathematical measurement is based on ratio and proportion. Building industry, engineering and architectural drawings are all based on ratio and proportion. The great pyramids and the Parthenon were built on the great principle of ratio and proportion. Ratio and proportion are very important in our daily life for example in paintings, in sculpturing, cooking, dieting, sewing gardening and simple balance. We must teach this concept as early as kindergarten. More information can be found on the following websites.
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/isa/ninvest/Measure/measureup.htm
http://mathforum.org/mathtools/activity/51/
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/documents/appropriateness.pdf
2. Is there a simple ratio and proportion related math activity we can use in our classrooms?
I found this simple activity on the internet which can be used in our classrooms.
There are many more activities and lesson plans available on the internet.
http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/teacher_resources/MathSite/curriculum/Prealgebra/Pre%204%20ratio/Pre4.3R%20and%20P%20in%20KIDS.pdf
Lesson Title: Ratio and Proportion in KIDS Pre 4.3
Utah State Core Standard and Indicators Pre-Algebra Standards 2-5 Process Standards 1-5
Summary
In this activity, students measure and then figure out proportions using height/head circumference, thumb/wrist, etc. They change the ratios to decimals, organize the data into tables and plots to find patterns and make predictions.
Enduring Understanding
We can use proportion equations to make predictions about sizes and heights in kids. Essential Questions
How can we use ratio to help us make predictions and solve problems?
Skill Focus
• Measuring size
• Ratios
• Proportion equations
• Statistics plots and central tendencies
Vocabulary Focus
Assessment ideas:
• Use the Credit Card and Ratio and Proportion Assessments later in the module.
• Have students respond in writing to the essential questions.
• Have students write about their learning. What was interesting? What did they learn the most from? What connections did they make? What did they think while they were working?
Materials: Calculators, measurement tools, worksheets, Da Vinci picture copies
Launch
Explore
Summarize
Apply
ENJOY!!
Learning & Leading with Technology. Volume 26, Number 4, 1999, Pgs. 22-25.
This article explains to the students that Leonardo da Vinci made many studies of the human body to try and come up with the perfect measurements of the human body. It explains to the students that what he came up with were two ratios that compared three measurements. It tells the students how they will be using their knowledge of ratios and proportions to make a spreadsheet that will give them the dimensions of the perfect body. This article explains daily practical examples to the students that they can take a survey of measurements of their classmates and use that information to make a database in the classroom. The example given to the students was that they can take measurements of their height without shoes then the height from the floor to their belly button and write them on the worksheet. It also explained to the students that they can take a measurement from finger tip to finger tip with their arms extended to the side and write it on the worksheet. It explained to the students that each of them can easily enter their own measurements onto the computer spreadsheet called the “Body Proportions Spreadsheet” with formulas to determine the accuracy of da Vinci’s work. It talked about how a teacher can explain the use of ratios on the chalkboard. This can be demonstrated by the teacher how to calculate the two ratios: first, by dividing the total height by the belly button height, second, by dividing the arm span by the total height. The teacher can then ask the students to round their result to three decimal places. The students can compare their results with the ratios that da Vinci developed in 1492 and determine if any student has the perfect ratios. Finally the teacher can ask the students to determine the average ratio for the entire class, for girls only and for boys only.
QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you see the need for students to know how ratio and proportion works?
It is very important for all of us to know ratio and proportion work. Mathematical measurement is based on ratio and proportion. Building industry, engineering and architectural drawings are all based on ratio and proportion. The great pyramids and the Parthenon were built on the great principle of ratio and proportion. Ratio and proportion are very important in our daily life for example in paintings, in sculpturing, cooking, dieting, sewing gardening and simple balance. We must teach this concept as early as kindergarten. More information can be found on the following websites.
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/isa/ninvest/Measure/measureup.htm
http://mathforum.org/mathtools/activity/51/
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/documents/appropriateness.pdf
2. Is there a simple ratio and proportion related math activity we can use in our classrooms?
I found this simple activity on the internet which can be used in our classrooms.
There are many more activities and lesson plans available on the internet.
http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/teacher_resources/MathSite/curriculum/Prealgebra/Pre%204%20ratio/Pre4.3R%20and%20P%20in%20KIDS.pdf
Lesson Title: Ratio and Proportion in KIDS Pre 4.3
Utah State Core Standard and Indicators Pre-Algebra Standards 2-5 Process Standards 1-5
Summary
In this activity, students measure and then figure out proportions using height/head circumference, thumb/wrist, etc. They change the ratios to decimals, organize the data into tables and plots to find patterns and make predictions.
Enduring Understanding
We can use proportion equations to make predictions about sizes and heights in kids. Essential Questions
How can we use ratio to help us make predictions and solve problems?
Skill Focus
• Measuring size
• Ratios
• Proportion equations
• Statistics plots and central tendencies
Vocabulary Focus
Assessment ideas:
• Use the Credit Card and Ratio and Proportion Assessments later in the module.
• Have students respond in writing to the essential questions.
• Have students write about their learning. What was interesting? What did they learn the most from? What connections did they make? What did they think while they were working?
Materials: Calculators, measurement tools, worksheets, Da Vinci picture copies
Launch
Explore
Summarize
Apply
ENJOY!!
JOURNAL 3 - ARE YOU THE COPY COP?
Johnson, D., Simpson, C. Are you the copy cop ?
Learning & Leading with Technology Volume 32 Number 7, 2005, Pgs 14-20
This article explains to the general public what copyright means and why it is important that teachers’ and students respect copyright’s to movies, books, magazines, music and software. It explains how the school librarians and teachers can explain in greater detail what may or
may not have copyright protection. This article explains to the students that a violation of a copyright can happen in schools. If the violation happens in the schools it may result in the school ( a teacher or a student) being sued. This further explains to the public and students’ how some people unknowingly break copyright laws so they understand and avoid making these mistakes. It explains how teachers are instructed to obey copyright laws and to educate their learners about the seriousness of breaking the copyright laws. This also explains to the students that copyright laws help protect the authors or creators of books, magazines, music and movies who earn a living by making these things. It clarifies to the students and teachers that the district is able to scan and review all documents that have been printed on photocopiers to see what has copyright protection. It explains to the students and teachers that the district policy on scanning the software programs on all of its computers to make sure that a license to use the software on that computer has been purchased. It describes that copyright is a federal law and that obeying this law is the right thing to do. Lastly, It explains to the students and teachers that congress has given schools certain exemptions to use limited amounts of published and marketed materials to assist in teaching students.
QUESTIONS:
1. Why is it important for all students to know the copyright laws?
It is very important for all students, teachers, volunteers and all general public to know all the copyright laws. The teachers have the responsibility of educating the students and all other staff that work in the classroom to avoid any law suites and litigations. We must know that we cannot copy other peoples work without their permission otherwise it becomes stealing. The students must be taught the correct ways of researching and using other peoples work with proper permission. People must be given credit for their own hard work. The teachers must teach the students this responsibility and educate them in respecting the copyright laws. Copyright is a federal law and has high penalties if it is violated.The copyrigh laws are written in the constituition of the United States Article 1 sect 8.The penalties are very severe.
2. Where can teachers and students find information about the copyright laws and their penalties?
The following are some websites that we can get more information and educate
ourselves and our learners to avoid law suites:
http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A1Sec8.html
http://www.rbs2.com/copyr.htm
http://www.gindylaw.com/
http://www.legalzoom.com/
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
http://www.copyright.gov/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright
http://www.rbs2.com/copyr.htm
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/
http://copyrightlaws.com/
http://it.slashdot.org/
http://www.p2pnet.net/story/14186
Thursday, November 22, 2007
JOURNAL 2 - FACING THE FUTURE...
Bolkan, J. V. Facing the Future.
Learning & Leading with Technology November 2005, Pgs. 8-13.
This article explains to the students what personal computer standards are and why they are important. It helps us to understand that standards are used by all major computer manufacturers and last for many years. It explains that manufactures are currently developing new standards that will not only change the way a computer looks and functions on the inside but also how they will affect how quickly a computer functions. It explains the issue of heat inside the computer and how the new standards will help to significantly reduce the amount of heat. It talks about the new standards that will make the personal computer more flexible and expandable. It explained that the new standards will help allow for faster applications. It also explains that personal computers have had many advancements over the last twenty years and that it is amazing that some of the same standards which originated in the 1980’s are still found in current computers. It further explains that a personal computer is not a monolithic thing that many people believe but actually a collection of subsystems. It explains to the students that with a change in standards comes new requirements for replacement parts and systems. It explains that we can be assured that we will be able to find replacement and upgrade parts in the future.
1. Why are computers important in our schools?
Computers are very important for our student education. Computers provide new knowledge at home and at school. It is important for students to know the standards of computers so they will understand the need to upgrade when it hinders progress. It is important for our students to know these details of replacement parts and upgraded standards. Students will also develop new interests in building their own new computers, which will help them develop their own business. When we are unable to expand our computers and, we know its time to add on and upgrade. When we educate our students with this knowledge they intern will help their parents understand this important information about computers.
2. How can we get used to changes in computer technology?
We can get used to new changes in the computer technology by constantly reading and learning about it. We as teachers have the responsibility to educate our learners about modern computer technology and changes. We can also have examples to show our learners with our classroom computers and the upgrades we do and expand the computer applications with our research projects so they will see the importance of change.
Friday, November 2, 2007
JOURNAL 1 - INTRODUCTION LETTER
My name is Asha Edwin-Kent. I was born, raised and educated in India except for three years when my family lived in Sri Lanka. I earned my Plant Sciences degrees in India. Later I moved to Western Samoa with my family where I taught high school reading and general sciences. I came to the United States and attended BYU in Provo, Utah.
My experience with computer technology has been limited. In the early 1980’s I used a Macintosh computer to enter information given by graduate students as a lab tech. I currently use a personal computer in the Cal State San Marcos Kellogg library to complete my home work. I use Word to prepare my papers for my credential classes and WebCT to turn in home work. I use the internet to conduct research and gather information for my papers. I enjoy working on my computer everyday.
What impressed me the most about the College Of Education mission statement was it’s commitment to student-centered education, diversity, collaboration and professionalism. I made my decision to attend California State University because the best teachers at my school are graduates of Cal State San Marcos and exemplify these qualities.
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