Assignment 4 blog 3

Rita Park
Teacher Feast
Grad Credit Assignment 4c
7/11/12

Kathy gave a presentation on Class DoJo.  This is an online classroom management program.  This is a free site at this time.  Once signed up, a teacher enters their class list into the program.  Avatar images are then assigned to students.  Students are then assigned awards either + for positive behavior ore – for negative behavior during the day.  This list of behaviors may be customized.  As the teacher and students move through the day in the classroom, the teacher may assign an award either from a desktop computer, an iPad, or a cell phone.   When a + award is assigned a noticeable chime is heard.  Students in the class now know that someone received a reward.  When a – reward is assigned, a different(less positive) sound is audible.  The teacher may project the student screen on the whiteboard if they choose so students know who is receiving rewards, or not.

These daily documentations are saved.  Class reports or individual reports may be emailed to administration or parents.  This is a very user friendly system for a teacher, especially if they can record behavior away from their desk and computer.  It would very motivating for students as well.  It is like a high tech version of dropping marbles in a jar.  When students hear that marble drop in the jar it rewards those who are following directions and refocuses those who are off task.  However, with this system, you then have access to the reports,  which would be helpful at parent conference time.  This is a neat idea and I will be trying it this year.

Assignment 4 blog 2

Rita Park
Teacher Feast
Grad Credit Assignment 4b
7/10/12

I attended a session on iMovie Trailer.  The presenters were
This media tool would be very appealing to students.  The “flash” and “glitz” of a movie trailer format would encourage even the more reluctant students.  Several possible applications are possible.  It could be used as the format for a book report, a biography, or creative presentation of concepts learned. It would be a useful tool in the elementary grades for the very reason that it limits information shared.  This is one of the challenges of the younger students, which is to summarize by including only the major details of a story or topic

The iMovie Trailer is quite user friendly and I could see its implementation in an elementary setting..  Students only need to insert photos, video clips and text into templates.  Even if a student were to “mess up”  it can be saved.  The presenters were very clear and thorough in their presentation.  I will definitely be trying this in my classroom this year.

Assignment 4 1st blog

Rita Park
Teacher Feast
Grad Credit Assignment 4
7/10/12

I attended the Gaming workshop lead by Chris and Zach.  This was very interesting.  They provided information and rationales for including more games in the classroom.  Not being someone who plays “video” games, I was unaware that many of the current games challenge students at a higher learning level. A few of the games that stood out to me for use in my 4th grade classroom were:

 

• Cross country USA – costs – truck drivers must pick up and deliver commodities
• Kodu classroom kid for educators – kids create games that can actually be loaded onto Xbox.  THIS IS ONE OF THE NICER GAME CREATORS.  BY MICROSOFT
• Mindcrafts – a BIG creation game

It is becoming more apparent each year that “meeting students where they are” is a phrase that means more than just the academic skill level that a student is currently at.  It means finding those means by which you can engage a student and motivate them to “wonder” and ask questions and, yes, even go look for some answers.   I am becoming more convinced that including movement and the arts into the core curriculum is a powerful choice.  After this class, I also am coming to the conclusion that games may also have a valuable place in the classroom.

Lesson Plan

Rita Park
Teacher Feast
Grad Credit Lesson Plan
7/12/12

Map Reading – USA
Geography of North America

Standards
Standard 1:  How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and   techniques, to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective
Standard 3:  How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth’s surface.

Goals        Students will research, organize, and analyze geographic  information

Objectives

• students will make observations on their own state which will include elevations, rivers systems, population distribution, highway systems, and climate
• select another state to compare and contrast information
• create a presentation to shares the information gained through observations made

Materials

• computer with internet access – use Map Machine  at http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/interactive-map/?ar_a=1
• atlas
• computer for presentation using Prezi

Introduction    Begin with a map of the home state(state you are currently residing in) and ask
students be brainstorm all of the things they know about their state.  Write all of
the ideas on the whiteboard around the map.

Procedures

1.    Pass out sheet that is a T chart.  On the left side students will record information  for the home state.  Students will only answer questions for the home state first.

 

2.    Using Map Maker Maker Interactive, project the home state on the board.  Explain that the class will look at several different “views” of the home state and answer the question “What is my state like?” .  Students will write their answers in the T chart.

 

3.    View the U.S. Topographic Map – this map shows physical features on Earth’s surface, like hills and mountains.  Bumpy areas on the map indicate these features.  Are there any hills or mountains in the home state?  If so record where they are found?

 

4.    View the U.S. 2000 Census Population Map – this map uses colors to show concentrations of population.  Which areas of the home state have high population?  Where are there the fewest people living in this state?  What is the population density where students live?  Record  answers in the T chart.  Students are to identify these areas by noting cardinal directions and cities or towns as landmarks.

 

5.    Discuss what the maps have shown and how maps are important.

 

6.    Students will now repeat steps 3 and 4 for the state that they are researching for their state report(this is a current project).   Students will be given the URL for Interactive Map Maker , then they should find the state they are reporting on.   Begin by typing in the name of the state in the “Find a Place” box.

    a.   Students will go to the Topographic Map first.  Observe the areas where there may be hills or mountains.   Record this information on the right side of the T chart.

b.   Next students will click on the U.S. 2000 Census Population Map.  Students should note areas of dense population and areas of sparse population.   Students are to identify these areas by noting cardinal directions and cities or towns as landmarks.

Close

Bring students together and ask if there were any problems or questions.   Since this will take 2 classroom periods, the final recap will take place on the second day.  Ask students to look at their charts and compare the things they have learned about their own state in relation to the information they recorded about the state they are reporting on.  Explain that these comparisons. Similarities and differences will be the focus of their presentation.  Each student will give a visual report using Prezi.

7.     Students will now prepare to compile their observations into a Prezi presentation.  The presentation should no more than 1 minute long.  The following information should be included in the final assessment.

1. image of each state

2. identify the region that each state is in, such as northeast, south, midwest, or

   west; include a graphic

3. compare elevations (hills and mountains) present in each state; include

   what part of the state these features occur (north, south, east, west, or central)

4. compare populations of each state; include location by referring to either

   cardinal directions or towns or cities.

5.  Make an general statement  for each comparison, such as Illinois is generally less mountainous than Colorado.

Adaptations
LD – students may work with a partner; students may make only 1 comparison; students may present using a poster rather than in the Prezi format

Gifted – students may include more than 2 comparisons; students may make predictions of possible natural disasters based on location, topography etc.

Assessment

• students complete the presentation using the Prezi format on time – 50 pts
• each of the comparisons is addressed                – 20 pts
• a generalization is included about each of the comparisons        – 20 pts
• the presentation is no more than 1 min. long                – 10 pts

Assignment 2

Rita Park
Feast 2012
Assignment 2

iMovie Trailers is a media tool that would be a great addition to an elementary curriculum.  This is a video application that provides themed templates, editing capabilities, graphics and titles, and music clips that are compatible with the themes or genres.  This media tool would provide students with a vehicle to share in book talks, project reports or other class presentations.

There are several positive aspects to using this media tool in a classroom.  A video presentation created in iMovie Trailers is a great way to get students to focus on the main concepts or major details of a subject.  By limiting the number of “scenes” students would be encouraged to choose those most important events in a story or facts associated with a concept.  So often 4th grade students want to tell the whole story and can not limit a summary to  the main events. Storytelling is an activity that students can usually buy into.  When tied to the iMovie Trailers project, students seldom complain that they can not think of anything to write about.  The visual storyboard component also can be a great way for reluctant writers to get started on a writing project.

The structure of iMovie Trailers is such that students are guided by the length of video clips(or still photos if they prefer).  Each frame is labeled with  the number of seconds to be filled.  There is a colored frame that matches the number of seconds needed and the students may place that frame over the the part of that clip. The format asks students to select the number of characters in this trailer and the music that provides a background theme is already synced to the frames.  The program is very user friendly.  Students will be highly motivated to create a presentation with the very appealing titles and graphics.

A negative side to storytelling through iMovie Trailer is the time frame necessary for a class to complete the assignment.  Students need to learn how to scan photos, cut and paste images or import video, record voice or edit on the computer.  When 25 students are working at a time, this can become the chaos that teachers have nightmares about.  A couple of solutions to this dilemma might be to begin with the isolated skills early in the year and delay this storytelling project to later in the year.  Another solution might be to have students work with a buddy.  Use the “two heads are better than one” philosophy.  Another downside to the iMovie Trailer tool, might be that the teacher must give over so much control to the students.  The students are in the driver’s seat.  They are choosing their story, images, and music while constructing the message or story to be shared.

iMovies Trailer is an exciting tool to consider using in a 4th grade classroom.  The classroom management issue aside, it seems like a very engaging format for students to use for a storytelling assignment or show what they know about a concept or topic.  Due to the fact that reluctant writers are not faced with an overwhelming amount of text at the outset of the project but are “hooked” by the graphics and music I would expect a high interest and energy level among the kids.  I would probably take the approach of introducing this later in the school year after we had done some small exercises with the basic skills needed.  I would also use the buddy system to ensure that at the end of the project……I might still have some of my own hair left!

Assignment 3

Rita Park
Feast 2012
Grad Credit – Assignment 3
7/10/12

Google Docs is a Cloud Productivity tool.  This is a service offered by Google that allows people to create documents, edit them and store them offsite.  Another interesting feature of Google Docs is that one may collaborate with others in real time to create a group generated document.  Where some cloud tools include fees, Google Docs is free.
This Cloud tool can be a very positive asset for the classroom.  As a component of a writing curriculum, Google Docs would encourage collaboration since multiple users may work on a document at the same time.  The history of edits or changes also is very helpful since it  notes who made changes and when.  Another positive aspect of Google Docs as a component of a writing program is that it lends itself so well to edits.  In my experience, there is usually resistence when my 4th grade students are asked to revise.  They often return with little if any changes made.  In Google Docs, the history would indicate clearly what and when revisions were made.  This would have a positive impact on a 9 year old when they are held accountable for their efforts

Another interesting appllication is to upload student presentations to Google and then as each presentation is given, classmates could make comments through the comment bubbles without interrupting the presenter.  All of the students would be  engaged and enjoy giving there own feedback.

There are a couple of negative aspects to Google Docs, first would be age appropriateness.  This would not be a tool that would be easily integrated into the primary grades.  Certainly if a teacher is proficient with this Cloud tool, there are some possibilities, but I would not expect it to be used on a regular basis.  Also, in a classroom setting, students would need a Google account and permission would need to be obtained from families.  This might involve parent meetings in order  to thoroughly explain the tool and answer parent concerns.  Lastly, Google Docs is sometimes a bit quirky.  The typing may lag or working collaboratively may not function as smoothly for younger students who are not as experienced at such tasks.

With the positive and negatives addressed, I am looking forward to implementing Google Docs into my classroom this year.  I have been working to help my students with peer editing for some time with mixed results.  I am curious to see if in Google Docs, students will be more successful with revisions than via paper and pencil editing.  I also feel that those reluctant writers may be encouraged to write with a partner or within a group.  I think they may feel encouraged when they see their name in the history of the project. My plan is to begin with a group of students and “pilot” a collaborative  project the first semester.  I would then hope to use these students in new groupings to train more fourth graders in working collaboratively on writing projects.  I feel the impact of presenting a paper to the class for a critique will be a strong motivator.  I also like the fact that I can be a part of that process in adding the comments as students work through their revisions.  All in all, I find the prospect of Google Docs exciting for this upcoming year.

Assignment #1

Rita Park
Teacher Feast
Grad Credit Assignment 1
7/9/12

“Teaching the iGeneration” by Rosen, was an interesting article.  The author shared short vignettes of adults and young people who use technology as an extension of themselves.  A young 7 year old was able to upgrade the family computer system, while a three year old chose to download a game on a smartphone and begin to play.  Rosen posited that today’s young people have the mindset that if they can “conceive of something, they should be able to make it happen”.  Mr. Rosen noted differences in generations as recent as the “Gen Xers” and “Generation Y”.  People born  prior to the 1980s are quite different in their views and integration of the internet compared to those who grew up with  the World Wide Web.  A minigeneration the author identifies as the” i”Generation” has taken electronic communication to a whole new level.  They send and receive around 3,000 texts per month, but just under 200 phone calls in the same time period.  This exceeds other age groups.
The question then arises, “How does this affect education?”  Rosen begins by clarifying that  the trend should not be all students being instructed through online courses.  Students need social interaction and teacher direction. The focus should not be “teaching with technology” but using technology as a tool that engages students and enhances the information transfer.  For too long, technology has been thrown at teachers and the challenge to incorporate technology for its own sake into lessons has been an issue.

The author had a great suggestion for finding someone in the school or community to act as a “knowledge broker”.  This individual would locate and organize resource materials in the form of video clips,  written resources and even interactive web sites.  The “knowledge broker” would then facilitate as the teacher presented the lesson to the class.Another idea that utilizes technology is that of “flipping”.  Rather than take class time to view (or read) Hamlet, students would be assigned as homework to watch a portion of this play and be ready for discussion and critique in class the next day.

These suggestions cause teachers to refocus.   We believe as educators that we must meet students where they are. This means not only where they are on the continuum of gaining knowledge and skills, but also where they are in terms of communication style and engagement.  By using technology as a means to engage students, we as teachers will find ourselves able to delegate more time and energy to actually teaching our students, rather than having to manage them.   If they are engaged because of a technology component, we can get to the heart of the lesson quicker and based on Mr. Rosen’s article, with more students”on board”.