i completed:
1) the final assessment
2) the course feedback survey
3) the Route Y course evaluation
and my grades seem to be in order on blackboard.
thanks for a great class, andrea! :)
Final Posting
15 years ago
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Lesson Plans
Language Arts Lesson:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhst8r79_19f6bbc7hk
Science Lesson:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhst8r79_18hgvk82fb
Math Lesson:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhst8r79_17c5pcpjhd
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhst8r79_19f6bbc7hk
Science Lesson:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhst8r79_18hgvk82fb
Math Lesson:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhst8r79_17c5pcpjhd
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Internet Safety Reflection
1) For my article of choice, I selected a media topic. It was a 1995 New Era article called "Leave it Alone" by H. Burke Peterson. I remember reading this article when it was first published, and I loved that it is just as applicable today, if not more so. Basically, we were counseled to strive to be close to the Spirit and to use our best judgment when selecting media, regardless of any given rating. Our moral standards should not depend on the 'media authorities' opinions.
2) I viewed several websites that included videos, games, songs, and visuals; my main focus was to learn how to teach children to be safe an aware while on the internet. Children are becoming computer/internet savvy at much earlier ages today than they did in the past, yet they are just as susceptible to the dangers that come with internet use...if not more so because of the younger age. I loved the BYU animation departments cartoon about "Faux Paw"...I thought it was a very clever way to send the message about being private on the internet, especially for younger children. I also watched "Katie's Story," but for younger kids, I think it is more appropriate to share something like "Faux Paw" to send the message rather than using real-life examples about abductions and what not. For older grades, the real-life examples would definitely be a more meaningful approach. I especially agreed with this after watching the "Growing up Online" video...which was kind of unsettling (mainly because I know how true it is)
3) My most important 'take aways' from the readings and videos would be that, as adults, we need to be aware of the potential dangers of media and be sensitive to it; ignoring issues or becoming desensitized to inappropriate material in movies, television, music, and books, as well as on the internet, will not only cause damage ourselves, but our lack of example will translate to youth. Also, setting high standards and keeping to them will help us to more naturally set expectations for children and better prepare us to explicitly teach about media dangers, awareness and safety.
4) I shared my thoughts with a friend of mine, and she pretty much agreed with what I was saying. In fact, we went over some of the general authority articles and had a good, deep discussion about it. She shared with me some experiences she had faced in the past concerning a friend who had neglected guarding against inappropriate media, and the impact that it had on him. One thing I told her that she was not yet prepared for was how teach media and internet safety to her kids. She loved the "Faux Paw" cartoon as much as I did and planned to use it with her own children.
2) I viewed several websites that included videos, games, songs, and visuals; my main focus was to learn how to teach children to be safe an aware while on the internet. Children are becoming computer/internet savvy at much earlier ages today than they did in the past, yet they are just as susceptible to the dangers that come with internet use...if not more so because of the younger age. I loved the BYU animation departments cartoon about "Faux Paw"...I thought it was a very clever way to send the message about being private on the internet, especially for younger children. I also watched "Katie's Story," but for younger kids, I think it is more appropriate to share something like "Faux Paw" to send the message rather than using real-life examples about abductions and what not. For older grades, the real-life examples would definitely be a more meaningful approach. I especially agreed with this after watching the "Growing up Online" video...which was kind of unsettling (mainly because I know how true it is)
3) My most important 'take aways' from the readings and videos would be that, as adults, we need to be aware of the potential dangers of media and be sensitive to it; ignoring issues or becoming desensitized to inappropriate material in movies, television, music, and books, as well as on the internet, will not only cause damage ourselves, but our lack of example will translate to youth. Also, setting high standards and keeping to them will help us to more naturally set expectations for children and better prepare us to explicitly teach about media dangers, awareness and safety.
4) I shared my thoughts with a friend of mine, and she pretty much agreed with what I was saying. In fact, we went over some of the general authority articles and had a good, deep discussion about it. She shared with me some experiences she had faced in the past concerning a friend who had neglected guarding against inappropriate media, and the impact that it had on him. One thing I told her that she was not yet prepared for was how teach media and internet safety to her kids. She loved the "Faux Paw" cartoon as much as I did and planned to use it with her own children.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Classroom Technology Inventory
When I was first placed in my classroom, I noticed that there wasn't very much to be seen as far as technological resources; no smart board, no computers...not even for the teacher (she has to bring her own to do things like take roll and place class book orders). They do, though, have a TV with built-in DVD player, a CD player, and a portable microphone that the teacher uses to be more easily heard. It was news to me that the school even had a computer lab! During the week or so that I've been working with this class, they have gone to the library twice, to PE twice, and to art once...apparently the time during the year that has been allotted for art is also shared by the computer lab, so the children aren't getting as much experience with technology as they otherwise could. However, they are still very young (1st graders), and I think the older grades get to work more time into their schedules to work in the computer labs and complete assignments there.
I did complete the midcourse evaluation and informed consent surveys. =)
I did complete the midcourse evaluation and informed consent surveys. =)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Science Challenge!!
The content I chose to focus on for this challenge has to do with moon changes and orbits. This is a 6th grade standard;
Standard 1: Students will understand that the appearance of the moon changes in a predictable cycle as it orbits Earth and as Earth rotates on its axis.
Objective 1: Explain patterns of changes in the appearance of the moon as it orbits Earth.
A: Describe changes in the appearance of the moon during a month.
B: Identify the pattern of change in the moon's appearance.
D: Collect data depicting the phases of the moon.
Approaching this challenge, I decided to utilize the program Stellarium for Mac OS. We can use this program to view the sky any time of day. To see the moon clearly, it is particularly useful to view images of the night sky. A cool thing about this program is that you can essentially fast-forward or rewind to see the moon in the past as well as predictions of it into the future. You can also customize your viewpoint by selecting the country and city that you are looking from...you can even be super specific and enter a particular latitude and longitude. To accurately document moon phases, the students would use the program to look at the moon from the same viewpoint across the virtual space of a month (you could view multiple nights at a time by rewinding or fast-forwarding). I would have the students draw their own versions of what they see as they explore the program. Doing this would provide them with a mobile account of their observations.
Content: Moon changes and orbits; what the different moon phases look like and how to recognize them during the month.
Pedagogy: Students will learn to identify and describe the phases of the moon through exploring and following the moon's cycle throughout the month using Stellarium and illustrate their findings.
Technology: Students will have the opportunity to use the computer program Stellarium to complete this activity.
Standard 1: Students will understand that the appearance of the moon changes in a predictable cycle as it orbits Earth and as Earth rotates on its axis.
Objective 1: Explain patterns of changes in the appearance of the moon as it orbits Earth.
A: Describe changes in the appearance of the moon during a month.
B: Identify the pattern of change in the moon's appearance.
D: Collect data depicting the phases of the moon.
Approaching this challenge, I decided to utilize the program Stellarium for Mac OS. We can use this program to view the sky any time of day. To see the moon clearly, it is particularly useful to view images of the night sky. A cool thing about this program is that you can essentially fast-forward or rewind to see the moon in the past as well as predictions of it into the future. You can also customize your viewpoint by selecting the country and city that you are looking from...you can even be super specific and enter a particular latitude and longitude. To accurately document moon phases, the students would use the program to look at the moon from the same viewpoint across the virtual space of a month (you could view multiple nights at a time by rewinding or fast-forwarding). I would have the students draw their own versions of what they see as they explore the program. Doing this would provide them with a mobile account of their observations.
Content: Moon changes and orbits; what the different moon phases look like and how to recognize them during the month.
Pedagogy: Students will learn to identify and describe the phases of the moon through exploring and following the moon's cycle throughout the month using Stellarium and illustrate their findings.
Technology: Students will have the opportunity to use the computer program Stellarium to complete this activity.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
GoogleEarth virtual tour
i'm not sure how i feel about this task...i've never used google earth, so i'm pretty nervous about diving into this assignment.
i decided to focus on 4th grade science, analyzing the effects of the water cycle. particularly in an area with a seasonal pattern like here in utah where we experience dry days, rain and snow, i thought it would be interesting for the kids to see examples of each stage of the water cycle and view areas where these examples are prominent. here are the core curriculum ideas i'll be covering:
standard 1
students will understand that water changes state as it moves through the water cycle
objective 1.a
identify the relative amount and kind of water found in various locations on the Earth
objective 1.c
compare the processes of evaporation and condensation of water
objective 2
describe the water cycle
objective 2.a
locate examples of evaporation and condensation in the water cycle
i will include examples of different stages of the water cycle, like an ocean as a massive body of water, a tundra like antarctica where snow is prominent, and an iceberg or glacier to represent water as a solid
i would use this tour in addition to a class discussion about the different physical forms water can take (solid, liquid, gas) and real-life examples of each. the tour would be accompanied by a completion worksheet to review the main points of the lesson.
google earth seems to be a great tool to use for this activity....better than just flipping through a few printed examples or pictures from a text book. google earth allows students to travel to different locations across the globe and hands-on experience where these examples exist.
i decided to focus on 4th grade science, analyzing the effects of the water cycle. particularly in an area with a seasonal pattern like here in utah where we experience dry days, rain and snow, i thought it would be interesting for the kids to see examples of each stage of the water cycle and view areas where these examples are prominent. here are the core curriculum ideas i'll be covering:
standard 1
students will understand that water changes state as it moves through the water cycle
objective 1.a
identify the relative amount and kind of water found in various locations on the Earth
objective 1.c
compare the processes of evaporation and condensation of water
objective 2
describe the water cycle
objective 2.a
locate examples of evaporation and condensation in the water cycle
i will include examples of different stages of the water cycle, like an ocean as a massive body of water, a tundra like antarctica where snow is prominent, and an iceberg or glacier to represent water as a solid
i would use this tour in addition to a class discussion about the different physical forms water can take (solid, liquid, gas) and real-life examples of each. the tour would be accompanied by a completion worksheet to review the main points of the lesson.
google earth seems to be a great tool to use for this activity....better than just flipping through a few printed examples or pictures from a text book. google earth allows students to travel to different locations across the globe and hands-on experience where these examples exist.
| Location | Activity | Google Earth Content |
|---|---|---|
| 1. pacific ocean (west coast) | identify oceans as #1 source of water on earth; create a mind map of other types of natural sources of liquid water | Place marker, Ruler Layers: terrain, borders and labels |
| 2. perito moreno glacier (argentina) | water loses energy to become a solid--ice; add a section of solid water to your mind map with other examples of solid water | Place marker, Path tool Layers: terrain, borders and labels |
| 3. antarctica | snow as a form of water--year-round in antarctica. where does it fit into the water cycle? add a section to your mind map identifying other snow-fallen areas, whether year-round or seasonal (like utah) | Place marker, Image overlay Layers: terrain, borders and labels |
| 4. yellowstone park (wyoming) | steam as a form of water. locate a yellowstone park geyser (like castle geyser) and discuss the steam emerging from the geyser. where does it fit into the water cycle? add a section to your mind map identifying where you might find steam (i.e. geyser, shower, boiling water, etc) | Place marker, Path tool Layers: terrain, borders and labels |
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Digital Storytelling II
This was such a fun project! I'm really proud of my video...I feel like I did better that I thought I could =) For this digital storytelling project, I created a book trailer for Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted. I felt like this was a challenge, as the book has already been made into a movie, but I did my best =D My video covered these state curriculum standards:
Languaeg Arts (5th)
1.1a: identify specific purposes for listening (e.g. to gain information, to be entertained)
1.2a: identify specific purposes for viewing media (to identify main ideas and details, to gain information, to distinguish between fiction and non-fiction, to form an opinion)
2.1: demonstrate understanding that the print carries the message
I also viewed several videos created by classmates.
Carmen Heap: she created a great movie to accompany Shel Silverstein's poem, "Smart." She used such cute ideas to tell this well-loved poem.
Marni Story: I was very impressed with Marni's video. She took a great look into the seasons! I appreciated how she related the time of year to what happens in nature (i.e. some plant and vegetables begin to die and decay as winter approaches). Good research; clear and concise way to explain the seasons. I just loved it =D
Ashley Howes: Fantastic video! The music was catching and engaging, and the poem she used, "Recipe" was so creative and fun! I especially liked how she displayed pictures at the end of different groups of people from different time periods eating together. I feel like that was a great way to introduce the idea of similarity among diversity.
Alyssa Ash: Alyssa created a video to accompany the poem "Little Garden Snail." I noticed that she used a hand-made and personally illustrated book for her picture shots. This was a great idea! It added a lot of character and personality to her video. =) it showed personal care and interest.
Allie Becker: Allie created her own story and took her own pictures to create this video. I liked how she used the idea of colors and incorporated it into an interactive activity with the viwerd. I loved her idea of practicing guess and check.
Nichole Mahas: I liked how she showed simple steps to help keep from getting sick, like washing hands, especially before eating; washing fruit; keeping hands out of eyes; avoiding biting nails and putting dirty hands in mouth...this was a great way to help children understand how they can take some personal responsibility to stay healthy.
Languaeg Arts (5th)
1.1a: identify specific purposes for listening (e.g. to gain information, to be entertained)
1.2a: identify specific purposes for viewing media (to identify main ideas and details, to gain information, to distinguish between fiction and non-fiction, to form an opinion)
2.1: demonstrate understanding that the print carries the message
I also viewed several videos created by classmates.
Carmen Heap: she created a great movie to accompany Shel Silverstein's poem, "Smart." She used such cute ideas to tell this well-loved poem.
Marni Story: I was very impressed with Marni's video. She took a great look into the seasons! I appreciated how she related the time of year to what happens in nature (i.e. some plant and vegetables begin to die and decay as winter approaches). Good research; clear and concise way to explain the seasons. I just loved it =D
Ashley Howes: Fantastic video! The music was catching and engaging, and the poem she used, "Recipe" was so creative and fun! I especially liked how she displayed pictures at the end of different groups of people from different time periods eating together. I feel like that was a great way to introduce the idea of similarity among diversity.
Alyssa Ash: Alyssa created a video to accompany the poem "Little Garden Snail." I noticed that she used a hand-made and personally illustrated book for her picture shots. This was a great idea! It added a lot of character and personality to her video. =) it showed personal care and interest.
Allie Becker: Allie created her own story and took her own pictures to create this video. I liked how she used the idea of colors and incorporated it into an interactive activity with the viwerd. I loved her idea of practicing guess and check.
Nichole Mahas: I liked how she showed simple steps to help keep from getting sick, like washing hands, especially before eating; washing fruit; keeping hands out of eyes; avoiding biting nails and putting dirty hands in mouth...this was a great way to help children understand how they can take some personal responsibility to stay healthy.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
My Storyboard
I'm so excited to be doing this assignment...particularly over the next week as we turn our storyboards into movies! I'm pretty stoked about what I chose to do, too. I'm making a book trailer for Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted...and it's gonna rock! My storyboard includes descriptions for each shot and dialogue for the trailer, and I've stored photos and urls for the shots to my usb drive. Here are some screen shots of my storyboard:
My storyboard includes the grade level I'm gearing toward, as well as the multiple UT core standard objectives that I will be targeting through digital storytelling. It should be a blast! =D
My storyboard includes the grade level I'm gearing toward, as well as the multiple UT core standard objectives that I will be targeting through digital storytelling. It should be a blast! =D
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Web 2.0
This was such an interesting assignment! To be honest, I'm surprised I made it out alive =/ Not only did I discover what a 'wiki' was, but I now know how to add videos, links, GoogleDocs, Images, posters, surveys and all other sorts of helpful educational tools. I also know how to make them more accessible by linking them to the visible side bar.
GoodReads seemed like a great resource to refer to when deciding on books that I could use in shared reading with my class, as well as when a student just wants a suggestion for personal reading.
I added some friends on Diigo and learned how to post some bookmarks to share some of my favorite things. I included a recipe page, a link to online scrabble, and a website with tour dates for the AMAZING comedian Brian Regan.
I think the most difficult task in the assignment was creating the Wiki. It took me a while to understand what I was doing, and I had to watch all the tutorials several times. Eventually, though, I figured it out and was able to work through all 4 pages. Unfortunately, it wasn't until I finished page 3 that things started rolling for me =/
Skype
Google Reader
Good Reads
Diigo
GoodReads seemed like a great resource to refer to when deciding on books that I could use in shared reading with my class, as well as when a student just wants a suggestion for personal reading.
I added some friends on Diigo and learned how to post some bookmarks to share some of my favorite things. I included a recipe page, a link to online scrabble, and a website with tour dates for the AMAZING comedian Brian Regan.
I think the most difficult task in the assignment was creating the Wiki. It took me a while to understand what I was doing, and I had to watch all the tutorials several times. Eventually, though, I figured it out and was able to work through all 4 pages. Unfortunately, it wasn't until I finished page 3 that things started rolling for me =/
Skype
Google Reader
Good Reads
Diigo
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
why do i love education??
im in it for the money really... =)
there is always more to learn. always. and more often than not, learning needs to be accompanied by another source to supplement your learning. this outside source could be a purposeful lesson, a friend's advice, a stranger's example, personal revelation through study and prayer, or the subtle whisperings of the spirit. however this genuine learning is accomplished, the individual leaves the experience feeling renewed; more knowledgeable, confident, successful, and particularly grateful. how do you repay the source of your learning for that priceless new gem? pay it forward, i say. become that integral part of a person's life. for not only is academic success taught in the classroom, but development of character and invaluable life lessons.
there is always more to learn. always. and more often than not, learning needs to be accompanied by another source to supplement your learning. this outside source could be a purposeful lesson, a friend's advice, a stranger's example, personal revelation through study and prayer, or the subtle whisperings of the spirit. however this genuine learning is accomplished, the individual leaves the experience feeling renewed; more knowledgeable, confident, successful, and particularly grateful. how do you repay the source of your learning for that priceless new gem? pay it forward, i say. become that integral part of a person's life. for not only is academic success taught in the classroom, but development of character and invaluable life lessons.
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