https://sites.google.com/site/educ2221springgroup3/home


This is the link to our final project

https://sites.google.com/site/conqueringfractions/home - completed WebQuest

My web quest can be found at:
https://sites.google.com/site/conqueringfractions/home

Driving Question:  What daily activities involve conquering fraction operations?

Students will work through daily activities involving solving or manipulating fractions to move through their day.

WebQuest Project

Your Role

__x_Efficiency Expert

___Affiliator

___Altitudinist

___Technophile

Your Impressions

WebQuest	Strengths	Weaknesses
Grow School Greens	-learn a whole lot of skills -teamwork	-long term – takes 15 weeks
Where is My Hero?	-multidisciplinary – learn about history/writing/reading -meets some content standards	-longer than it should be – 1-2 weeks
Underground Railroad	-cooperative learning -includes logic and history – like a puzzle figuring out history	-1 week long
Ice Cream	-creativity -chart making and understanding	-1 week long -not extremely useful in the bigger picture; does not meet content standards
Ancient Egypt	-1-2 days -learn interesting facts about Egypt; students are interested	-only random facts, not directed

DBE # 11 Thinking Creatively

Three things I learned from the video: Thinking Creatively: Teachers as designers of Content, Technology and Pedagogy part1

1. Teaching with technology is a problem because technology is unstable and "opaque"- meaning you cant see how it works.

2. Pedogogy and Content can get messy and must be interesting to be acessible to students.

3. Transformation of content to be interesting and acessible to students is quality teaching.

Web 2.0 Tool Review

I went to http://www.abcya.com/ and reviewed the Numbers games for fourth grade. I think video games are a great supplemental tool to reinforce math applications. The jet ski game allowed practice on quick recall of math facts which is good if you feel speed is important. The Math Man game similiar to Pac Man was not as good. The player has to "eat a question" first and then eat the ghost with the correct answer. The questions were too few and far between that unless you are really adept at video games, you never get to practice your math. The other application I liked was the Math Quiz. Students log in and click on Math Quiz and random quizzes are given. A great way to assess mastery at individual pace. Students can print their scores to turn in for recording. Overall this site was ok but not an excellent site. I probably would only use it  as a secondary site in the event a student needed extra work or practice.

StoryBird

Here is a link to my Story Bird.

http://storybird.com/books/last-day-of-summer-3/?token=shymbn

Xtranormal Activity: the experience

parking
by: meghannprincesspie

DBE #10 - Sowing Seeds for a More Creative Society

"In many cases, new technologies are simply reinforcing old ways of teaching and learning. ...  We need to continually rethink our approaches to education and rethink our uses of educational technologies."

Incorporating technology into the classroom should also mean improving the educational process to encourage students to develop their thinking and problem solving skills with technology. I completely agree with the above quote. Improving education through technology should mean improving the entire process. Introduction of technology and using old ways of teaching and learning should only be for a transistion period. Providing students with the opportunity to problem solve, develop creative thinking skills and interacting with others is an important part of the education process. Giving them the marketable skills that will improve society as a whole should be an educator's primary goal.

This is a link to an article on the effects of technology in the classroom: http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html"Sowing the Seeds for a More Creative Society" by Mitchel Resnick.
Copyright © 2007, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), iste@iste.org, www.iste.org. All rights reserved
Learning & Leading with Technology | December/January 2007–08

Scratch | Project | class project 2

Scratch | Project | class project 2



I used Scratch Cards: Say Something, Surprise button and change color

My Scratch Project

Project

DBE #9 - 10 Things Schools can Learn from Video Games

"10 Things Schools can Learn from Video Games"- http://www.learningingaming.com/10-things-schools-can-learn-from-video-games/

Quote: "The Cycle of Expertise. Video games will provide sets of challenges until certain actions, behaviors and skills become routine and automated. The games then provide a new problem in the form of a boss, new level or game mechanic that makes the gamer re-think their mastery, learn a new skill and then integrate this skill into the rest of the experience. This is where mastery is consolidated through repetition only to be challenged again, and it is an integral part of learning and expertise."

This particular quote tends to make sense. Rote memorization of facts without utilizing them in applicable situations often results in forgetfulness as soon as the unit is over. Utilizing skills in a gaming situations and adapting to increasingly difficult situations provides opportunities for knowledge application. Mastering a level and being able to carry that skill and knowledge to the next is a valuable tool.

Resource: http://bblocks.samhsa.gov/educators/lesson_plans/classroomgames.aspx "Games in the Classroom". suupports games in the classroom as well and provides lesson plans and examples of board and online games.

Gardens of Time

Garden of Times reflects several things from the article "10 Things Schools can Learn from Video Games": 1. Interaction-player is encouraged to adapt game field and invite neighbors to participate. 2. Risk taking- player has to assess situations and often through trial and error complete scenes. 3. customization- player is encouraged to build his own garden through advancing through scenes and earning gold to make enhancements. 4. Withing realm of competence- player moves through scenes at own pace, adapting and developing skills with each level.and 5. Exploring-player can move at self pace and experiment different levels and capabilities.
While some games may have a place in the classroom. I am not much for video games and find the repetition tedious.

WEBSITE EVALUATION

It is important to validate any information we are extracting from the internet. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself the age old questions of investigation: Who, What, Where, Why and How. While the above example is designed to teach students to validate the websites they use, I used it as an example to answere the validation questions.

DBE #8 Wikipedia

a. What is Wikipedia? "a multilingual, Web-based encyclopedia project, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit organization". A collection of informative entries edited by the users of the site.
b. How would you answer the question posed in this piece “How reliable can a source be when anyone can edit it?”? Not very reliable. Very difficult to verify information and sources when entries can be continually edited and updated.
c. Who do the creators of Wikipedia place their trust in when it comes to weeding out misinformation? "wisdom of crowd" They believe that because a lot of people have acess to edit, errors will be corrected quickly.
d. Why did founder Larry Sanger leave Wikipedia? He felt more authority to edit should be given to experts.
e. What would abuse or vandalism look like on a Wikipedia page? Incorrect or biased information postings
f. What do the statistics quoted in the third paragraph of this piece reveal? That use of Wikipedia is world wide and that Google is a contributor to its sucess.
g. Why do you think Wikipedia is so successful? People love the idea of putting their knowledge "out there" and influencing other people's opinions
h. Why might Wikipedia’s creators not want to accept advertising? Accepting money for donations and allowing advertisments would lessen the reliability of information due to bias.
i. How does Wikiscanner help increase the reliability of Wikipedia entries? Allows wikipedia to discover the source of information quickly revealing any fraudulent postings.

Citation: Information Published on the Times Topic Page on Wikipedia on October 18, 2007.

My Teaching Philosophy

DBE#7 Teaching Media Literacy

Quote: "By integrating elements of digital media literacy into their instruction, teachers can influence how well students critically assess content, both online and offline." (David, 2009)


It is important as educator's to not only teach the information but also teach our students how to think and analyze information in order to make intelligent decisions based on the information to which they gain access. More and more students rely on the internet for their information and too many believe: "if its on the net it must be true". Teaching students to analyze information, verify sources and critically study the information they have is important to the sucess of a democratic nation. People who do not think and rely only on information given to them run the risk of being fed misinformation, skewed or biased information that can change policy and societal norms for the worse.

An article in the same journal discusses the advantages to teaching critical thinking versus memorization and can be found at http://tinyurl.com/86rwowy.


References:

David, J. (2009). Teaching media literacy. Educational Leadership, 66 (6), 84-86.

Noddings, N. (2008). All our students thinking. Educational Leadership, 65(5), 8-13.

DBE#6 - A Seven-Power Lens on 21st Century Literacy

Quote: "Citizens must understand that a news story is always constructed by choosing from the information given, shaped by the "lens" of a particular writer or photographer, written for a particular audience, and told from a particular setting"

Reflection: It is important to develop a sense of "media-literacy" in this digital age. Information is available from many sources and can be difficult to verify and justify. If people learn to "consider the source" and study information on the same subject from various sources then a more informed opinion can be formulated. Often the media controls societal norms through this process. One can see that certain behaviors and attitudes once considered taboo are becoming more mainstream as the media changes its attitude and how it presents topics to the audience. It is really dangerous to limit ourselves and "jump on the bandwagon" so to speak without first educating ourselves through ALL information available to us. Democracy can only function properly if voters are fully aware of the full scope of issues and not just the biased information from one source

“Whoever controls the media controls reality.” (Peter Jennings about Tiananmen Square)

**A reflection on Debbie Abilock's article "A Seven-Power Lens on 21st-Century Literacy" found at http://www.infotoday.com/mmschools

Deconstruction Article 1

People Objects Activities
Ferry worker Sky, flag watching
Ship personnel Ship tower, binoculars observing
2 men Concrete barriers, walkway Walking, smiling
Obama, Ship Walking,looking at
govt officials

1.3 things I would infer from photo only: Obama is confident, he has local support and everybody is happy about the situation.
2. Article raises the question is that really what Obama has planned or just speculation as he prepares to make a national speech.

Media Literacy is very important in this age of digital information. Information is available from every aspect of society and it is important to be able to research, analyze and intrepret information prooperly. The following standards from ISTS-Nets T standards reflect my feelings on media literacy:
1. "Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning
and Creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter,
teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate
experiences that advance student learning,
creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face
and virtual environments.
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues
and solving authentic problems using digital tools
and resources."
and
4. "Promote and Model Digital Citizenship
and Responsibility
Teachers understand local and global societal
issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital
culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in
their professional practices.
ethical
d. Develop and model cultural understanding and
global awareness by engaging with colleagues
and students of other cultures using digital age
communication and collaboration tools"

(2008). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS-T_Standards.sflb.ashx

It is important as a educator to instruct students on various digital media outlets and make sure they understand the importance of seeking out multiple sources and forming opinions based on all the facts. Modeling behavior goes hand in hand with this so it is important as a teacher to not only seek out information from all sources but to show students that it is important.

DBE #5 - Fair Use Policy

I think the digital story I created should fall under the Fair Use Guidelines. The original media has not be altered but the intent is to encourage people to see me as an individual and not a stereotype. Fair use is considered when 2 basic questions are answered with Yes: 1.Did the unlicensed use “transform” the material taken from the copyrighted work
by using it for a different purpose than that of the original, or did it just repeat the work for the same intent and value as the original?
and 2. Was the material taken appropriate in kind and amount, considering the nature of the copyrighted work and of the use? When both questions can be answered yes then fair use is considered.

IPad Review

The assignment was: check out an IPad. Download 2 APPS and review. I chose 2 applications under the sub-heading "Education". I chose one from Teacher Tools and one from Learning category.

Play123 by CJ Educations - is an learning app for children. This app could be used a home or in the classroom setting. It is an amusing, entertaining app that teaches shapes, colors and numbers. At first glance, I thought this would be best for the younger set, Pre-K to first grade, but second and third graders who need reinforcement in basic areas would probably find it entertaining as well. Kids learn to recognize shapes, colors and numbers through various games, drawing and matching. The music is whimiscal and the voices are animated in such a way to encourage and motivate children to do well. I would recommend this app to parents for working with young children at home and to teachers as a reinforcement in the classroom.

Educreations Interactive Whiteboard by Educreations, Inc. - a teacher's tool that I really liked. As I played with it so many ideas came to mind. It would be very beneficial in a digital enhanced classroom. Questions that students asked could be illustrated and posted for every one to see. Students who needed visual aids would have it. Also if a student was absent, notes and illustrations could be posted so they didn't fall too far behind. If it became apparent that more detailed graphics were needed for increased understanding, the teacher could attach pictures, graphics and additional text. The ability to post so the entire class had access was a great plus. This would enable parents to acess notes to help children at home. I would recommend this app at any level.

Code of Best Practice in Fair Use

1. Media Education does not transfor the media material from its original purpose of instructing or entertaining.
2. The bargain is this: creators get limited property to encourage cultural productions and other creators have the chance to use the copyrighted material for certain things without payment.
3. Works are protected for longer periods of time and permission to use is difficult to obtain and costly making fair use more important today.
4.• Is the work used for a different purpose or have the same intent as the original
• What amount and kind of material was copied based on the intent of the use of the copywritten material.
5. A teacher using the Lion King to teach racial sterotypes would be covered under fair use. It transforms from the original intent to entertain and uses the whole film. The meeting the criteria stated in the two questions above.
6. Which principle most applies to our digital story: PRINCIPLE FOUR: this pertains to students using copyrighted material in their academic work. To develop our photo story, we needed to use copyrighted material.
7. Yes there are limitations. Requring acknowledgements, limiting where and how work can be used.
8. I do not need to request permission from the copyright holder as long as I am making the original material educational.
9. Educators should try to to change the school system's fair use policy if it interferes with the ability to teach well.
10. MYTH: FAIR USE IS TOO UNCLEAR AND COMPLICATED FOR ME; IT’S
BETTER LEFT TO LAWYERS AND ADMINISTRATORS. It is nice to know that the guidelines are pretty broad and easy to define, plus no paperwork.

**Answers found in "MYTH: FAIR USE IS TOO UNCLEAR AND COMPLICATED FOR ME; IT’S BETTER LEFT TO LAWYERS AND ADMINISTRATORS."

Photo Story: Not from WV

DBE#4 - The Fine Line Between ADHD and Kinesthetic Learners

Quote: "An ounce of prevention, in the form of instruction matched to learning style, is worth years of remediation or special programs using inappropriate techniques."

Reflection: I think it is important for teachers to evaluate all possibilities when dealing with disruptive behaviors in the classroom. Sometimes medicating students is a form of discipline helpful to the teacher but not in the best interest of the child. I have worked in a primary care physician's office where children were routinely evaluated for ADHD. This evaluation usually consisted of a note from the teacher about unruly behavior and the parent's confirming frustration. I have seen inquisitive, bubbly children become virtual zombies from the effects of the medication.While a teacher has to look out for the benefit of the classroom as a whole, individuals should not be overlooked in the process. Classroom and lesson plan modification to accomodate unique learning styles, while maybe daunting to the teacher for the moment, can be extremely beneficial to the child for a lifetime. I think its best to treat individuals as individuals, evaluate each child's needs and accomodate to the best of our ability BEFORE resorting to medication.

The Fine Line Between ADHD and Kinesthetic Learners.
Solving Your Child’s Reading Problems by Ricki Linksman; Fine Communications, March 1998.

Cartoon from uvm.edu

DBE #3 - The Keypad Solution

Quote: Naomi Baron, a professor of linguistics at American University and author of “Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World,” shares Crystal’s view. She predicts that the number of “textisms” will stop growing as people continue to develop more proficiency in using handheld devices and as the devices continue to grow more sophisticated than simple telephone touch pads. She adds that part of the appeal of texting shorthands is their novelty, and that that will fade.

Reflection:Spelling reform is nothing new. Complaints have been made for centuries that our alphabet is poorly formatted and impossible to make spelling logical. It seems that there has always been some form of spelling deviation that attracts attention for each generation: shorthand, phonetic and now text. I wonder if some of the attempts are not attempts at privacy whether than simplification. Communication within a generation is often coded to confound older generation. Young people frequently get annoyed at parents, teachers, etc. looking over their shoulders "spying" so to speak on their communications. Once popular and mainstream, these codes will lose their effectiveness at maintaining privacy. While not the primary reason for development of these reforms, simplification cannot always be touted as a reason to switch as often the reforms are just as difficult to comprehend. My primary concern is the written word is often a criteria for judging the writer. A simplified English that is primitive and oversimplified could give a bad reflection on the education of our nation as a whole. So while I am not opposed to kids developing their own text speak or language modification for their generation, I do agree with Naomi Baron, that once the novelty wears off the popularity will wane.


Reference:

Shea, A. (2010, January 22). The keypad solution. New York Times, p. MM22.

Related Link: I was interested in this study that agrees with the professor we saw in class who said you have to understand the rules of the language to bend them. I dont think text speak is harmful for kids to use I just dont think modification to the English language based on fad and novelty is wise.

 http://www.infoniac.com/science/students-proficient-in-grammar-are-better-at-text-messaging.html

Make Belief Comix

Group 2: An extraterrestrial comes to solve the dilemma on Earth between technology and the classic book

DBEJ #2 Web 2.0 and Emerging Learning Technologies/Learning Styles

Quote: "Most of the students have an iPod"

Response: I feel this is a dangerous assumption especially in poor rural areas like most of West Virginia. School districts that have trouble coming up with funds for federally mandated yet unfunded programs will not be able to keep up with the high cost of improving/upgrading technology regularly. "Rural schools are often hard-pressed to provide modern technology in regular programs for students." (Inman-Freitas, 200). This is a quote often found in journals, newspapers and legislative discussions. To assume students/parents in these areas would be able to is simply unrealistic. While technology has its place in the classroom and certainly many benefits we must not assume that all students will have the same access to the most recent state of the art devices.

References:
Web 2.0 and Emerging Learning Technologies/Learning Styles. (2011, May 19). In WikiBooks. Retrieved January 26, 2012, from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Web_2.0_and_Emerging_Learning_Technologies/Learning_Styles

Inman-Freitas, D. (2000). Efficient financial management in rural schools: common problems and solutions from the field. ERIC Digest, 1991(08),

Hopefully you can tell.....I am an Aural/Vision learner. I learn mostly by seeing something new done and hearing how to do it. I HATE classes that all information is found in the text without explanation during a lecture or hands on experience. Recognizing that my students learning styles will be as varied as their hair colors, I would try to offer information in a variety of styles to support their learning.

Applying ISTE standards to support my teaching style I would choose:

1d.	model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.  I would work with students using computers to show actual demonstrations/simulations of how to complete assignments.

2c.	customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. Independent study projects done on computers that could be programmed to adjust to students needs and learning styles

3c.

communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. I would incorporate email, visual media and newsletters to convey information to students. Offering a variety of resources so that students could acess information in a way that is comfortable to them.

Poll Responses

Go to my poll:  http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/LTM5MTU5NDc5Nw

Double Entry Journal #1

Quote: " Simply put, we cant keep preparing students for a world that doesn't exist"

Response: In Virginia Heffernan article "Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade" (heffernan, 2011), Ms. Heffernan makes the argument for overhauling the educational process to increase the use of technology in the classroom. While I agree that we should incorporate more technology use in the classroom I think we need to beware of turning over too much of the classroom to digital media. Ms. Heffernan's agrument that "Simply put, we can't keep preparing students for a world that doesn't exist" is also a warning against the use of too much technology. Many advances and upgrades are made each day, and often by the time one learns the use it is already outdated. Therefore, while introducing technology and its available uses, it is more important to teach children to think for themselves and encourage independence. It is also important to teach values, ethics and social interactions that are best modeled through human interaction.

Reference:  Heffernan, V. (2011). Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade. New York Times

Related Resource:  http://www.ehow.com/about_5435887_disadvantages-technology-classroom.html offers some interesting drawbacks to too much technology in the classroom.

My name is Carolyn. I am a post grad student returning to get a degree in Elementary Education with a Math 5-9 certification. I grew up as an Army brat so moved frequently and really dont claim to be "from" anywhere. I currently live in Jane Lew, Lewis County and have been in WV for the past 20 years and proud to call it home now. I am just starting this journey with my goal to teach math at the Middle School level.