CEP 812 WPP Final

Jing Project

My Wicked Problem Project was dealing with finding the time to re-teach fractions. After much thought and trial and error, I realized I needed to focus my problem into 3 separate re-teaching sections:

1. identifying fractions
2. adding/subtracting fractions with common denominators
3. adding/subtracting fractions without common denominators

My solution was to use Adobe Presenter to accomplish this. Adobe Presenter allows me to create individualized instructional sessions for my students. They can take a pre-test and pos-test quiz that I embed to provide me with data to see where my students started and how they finished. This also allows me to tweak my instruction with them if this did not work the first time.

This technology supports the following teaching strategies and methods:

1. visual - through pictures I can place in the program to provide students with concrete information
2. auditory - I will read questions and create some verbal instruction in the program
3. drill and practice - students will be able to practice the concepts
4. scaffolding- Students will start with adding and subtracting fractions with common denominators and move towards adding and subtracting without common denominators.
5. Chunking - this program will allow me to chunk instruction into smaller pieces for my students.

I am able to break information down, provide repeated instruction, and pinpoint the areas of deficits that my students have.

 

This process made my content more intellectually accessible because all of my students could access it. It is a tool that promotes independence. This is vital for special education students as they are often the ones that become dependent. This allows them to complete the content at their own pace. There is no fear of being wrong in a group because it is individualized. They are able to pause, rewind or fast forward at any moment if they need clarification of the content. I can also reach more levels of students with this. I could create a gifted and talented lessons as well as a general session. This would help me with workshop time as I would more effectively be able to access student's deficient areas.

 

This process utilized my pedagogical choices to make the content more accessible providing my students with additional instruction in a new way. My students are given additional visuals to support their understanding of the concept. The are able to use visual manipulatives to solve the simple addition and subtraction problems. It will scaffolds their instruction from identifying fractions to  adding and subtracting with common denominators to adding and subtracting without common denominators. It gives my students who struggle to read an opportunity to participate independently in the learning. Students will also be able to show their knowledge through assessments embedded into the assignment.

Overall, this process was very useful. It provided me with a new tool to use with my students, as well as a deeper understanding of what my students need. I am exited to utilize all of the things Adobe Presenter has to offer. The data is already starting to be used inside of my school with school improvement goals.

CEP 812: Personal Learning Plan

VoiceThread
 - I am sorry this is so quiet. I was sick at the time and unable to project my voice any louder.

This is a voicethread of my personal learning plan. In 810, my goals dealt with attending more conferences and utilizing my new technology inside of the classroom. I have been able to utilize some of it inside of the classroom. It is challenging to utilize all of it because with copyright we are only able to use certain things inside of the virtual setting. I am working to find new resources that I can utilize, but I am also learning everything that we have.

As far as attending more conferences, my company has trainings every week to introduce new technologies that we can use in our program. I attend as many as I can. Many of them are programs that students can be signed up for as an intervention to weak areas they have in reading and math. I am learning to analyze the data and provide new learning paths for them.

I am very excited to utilize all the things I learned in this class. I am especially excited to use WatchKnowLearn. It will help me with my flipped classroom. I will be bale to provide even focused assistance for my students for areas they are struggling with. This has been a great experience, and I really appreciate all the application we are expected to do in this class. It really helped me to master the content.

CEP 812: Group Leadership Project

For this PD tutorial our group used Adobe Presenter to present our findings on WatchKnowLearn. We used this program because it incorporates PowerPoint with a presentation component. Users are able to fast forward and rewind the presentation to go at their own speed. If animation is present, the program allows the narrator to record sections for each animation. This way users do not have to press a sounds button for the presentation, but instead it is all encompassing.  It is a fairly easy program to create and watch.

Through this process I learned about several technological programs. I did not know what a storyboard was or how to use it. Popplet it an awesome site to use for this purpose. I can see it as something that my students could easily manipulate and use for projects. I also loved using Google docs for our script writing. I think this is another program that I do not utilize as much as I could with my students. It is was very hard to keep this project to the 10 minute guideline. There is always so much that you can share about things you are researching and programs you are utilizing. WatchKnowLearn is one of those programs that is full of useful tools that could take hours to present.


Overall, this presentation went well. I enjoyed working with my group members. Heidi did a great job of keeping us on task, while Sam was the driving force behind the design of the presentation. I added my own zing with the new technology of Adobe Presenter. If I had to do something differently in this process I would make the script shorter. It was so hard to cram all of the information into the presentation. Otherwise, I am pleased with the final product and my group members. They were amazing and really worked to build each other up. They were a true model of a PLC.




 Group4Project

CEP 812: WPP part D

My project was implemented just as I planned. It fit in with our school goals as well as completing this project. The great thing about having students complete the quiz through Adobe Presenter is the main site will separate the results from the students. It can separate the results according to several categories. It can first separate it according to a general summary that allows me to see how many students have participated with the work, the amount of points possible, and the average points received. 

It can also show data according to question. It shows me how many students got the questions correct and how many did not. This way I can pinpoint exactly where my students are having a break down.

It can also break down the results according to the answers. I am able to see the answers my students chose to see what misconceptions they might still have about adding and subtracting fractions with common fractions.

The last way I can the results is according to the slides. If my students skipped through and did not view all the slides I can see what instruction they may have missed. Then I can have the students go through the lesson again viewing all the slides. 

After completing this assignment, I was able to see that my students received an average of 40 out of 50 points on the quiz. That is 80% which is considered mastery level for my school. My students are showing mastery understanding of the concepts that they did not show before the lesson was given. The question my students really struggled with had to do more with identifying a fraction based on a word problem. This was a warm up to having students add and subtract fractions with common denominators. I think my wording might have affected the answers they picked, and I could spend more time showing students how to write fractions based on a word problem.

After completing this assessment, I think I would add more visuals if I tried it again. I think my lesson may have been a bit short and did not give them enough independent practice before the quiz. The area my students are struggling with now is not adding and subtracting the fractions, but instead writing a fraction based on information given in a word problem. I think adding more visuals and practice in another lesson would help fill in this gap that I have found my students to have.

I think a lesson to learn from this lesson is that you are a scientist with teaching. You may think you have identified the area that students are failing in, but when you reteach in a focused manner you can more accurately pinpoint the gaps in their learning. This will make you a more effective teacher, and help your students become more successful learners.

I think this project will be great to use again with new students next year. It is already created and I can send it out to help reteach students this concept. I would like to create another lesson that is more focused on identifying fractions in a word problem without visuals. I would like to show my students some problem solving skills of drawing a picture to help them identify the parts of a fraction. This will increase my reteaching tools. I can also create a lesson that is about adding and subtracting fractions with uncommon denominators so I can reach more levels with my students and with my teaching effectiveness with students.

CEP 812 Recording and Editing Audio/WPP part C

Podcast

Presentation

This is my recording of my Wicked Problem Project. It shows some pictures of my project as well as addressing my surprises and bumps in the road.

Overall this project has been a great experience. I have worked harder to break the project down to pinpoint areas that my students really struggle with. As I was creating this project, the one thing that was a bump was the amount of work I had set up for myself. I wanted to address adding and subtracting fractions with and without common denominators. It was too big of a task. I needed to focus even more closely on a topic. I decided adding and subtracting fractions with common denominators was the first step.

I created a presentation in adobe presenter and had a few of my students go through it. They all seemed to do well. They got 40 points or more on a 50 point assignment. It seems that going through the assignment again has really helped them understand the concept. 

Below are pictures of my lesson. 

Fraction Project - This link will goes to my lesson. 

The great thing about Adobe presenter that I have found is how easy it is to use. I create a PowerPoint, embed a quiz, record my voice, upload it to the main website and send the links to my students. All I have to do after that is wait. They complete the assignment and I can review their work. I am delighted that the program puts the data into a chart showing the proficiency on each question. Overall this experience has led me to believe that reteaching in this way can be very effective and a time saver. This way I can spend more time addressing all of my student’s needs in a more personalized manner. Below is an example of the data the program shows me.

Google Docs Template

CEP 812: Mobile Learning Lab

 

 

Classroom 2.0

 

 

 

I posted this message to the cell phones in education group after I joined Classroom 2.0. This is one of the concerns for adding cell phones to the classroom for elementary students. While it is a great tool, at this time not every elementary student has a cell phone. Also, having to deal with parent input for the rules and restrictions they have for the cell phone is something to contend with. I believe very soon the lack of cell phones in elementary schools will be gone. Students are getting younger and younger as they receive cell phones. It is a little strange to think that my first cell phone was when I was 20 years old. I have students as young as 1st and 2nd grade that currently have cell phones.

 

I looked at several tools on the Classroom 2.0 site. I am really interested in Classroom 2.0 Live. As I am not sure everything that Classroom 2.0 can do for me a Live show to discover new uses would be very helpful. After reading about it, it sounds like the creators try to make the shows user friendly and welcoming. I am very interested to see what it is like. I found some recordings of the show that I will be listening to as soon as possible.

 

Another tool that I thought was interesting was the events and workshop tab. I like the resources that it has mentioned that are available. The workshop is a 2 day event that focuses on the collaborative use of Classroom 2.0. The events are free, but I do have one problem with it. The locations are Australia, New York, and Boston. While these locations are great they are not really close to Michigan.

 

I think there is so much with Classroom 2.0 that I have only just cracked the surface. I will be delving deeper into the tools and resources so I can effectively use this in my teaching. I am looking forward to collaborating with teachers who have a real passion for utilizing technology inside of the classroom.

 

 

Survey

 

In Poll everywhere, I completed a simple survey about which concepts my students were struggling with most. I was very impressed with how quickly the responses came through. It is a great tool that can be utilized in a traditional brick and mortar classroom. Right now I am using Adobe Connects with my students which has a poll pod feature. I really like how their feature allows me to see which of my students are struggling and which are not.

 

The survey shows 11 voters. They voted on which concept they struggle with most in math class. There were 3 votes for students who struggle with math facts. There were 3 votes for decimals. The last category was fractions with 4 voters. This could really help me when I am creating my lessons for my classroom. I can Tailor it to their needs.

 

I was really excited with the idea of being able to monitor your survey as the answers come in. They have a moderator view. The teacher can accept or deny comments as they come in. This helps keep the answers appropriate and forces students to be respectful of the expectations. 

 

Another tool that I was looking at had to do with grading. As responses come in there was an option for the responses to be automatically graded. This is an awesome feature that provides teachers and students with instant feedback. It also attaches a purpose for completing the poll. It is not just another task the teacher is assigning.

I think the biggest thing I am looking at integrating inside of my classroom is the opportunity for students to utilize the technology they have around them. I would like to utilize cell phones or ipods/iphones, kindles, or other handheld devices. I know that when I brought my kindle into school my students went crazy for it. It is amazing how much more my students are willing to read if they have a device such as a Kindle or an iPad.

 

One of the biggest challenges I foresee at this time is care of equipment. Equipment is expensive and can be broken. I want my kids to be able to use it, but at the same time I know accidents happen. I think this concern is mostly for younger students. There are expectations and procedures that can be set up, but I just fear a technology piece worth hundreds of dollars being broken. Another concern I have has to do with using cell phones in the classroom. Currently, the classroom I am working in is virtual. All of my students can submit polls or questions in Adobe Connects. I can set these pods so that I am the only one that sees the answers for my students. So this brings me to the question of whether or not using a cell phone is redundant or not. I think these problems will easily be addressed with time.

 

 

 

 

CEP 812 : Data Visualization lab

I looked at 3 main tools when I completed this lab. They were Cacoo.com, VoiceThread and Glogster. I used 2 of these three to create my final project for this lab.  Cacoo was similar to other chart programs I have used. It reminded me of Inspiration which I use with my students to create brainstorming graphic organizers. I did like how there were a few different icons and that you could insert items into the diagram.

I really liked VoiceThread . It is a great collaboration tool for students and the teachers. I like how it allows others to comment and how students can get creative with their comments/responses. It is a tool that I could see using in my classroom to promote the flipped classroom design. It was especially nice to be able to draw on the image to show students what I was talking about during my comment.

The final tool I looked at was Glogster. I really like how Glogster can be used by both students and teachers. It is a great way to focus on project based learning by having students create pages based on different concepts. It allows students or teachers to upload videos, podcasts, documents, pictures, and text boxes and hyperlink to other websites. I would love to use this with my students. I think they would have a great time creating something that shows their understanding of the concepts. It would also address the kinesthetic learner, which can be very challenging to reach.

I used both Cacoo and VoiceThread to create my diagram. Many teachers come to me frustrated that students are not in special education. The struggle with response to intervention and do not understand why their students are not being tested right away. The test results show that the student is struggling so they should be tested right away. However, some teachers have left it at that. We cast a broad net to see what could possibly be ailing the student. A better way would be to identify the area of need. In reading, for instance, if a student is struggling with reading there are 3 areas in which they could use intervention. This is a crucial first step that is often missed. Identify the area the student is struggling in as far as basic reading skills, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Teach to the area of weakness and they reassess for progress. This way you are personalizing the instruction and working at the students level to help them success. This visual is meant to be a simple cheat sheet of where to start with reading assessment.

During this lab, I saw some major aha moments to each tool. Cacoo will be great for students who require graphic organizers to take notes or brainstorm ideas. They can use this tool to make organizers that make sense to them, while providing them with an opportunity to be creative. Glogster would be great for gifted and talented students, or students who have already mastered concepts that are currently being taught. They could use this tool to research topics and present their findings. They could also use it to "teach" the teacher about what the concept means and how it can be applied. VoiceThread is a great tool to use when utilizing collaboration inside of the classroom. Overall, all three of these tools are things I could see as being used inside of my classroom. At this time I did not have any questions. I am sure I will have more questions as I use this with my students.


VoiceThread

CEP 812: Group Leadership Project: Part B - Storyboard and Script

Our group project is on the Flipped Classroom using the tool WatchKnowLearn.org. Our group selected "Google Docs" to create our script and "Popplet" for our storyboard. We are finishing up the last touches on both the script and the storyboard.

In this project, I worked on 3 main areas. I addressed the introduction of the project, how to add a video, and the conclusion. The introduction addressed what WatchKnowLearn.org is, the definition of a flipped classroom, and the benefits of using this site. The conclusion addressed what the vision is for using this inside of a classroom. This could include what we hope to accomplish by utilizing sites like this and the concept of a flipped classroom.

Going into the final produce, Heidi will be completing the final edits to the script, I will be recording my voice to the script through "Jing", and Sam will create the final compilation of the project through "Prezi". We are planning on having the Prezi ready by December 1st and the final project ready by the 2nd.

Storyboard and script links:

Popplet

GoogleDoc

CEP 812 - Wicked Problem Project part B Application of T - Pack

Using Adobe Presenter will provide me with an opportunity to utilize TPACK in the following ways.


This technology supports my teaching strategies and methods in many ways. This technology will allow me to reteach students concepts they are struggling with such as fractions. I will be able to reteach them through the following supports:

1. visual - through pictures I can place in the program to provide students with concrete information
2. auditory - I will read questions and create some verbal instruction in the program
3. drill and practice - students will be able to practice the concepts
4. scaffolding- Students will start with adding and subtracting fractions with common denominators and move towards adding and subtracting without common denominators.
5. Chunking - this program will allow me to chunk instruction into smaller pieces for my students.

 It will be intellectually accessible to all students.The content is often the problem with my struggling students. They do not understand it and require reteaching. This will make the concept more accessible to all of my struggling students. They can complete this independently and will not need additional help from me. They will be required to problem solve during the instruction to solve drill and practice problems. They will be able to complete this without missing out on additional whole group instruction.
Using Adobe Presenter will provide my students with additional instruction in a new way. I will be able to provide my students with additional visuals to support their understanding of the concept. The will be able to use visual manipulatives to solve the simple addition and subtraction problems. It will scaffold their instruction from adding and subtracting with common denominators to adding and subtracting without common denominators. It will have opportunities for my students who struggle to read to participate independently in the learning. I will accomplish this by reading the instructions and the questions and embedding the recording into the assignment. Students will also be able to show their knowledge through assessments embedded into the assignment.
WPP Template

CEP 812 - Group Leadership Project Part A - Brainstorm

Recording of group meeting


Timeline of jobs with the person responsible (These are the topics with the personal responsible for addressing them):
I. Introduction: What is WatchKnowLearn.org ? How can it be used in a flipped classroom? - Jamin
II. Common Core - Heidi
III. Classrooms - Heidi
IV. Editors Tools - Sam
V. How to add a video - Jamin
VI. How to review, approve, and assign the videos to appropriate categories - Sam
VII. Conclusion: Vision for WatchKnowLearn.org and how teachers are using it today - Jamin

Due: 11/12 Monday by 9pm via a post to this comment thread (estimated time on this assignment: 10 minutes)

• Pick 2 Assigned parts -- (see my Angel post "Brainstorm Session")
• Pick which video conference tool you want to use for our 2nd group video conference -- you will need to pick one that can record our session (Our 2nd Group video conference will take place at 9pm 11/12).
• Pick which web based technology you want to use for presenting our PD tutorial on WatchKnowLearn.org
• Pick which web based technology you want to use for our storyboard tool

 

*Due: 11/13 Tuesday by end of day

• Begin posting your contributions to the script and storyboard to Angel in our Group 4 folder

Due: 11/17 Saturday by the end of day

• Post to your blog the Portfolio Assignment Group Leadership Project: Part A Brainstorm

*Due: 11/20 Tuesday by end of day

• Finish posting your contributions to the script and storyboard to Angel in our Group 4 folder

*Due: 11/20 Tuesday at 9pm

• 3rd Video conference to go over requirements for Portfolio Assignment: Group Leadership Project: Part B - Storyboard and Script

*Due: 11/21 Wednesday by end of day

As a group we used Adobe Connects and Google Hangout. We used Adobe Connects to record and take screen shots. The advantage to using this tool was the ability to record and the ease of use. It was easy to figure out where the pods were and how to use them. They were movable and it was easy to allow 3 people participate in the session. I really like the screen share ability so that all hosts can share information without having to email it.

 It was challenging for one of our group members to connect. She was on a Mac and had to log out and log back in several times before her sound was restored. This has happened in my classroom several times. The whiteboard is also a challenge. There are times when it works perfectly, and times when only the participants can see what is written. This does not always happen, but it is a glitch that is challenging inside of a classroom. It requires a plan B and C for the just in case it crashes moment.

Google Hangout also seemed relatively easy to use. All group members were able to log on without any glitches. It does not seem to have all the features of Adobe Connects, but it is free and just as great for the price. For the rest of our planning we will use Google Hangout.

CEP 812 - WebConferencing Lab

WebConferencing Recording

I have used adobe connects before. I really like the different options for sharing and presenting information. There are several different pod options including: poll, file share, share, whiteboard, screen share, and note pods. Inside of a classroom, the poll pods could be used to assess prior knowledge of concepts. The file share has been very helpful for allowing students to preview lessons for the next week. Students are also able to “request” control to participate in games or to show their knowledge through completing math problems on the whiteboard, or participating in a game that is brought up through screen share. I have found that my students love being able to take control of the screen to play games or to complete problems. It gets then involved and engaged.

 Although Adobe Connects is a great program it does have some flaws. One of our group members was on a Mac and had to exit and reenter the room several times because she did not have audio. The whiteboard also has some technical issues every now and then. It sometimes will show the participants the screen, but the host is not able to see the same thing. There are also times when the host is unable to write on the board and has to reload it to get it to work.

As a group, we also used Google Hangout to communicate. Google Handout seemed to have fewer glitches than Adobe Connects. I would like to have a chance to better acquaint myself with a new program and identify strengths and weaknesses between the two. As a group, we will utilize Google Hangout for group meeting.

CEP 812 Wicked Problem Project PART A - Description of Need or opportunity

Wicked Problem Project Design

My project has to do with effectively reteaching students using Adobe Presenter. Finding time to reteach students is very challenging when you are working in a classroom of 30 students with so many varying levels. I plan to create a reteaching session in Adobe Presenter for fractions. Many students struggle with adding and subtracting fractions with common and uncommon denominators. If they don't get it the first time it is very difficult to find the time to revisit the concept. This technique would allow students to complete an instructional lesson during workshop time as to allow more exposure to the concept for my struggling students. In addition this would not detract from the whole group instruction.

CEP 811 - Final Sharing Activity

1. What are some things that you have learned about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology?

          
          Technology can be very useful inside of the classroom to teach concepts to students that they are not getting in the traditional way. However, some teachers have the tendency to use technology just for the goal of using technology. It needs to be used in a applicable way that is expanding students horizons instead of teaching them an old concept in a new way. There are many ways that we can use technology to revert back old ways of teaching in which we lecture and do not engage the students. For instance, using a SmartBoard just as a whiteboard is using technology in an old way. By using WebQuests and stand alone instructions students are able to interact with their learning. We can provide re-teaching, collaboration, and expansion sessions with our students to reach several different levels.

1. How did integrating web-based technologies help you think about and evaluate uses of technology?

         Integrating web-based technologies really made me think about making the instruction meaningful and applicable. I think I have often used technology in a traditional way, but have not thought about ways that  students could interact with it. I really like the idea of providing students with stand alone instructions so that I can reinforce concepts they are not understanding, or expand on concepts they do understand.

1. How have you met your own personal goals for learning about technology integration?

       I have found several resources to use for my classroom. I am able to create new units for my students so that during LiveLessons they are participating and active. I also really like the idea of using Merlot. It has so many materials that could be useful to my classroom.

1. Do you have any new goals? What are your plans for reaching your new goals and your long-term goals after this course is over?

        My new goals are to utilize what I have learned in this course. I want to create more stand alone projects to use with my students. I can also use adobe presenter to create stand alone projects where students can submit samples of their work for further analysis of whether or not the project is effective. I am very excited to use everything I have learned.

Merlot Post

Rounding StAIR

CEP 812 - All Things "Casting Lab"

 

 

A Funny Thing Happened With Technology

CEP 812


A Funny Thing Happened with Technology. I was tricked by a student.

CEP 811: Online Teaching Experiences

Resource - Online gaming

Content - Online gaming can be used to teach all content areas. I am currently using study island through my virtual school environment. Students are able to work in core content areas to learn concepts and skills with games. They work to achieve ribbons and awards through their proficiency of the concepts they are learning. Many students have expressed a desire to work on study island because the games keep their interest.

Pedogogies - With this program I am able to monitor my students' progress. I can accommodate their level of understanding and adjust their assignments accordingly. It really works with my special education students especially. They are able to feel successful while having a scaffolded approach to learn concepts they have missed during previous instruction. Other gaming experiences allow students to work collaboratively to achieve a common goal or understanding of a concept.

Challenging technologies - Currently, with the students I teach an RSS feed is more challenging.
I do not assign projects for my students because they are already completing the general education curriculum. I work with elementary special education students, and many of them are not reading at the grade level required to understand the content provided by an RSS feed. They are also not at the appropriate development level to understand or utilize the information.. If I were working with middle school or high school students I could see this as being more effective, but it is not a technology I would currently use in my classroom.

Wiki Lab

Michigan Connections Academy is listed on the Connections Academy Wiki page. I added the location of our office to the Wiki page shown above.



The Wiki I created is to provide teachers with field trip options. It is focused specifically on different opportunities in Michigan. The link is provided below.

Jones Resource Wiki

UDL Lesson Plan Evaluation

              My lesson plan had many elements of the UDL model. It still requires some alterations to provide students with behavior regulation issues with extra support. There is also a need for students to be able to provide varied forms of response. It is a simple fix, but students should be allowed to record verbally how information will be presented in the graphic organizer. Progress monitoring and self regulation of lesson completion should be provided to students through a rubric or checklist. These are just a few alterations that should be provided to make my lesson plan UDL friendly.

Lesson Plan Checklist

UDL Guidelines and Educational Checklist

For the UDL lab, I reviewed one of the lessons posted. It was the lesson dealing with the adjustable spinner. Overall, this lesson lacked the UDL spirit. It was extremely flat and lack luster. It was not a UDL lesson. Students are expected to complete the lesson and nothing more. There are no real goals posted, or a clear rubric to show students what is expected. Students are only able to finish the assignment one way and there is very little student support systems to help students get through the material with mastery in scaffolded levels. I have posted my review using the UDL checklist. It is posted below.

UDL checklist

Spinner Activity

Evaluation of Learning Material in MERLOT

The Merlot learning material I found was called Who wants pizza?
It is a fun way to look at fractions.

Quality of content:

Overall the website presents valid concepts, models and skills. Students are able to see the correct form of a fraction with pictures and the numerical format as well as create their own. The website presents the does present a significant concept in fractions. Fractions are one of the most difficult concepts that I have worked with children on. They struggle to use manipulatives and create their own. This provides created manipulatives and visuals for the students to use when they are relating the fractions to their numerical format.


Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:

1. This website provides scaffolded learning for students with fractions. It moves students from an introduction of basic fractions to adding and finally multiplying fractions. Each "session" provides students with a demonstration of the skill with visuals, a quick independent practice with answers, and then more independent practice to cement the concept.

2.  Objectives - this site provides teachers with the objectives that students should be attaining across grade levels from second to seventh grade. The basis is that students will be able to identify fractions in their numerical and pictorial form, recognize equivalent fractions, add and multiply fractions.

3. Characteristics of targeted learner(s) - although the standards address 2nd - 7th grade, this website requires learner(s) who are able to read at a 4th or 5th grade level. They need to have basic computer skills of typing and know where to look for continuing to the next activity. (There are no buttons marked as next. Students are required to read from 3 options at the bottom of the page.) 

 

4. This interactive presentation will improve student's abilities to teacher and learn the material. This site could be improved with more animation and sounds to show students success. There is little to no animation or sound bites that help engage the students in the activity. The visuals help them understand the concept, but there is not much more to promote student engagement.

 

5. This website could be readily integrated into current curriculum and pedagogy. It could be used with students as a workshop station. It could be used to scaffold instruction and provide students of higher levels with the next level in fraction instruction. It could also provide students with a chance to teach one another the concept through group participation.

 

6. The website could be used in large/small group instruction or workshop time to promote understanding of the concepts. Either use would give students a visual and a participation time to engage and learn the required concepts.

 

7. The teaching and learning goals are easy to identify, and are even provided in a teacher's note section at the bottom of the page. It provides several standards and expectations for students of grades 2-7.

 

8. This website is user friendly. It might require the teacher to take a quick moment to show how to navigate to the next session. If students have the reading level, and take time to read the options they will be able to easily navigate through the lessons and activities.

 

 

Ease of Use:

1. The table of contents page is laid out in a visually clear manner. It can be difficult to find the buttons to move from one activity to the next. It is written text and does not show an arrow or directional picture to show which way should be next.
2. The user does not get trapped or easily lost in the material, unless they have a reading level at or below a 3rd grade level. If they are able to read and comprehend it is easily navigated. 
3. The website provides feedback for students after they complete the session. They are able to see examples of fractions and then complete independent practice problems. At the end of each page, they are able to submit their work and see how well they did. It provides the answers so they can go back and review their work.
4. This module is flexible in the aspect of scaffolding. It provides different levels so that students in many levels of understanding fractions can be addressed. It also provides more practice problems after students finish initial practice to cement concept understanding. The only problem is that the problems do not change after a student has completed the module one time. The questions are the same, and there is a possibility that if students ran the assignment again they could memorize the answers and not show an understanding of the material.
5. This website does not require a lot of technical support for the students. If the teacher is able to get the quiz scores after a student has completed it there would be documentation, but it does not provide an instantaneous report. There is little to no training required for students to complete the activities on this website. They have to read, answer questions, and identify the navigation links when finished. Finding the navigation links would be the hardest thing for the students. As long as they are able to read, the navigation buttons are listed at the bottom of every lesson.
6. The material is presented in a way that is familiar to students. Many fraction problems deal with squares and rectangles being split into pieces. There is not a  lot of differentiation from this visual. There are different colors Incorporated, but it does not show fractions in circles or any other format.
7. Overall the material is presented in a way that could be attractive to students. They are able to click to highlight pieces to represent fractions. There are some illustrations and vibrant colors. It would be better if there was animation and sound effects with this website.

 

Overall, this is a website that I would incorporate inside of my classroom. I could use it with large or small group instruction. It would require computers or smart boards, but would allow the students to participate in their learning. It is engaging, accurate, and fun.

Graphic Organizer

Graphic Organizer - This is my lesson plan upload to www.merlot.com

Personal Learning Reflection

CEP - 810

This course was very effective and useful to me personally. I am very excited to start using the new technologies towards helping my students become more proficient with technology and core subject knowledge through the use of technology. I learned that when integrating technology into the classroom you have to have a plan. Often the reason technology integration fails is because there is not a united front among the staff with a clear plan for the implementation of technology. I also learned that you have to be prepared for anything. Although technology has become a wonderful tool for the classroom it can have trouble. As an educator, we need to be quick on our feet to solve any problems quickly and efficiently.

Integrating the internet is going to be a huge bonus for my classroom. There are so many tools and sites that can be utilized. Students are now able to view the world outside of their classroom without ever leaving it. There are tools like Twitter, Pintrest, and many blogs that teachers can use to collaborate on new teaching ideas. I can also teach lessons to my students after the school day has ended.

I have met some goals in my Personal Growth Plan. One goal was to increase my students’ knowledge of technology. This was done through increasing their understanding of the basics with a computer, the internet, and Microsoft office programs such as PowerPoint. It has been a recent goal to teach my students to not be afraid of technology. I find that I have learned some great critical thinking and problem solving skills by tinkering around with programs.  It is my hope that I can pass those confidence and critical thinking abilities onto my students.

After I am done with this class I plan to try to increase my technology use in the classroom. I have gone as far as taking a new job with a virtual school. I am so excited to utilize the skills that I have learned in this classroom. I hope to utilize videos, programs, and websites to improve the virtual environment that I will be creating for my new students. My long term goal is to attend more conferences to keep my understanding of new technology updated. I am excited to be able to connect with other teachers who are creative and have a broader knowledge of technology.

Flickr - Creative Commons Lab

221, a photo by jaybird131326 on Flickr.

 CEP - 810 - Flickr photo

Multiple Intelligences Post

 CEP - 810

Multiple Intelligences   

       I took the Multiple Intelligences Inventory.  I was found to have higher readings in the linguistic, music, interpersonal and logical areas.  When looking back on my education I can see how these strengths impacted the way I learned and processed information. In the classrooms where the teacher had a similar style to my own I did well. I struggled in the other classrooms that did not have similar styles to my own.

 There were many strategies that helped me in school. I found listening to music when I was studying helped me to complete the task and process the information better. I loved it when teachers would turn on classical music and operas during work time. I also enjoyed math class because I loved working with numbers. I enjoyed tasks that required me to find a known answer.

I struggled with tasks that required kinesthetic movement. Participating in gym and personal fitness classes were always a struggle. I was known as the “complainer” because I lacked coordination and strength. Activities that required me to compete on a physical level with another student were extremely difficult.

When thinking about my own classroom, my goal is to reach all students. I know I cannot teach all of them through their personal learning styles at all times. However, I can incorporate different techniques into lessons to try and reach more students. An example of this would be through workshop time. I could incorporate activities that meet several learning styles so students are able to more effectively process new information. My focus, and the focus of all teachers, should be to try to reach all students in one form or another. We should not limit ourselves to teaching one way all of the time. Instead we should try to have visual, kinesthetic and auditory information streaming as much as possible.

Creative Commons Lab

CEP - 810
                                                  Creative Commons Lab

       This photo is of Auswitch in Poland. My school is currently using the Open Court textbooks for their English and language arts curriculum. In this textbook there is a story about the Holocaust. Many of my students do not know what this event was or where it took place. With this picture I can show them an example of the “camps” the story was depicting. This is one example of how I could use images in my curriculum.

Photo Attribution:

Original Image: Auswitch - Birkenau

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cesar/5391006417/

By. Cesargp
Released under a Attribution-Non_Commercial-Share Alike License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

 Flickr Account