Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Tool 11

I liked the Wordle.  I could use it to introduce vocabulary or to close a unit and tie everything together.  I also enjoyed Mangahigh.  My students would love playing games. 

I have realized that I do need to incorporate more technology into my lessons to keep students engaged.  I will try to gradually incorporate more technology as I find resources that will be useful for math.

There were no unexpected outcomes for me.  It was just difficult to find time to finish the tools in the Spring semester.  

Tool 10


I would like for my students to understand that they must use common sense and be safe on the web. Another thing they need to know is not to plagiarize. I'd also like them to really take it seriously when we say don't share your passwords.  I love Atomic Learning because it can teach you what you want without wasting time going over what you already know.  I think I can use that a lot in the classroom.  I would "teach" digital citizenship by first telling them the rules and why they are the rules, then discussing it, and then letting them see what happens if they violate those rules.  Parents also need to know about digital citizenship because they need to reinforce this at home. I would tell them at Open House, on my website, or relay it via the kids.

Tool 9


Tying technology into the objective will help make the lesson one that students will most likely remember and will enjoy doing. It also must be tied to the objective, otherwise you will just be giving the students busy work.  Students have to be accountable because they have only a certain number of student minutes to use and they have to use them wisely. They must take care to learn what the objective is at their stations in order for things to run smoothly for other students I looked at TenMarks and Mangahigh. Ten Marks can be used to create bonus questions or review questions for the students. Mangahigh has a lot of games I could use for my Algebra classes. The students love review games as it is, so I think that they would really enjoy doing some of these things. I would hold students accountable by how much work was completed during the class time. I would give them a goal and expect everyone to attain it.  I found many apps on the Ipad that I can use in the classroom. One was Educreations Interactive Whiteboard where students can work in groups to show other students how to solve algebra problems. Another app is iMovie where students could create a movie about a certain topic and share with the class. I think that I will have a better idea of other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad in my classroom once I begin using them. I am sure that there are other ideas besides stations and reviewing, perhaps skyping or creating videos but I will have to wait and see. 

Tool 8


I learned where all the vital buttons were, how to access different things and other important data like the volume, etc. I have an iphone and an ipad so I am already very familiar with how Apple products work and love using them.  In order to manage the devices, I will make working on the Ipads a privilege that the students have to earn. Since I will only have a few, I still need to think of the best way to evenly distribute using time among my students. I will use Khan Academy and SchoolTube to watch video tutorials on various topics and other websites for games, etc.  I will also let those students who struggle come in during study hall to use ipads to watch extra tutorials or use additional resources to reinforce the lesson. 

Tool 7


Algebra II students will be in groups picked by the teacher. The objective is to review conic sections for the final exam. Students will use the iPads and laptops to research a particular conic section and present a review to the class.  I plan to implement this around mid-May, about two weeks before finals.  Students will use ipads and laptops.  Students will present, each member of group will have a speaking role, and class will critique for accuracy of material.  Each group will provide a short assessment for the class. If you need to find another classroom - We can begin networking with other classrooms right here!

Tool 6


I created a twitter account and a skype account. Twitter could be a great resource for my students to discuss assignments and get homework help.  Skype could also be used by my students to offer extra help outside of school.  You could also skype with other classes or watch another teacher’s lesson. 



I can see my students taking advantage of these tools to get with other students in their class or another class to collaborate on the material.  

Monday, March 19, 2012

Tool 5


I created comic strip on Makebeliefscomix.com and a vocabulary chart on wordle.net.  I think Wordle would be great to review/introduce the vocabulary in a unit.  Not sure if I would be able to use the comic in class other than for a good laugh.    

Here is my comic strip.

Here is my Wordle.