Watching the three videos

This has really been an eye opener for me as to what technology can do for children in a classroom. The video that demonstrated the spiders was amazing. It used to be that you could only draw information from an encyclopedia when I was in school to now actually seeing them in a real-life setting in a place where kids can actually go and take pictures, put those pictures on the computer and then send their to another school in a state thousands of miles away to make comparisons of different spiders in each of the states. To me, that is very fascinating. I really liked the story extension application. Taking what was a simple story on pages in a book to creating a multimedia presentation with the same idea but extending it using the students' ideas is fun to watch especially having the students be in Kindergarten. Wow!! The teacher mentioned the students being fearless when it comes to learning technology. I'm learning that a little at a time. There is so much out there that I still am overwhelmed with most of it. I've watched how Kid-pix deluxe software has been a hit with kids everywhere. The students at the school where I am teaching right now are thrilled when they are able to explore this application. They especially like the drawing tool that was used in the video clip. It was an amazing thing to see it drawn and then published to make a presentation for parents and other to view by using technology. I will continue on improving my skills as I continue to learn about technology.

1st grade lesson plans

Math direct instruction
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dg7xgcg8_0cn3d6xcn

Literacy direct instruction
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dg7xgcg8_3hfg2gfgr
http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dg7xgcg8_4hq8qvddw

Content guided instruction
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dg7xgcg8_13jzb5rhr

Completing the evaluations

I completed both evaluations that were included in Assignment 9 along with the survey.

Observation of technology at my school

My first initial response to the technology in the school where I'm teaching was a little surprising at the small amount that was available. This school has a high socio-economic rating and I thought there would be more funding for technology. But I am very excited for some of the updated pieces of technology that are available, like the flex-cams and the computer projectors. This makes sharing possible for anything you have to show rather than just using an overhead projector and being limited on what you can share. Each grade has a TV/VCR checked out to them at the beginning of the year. The school is limited to one DVD player so scheduling that is a little more difficult, so planning is very important. There is also one mobile lab with about 30 laptops for the students to use. There are some digital cameras and camcorders also available. Teachers are becoming more computer savvy at my school -- there is no computer specialist at the school. If a teacher wants to teach using a specific program, someone from the district comes and teaches the teacher and then the teacher instructs the class. You really have to be on your toes with this. This encourages the teachers to get with technology!!

Observing the surfaces of the Earth and the Moon

I will do a science observation with a 3rd grade classroom. By using Google Earth and Sky, the students will observe the Earth and the Moon and determine their similarities and their differences.

Content:
In the State Core Curriculum under Science, I will be referring to:

Standard 1 -- Students will understand that the shape of Earth and the moon are spherical and
that Earth rotates on its axis to produce the appearance of the sun and moon
moving through the sky.

Objective 1 -- Describe the appearance of Earth and the moon.

Indicator --
a. Describe the shape of Earth and the moon as spherical.
b. Explain that the sun is the source of light that lights the moon.
c. List the differences in the physical appearance of Earth and the moon as viewed
from space.

Pedagogy:
Observing -- the students will use Google Earth and Sky to observe the Earth and the Moon
and make some discoveries.
Predictions -- from observing the Earth and the Moon, make predictions about how they are
similar and different.
Constructing a
hypothesis -- making an educated guess about the similarities and differences of the Earth and
Moon.
Acquire and
Process the Data -- constructing a table to show the similarities and the differences
between the Earth and the Moon.
Analyze the data -- determine if our data is accurate by comparing it to other sources using the
internet.
Conclusion -- Was our prediction accurate?

Technology:
The students will use Google Earth and Sky in the observation assignment. This is a useful took because it allows the students to see up close and move around both the Earth and the Moon. It also lets the students see the time-lapse for how the sun moves across the Earth and the Moon; giving light to both.

Watching others videos

I watched videos from

• Brittany Crowder -- lots of fun to watch. Exciting topic of Volcanoes and Earthquakes. I like the variety of activities used.
• Alexis Pagel -- I love the Zoo!! What a fun place to go and see the animals up close and to see how they are at a safe distance. Nice job on choosing the animals you did. I loved it! Makes me want to go now.
• Ashley Howes -- This was on the relationships between human settlements and geography. What an interesting way to share with the viewer so many ways to see the different settlements in different areas. Nice job on the variety of tools used.
• Marni Story -- Great minds think alike!! I loved it. I was able to go places I probably will never get to see. I like the variety of tools you used. It was a fun tour. Nice job!!