Session 5: Unit Presentations

I really enjoyed listening to the unit presentations in class on Wednesday. I think that this kind of presentation is more valuable to me as a teacher than the LoTi presentations. I liked hearing the wide variety of ideas and thinking about how I can use them in my classroom. If they are not at my level, then I think about other teachers in my school that might be able to use the idea. Any sort of sharing activity is great for me because it gets me thinking. I start to adapt the ideas I hear to my situation or I pick out pieces that I can use in my classroom. I think a time limit might be a good idea for the presentations though because they have been taking up the entire class.

The LoTi presentation was a valuable activity in that it helped me understand what would go into a presentation I may have to make to a school board someday. I don't think it is as valuable to me, however, to hear the same information repeated several times. I do think it is important to do group presentations. It is a good skill to have, but maybe the presentations could be on different topics we don't have enough time to cover in class? That way we would still be "presenting", but we would be learning new information from the presentations.

LoTi Presentations

This class was definitely a little different than most. I think many of us came in with a lot of anger and frustration. I am glad that Louis came in to talk to us and listen to our concerns. All we really want is to know and understand what is expected of us BEFORE it is due. I don't think that is asking too much.

After asking questions, I feel I have a better grasp of the unit plan assignment. It is really helpful to have that checklist to use while writing up the plan. I am slightly concerned about another presentation (Poster Session), but I am sure it will be fine. I am REALLY looking forward to the week off for Easter!

It was interesting to see the different interpretations of the LoTi assignment. I thought some of the presentations were really well done. A big THANK YOU to Bill for putting our presentation together! We felt that a video presentation would be effective because we were implementing the technology we were asking the "administrators" to make available to out students. We were a little concerned that our presentation was shorter than some others, but we were really pretending that this was for a meeting with the administrators. Most administrators don't have the time or patience for a long presentation. I hope we interpreted that correctly. We put everything in the presentation listed in the rubric, but we didn't linger on any area.

Slightly Overwhelmed

I enjoyed seeing the examples of how technology can be used in the classroom. I would really love to be able to do some of these things in my classroom, but right now my skill level is way below where it needs to be. I want to learn how to use iMovie, iPhoto, and Garage Band. I did go to Border's, and I bought a tutorial book with a DVD. Now I just have to find the time to use it!

I was very grateful for the class time where we could work on our group presentations. It was nice to have the time with Ed there to answer our questions.

Right now, I am feeling a little overwhelmed. The group presentation is taking us A LONG time - we are probably over thinking the whole assignment. Between that presentation, the unit plan, and all the regular homework, there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day... BUT I know we will get through it.

I thought the "Pay Attention" video was extremely effective! The simple format of the phrases with the music in the background really made me pay attention. It was very well done.

CEdu 521 - Class #2

In class today, we watched a video from the George Lucas Foundation. It was based on Project Based Learning and provided us with lots of concrete examples of how it can work in our classrooms. I was struck by how well everyone seemed to work together. I think that would take some time and practice. When I have done group projects, I have always had issues with getting everyone to do their share. Some of the kids tend to goof around while others end up doing all the work. I know Patty mentioned this in one her entries - our seventh and eighth graders are ability grouped for the core subjects. In one way, that is wonderful because I can cover so many more topics in math with my advanced groups. On the other hand, it makes projects difficult. The higher group does a great job and stays focussed (for the most part), but the lower group is VERY difficult to work with in that kind of situation. When we did the Google Docs presentations, the results were night and day. We do have the typical 50 minute class schedule, as well. That makes it difficult to really "get into" a project, especially with the lower group. As Patty mentioned, half the class is sometimes spent reviewing the last class. I don't really know what the answer is or how to fix our situation, but it is definitely something to think about. PBL really seems to be an effective way to make the learning permanent for the students.

The discussion we had about PBL and time frames was very worthwhile. I think that sometimes I am the only one who has reservations about some of the things we are learning. It is nice to see that others face the same obstacles and that we can discuss ways to resolve the problems.

Project-Based Learning

In class this week, we were introduced to LoTi (Level of Technology Implementation). This was something completely new to me. I have always known that I could be doing a lot more in the way of integrating technology into my classes, but I thought I was doing pretty well. After reading the various levels, I now realize how far I still have to go! I also realized that my level of integration depends on the class I am teaching. I am doing far better with my math classes than I am with my reading classes. Right now my math level is probably a 2 or a 3, but my reading level is no more than a 1. I am anxious to learn how I can improve my level of integration in all the classes I teach.

I am excited to learn more about project-based learning. I have only looked at a few of the videos so far, but I already have some great ideas I would like to try out. I found more than one video concerning the "Math Trail". The students use digital photography and iPhoto to create and solve real world math problems. It sounds like such a neat idea that I may use it for the unit plan we have to create in this class.

Final Reflection on CEdu525

It is amazing to me how quickly these classes are passing us by! I can't believe we have finished three classes already!

I have learned a lot in this class, and I have so many new resources to use... I just wish there were more "free" hours in a day so I could sit and explore some of them more thoroughly! I think "Thinkfinity" is still my favorite site we have learned about in this class - there is just so much there. I have gone back to it a few times already while planning lessons for my students, and I have used a couple ideas already. I am sure I will use many more in the future.

Toondo is another site I am excited about. I have not used it with my students yet, but I am planning to use it with my literature classes. I want to have them create a cartoon based on a scene in the novel we are reading. I think they would really enjoy that - it is something different than they have done in the past.

I enjoyed creating the scavenger hunt, and I plan to use that soon. We haven't started the Geometry unit yet. I found a few other neat ones while I was looking for examples and I will have to go back and look at those again.

Trinie and I have had an absolute blast with Facebook. I have never played so many Scrabble games in such a short period of time. It is really a good way to stay connected with people. I didn't really understand how I would use it in my classroom, but then when we talked about the closed social networks, I started to see some possibilities. When Wayne showed us his Chemistry network last night, I realized the potential. I think it would be great for the kids to be able to talk in a "safe" situation about homework and to discuss topics related to the curriculum. I am going to talk to my principal about the possibility of doing this with my class.

The 10 website assignment was a lot of work and at the time I was complaining about it, but now that it is done, I really like what I have. I needed a change in my tessellation unit, and now I have MANY new ideas to incorporate.

Voicethread really seems like an amazing resource. I think it would be great to create a slide show for Open House and let the kids add dialog to the pictures. The parents would really enjoy seeing/hearing something like that.

Finally, I am excited about Web Quests. I found a neat one on M&Ms and statistics. I don't know if I will use the entire web quest with my seventh graders, but I am going to take parts of it and include it in my unit. I want to look for more web quests and maybe, eventually, make one of my own.

I am always excited after class and anxious to implement the things I am learning about!

Internet Safety

It was a sobering class this week. It is really scary to see what can happen to kids who don't take internet safety seriously. It is amazing how easy it is to locate someone based on seemingly small bits of personal information. The videos we watched in class and the articles I have read this week really show the need to educate students of the dangers that are out there and how to stay safe. It is not realistic, in our world today, to keep kids away from the internet to keep them safe. It is so important for them to be exposed to all the information out there to prepare them for life after school. Therefore, we have to take the initiative, as educators, to do what we can to talk to them about the problems and how to avoid the dangers while still using all the valuable information out there!