Reflection #7

Lesson 1: Hitting the Bull’s Eye
Target Audience: 10th and 11th grade Algebra II students
Big Idea: To use graphing calculator technology to teach experimental probability and make connections with geometry and algebra.
Goal: The students will learn a different use of a graphing calculator other than to just graph and do arithmetic.
Standards:
A2.1.1 Recognize and graph various types of functions, including polynomial, rational, and algebraic functions.
A2.1.4 Graph relations and functions with and without graphing technology.
A2.4.1 Write the equations of conic sections (circle, ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola).
A2.4.2 Graph conic sections.
Resources: Graphing calculators for class.

Lesson 2: Geometer’s Sketchpad
Target Audience: 9th and 10th grade Geometry students
Big Idea: Use Geometer’s Sketchpad to determine properties of quadrilaterals.
Goal: The students will visualize quadrilaterals in an engaging activity, and make conjectures about specific kinds of quadrilaterals and their properties.
Standards:
G.2.2 Find measures of interior and exterior angles of polygons, justifying the method used.
G.3.1 Describe, classify, and understand relationships among the quadrilaterals square, rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezoid, and kite.
G.3.2 Use properties of congruent and similar quadrilaterals to solve problems involving lengths and areas.
G.3.3 Find and use measures of sides, perimeters, and areas of quadrilaterals. Relate these measures to each other using formulas.
G.3.4 Use coordinate geometry to prove properties of quadrilaterals, such as regularity, congruence, and similarity.
G.8.3 Make conjectures about geometric ideas. Distinguish between information that supports a conjecture and the proof of a conjecture.
Resources: Geometer’s Sketchpad

Lesson 3: Exploring Linear Data
Target Audience: 8th and 9th grade Algebra I students
Big Idea: Use either a graphing calculator or the Illuminations website to construct a scatter plot and estimate/find the lines of best fit.
Goal: Students will be able to create meaningful data and use the data to describe a possible relationship between points in a scatter plot.
Standards:
A1.3.1 Sketch a reasonable graph for a given relationship.
A1.3.2 Interpret a graph representing a given situation.
Resources: Graphing calculators or Internet access to the Illuminations website

Reflection 7: Lesson Plan Ideas

Lesson Idea 1:

Target Audience -- Middle School Students

Big Idea and Goals -- To familiarize students with adding polynomials using a "Gizmo" (an interactive simulation that makes concepts easier to understand and fun to learn) on the Learning Center Website. The students will be able to explore exponents on their own and work in small groups in order to research the main concepts through the use of this internet software.

Resources -- http://www.explorelearning.com/


Lesson Idea 2:

Target Audience -- Higher Level Calculus Students

Big Idea and Goals -- Students will explore the topic of Extreme Values on their graphing calculator. They will be given a functions and their intervals to graph. They will then need to sketch their findings, compare the graphs' maximum and minimum values, and then use F '(x) in order to compare the functions' extreme value. The students will need to present their calculations in order to get credit for showing their work.

Resources -- Texas Instruments Graphing Calculators


Lesson Idea 3:

Target Audience -- High School Geometry Students

Big Idea and Goals -- Students will use Geometer's Sketchpad to guide them while exploring, identifying, describing, and comparing triangles. They will get acquainted with the shapes on paper and then will be working in collaborative groups in order to come up with a tangible idea of the different triangles that can be constructed.

Resources -- Geometer's Sketchpad

Reflection 6 (ISTE Standards)

So I guess I am a little confused on how we are posting our hotlinks, but as long as they are there I guess it is okay.

In this reflection I am going to show similarities within the ISTE Standards and Blogging.

Students need basic technology skills to work on the internet, so blogging would be a great way to develop or improve their basic skills on computers. Blogging can start discussions between students educational topics, not just students and teachers, so their social skills in learning are being developed and improved. Blogs are obviously used as a communication tool in the classroom, as I mentioned in the development of social skills. It serves as a tool to share ideas that are readily available to the class at any time. As a newcomer to blogs, their main purpose seems to be to communicate ideas between peers.

Reflection 5 (Hotlinks)

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47

This website defines what a blog is for those who don't know, show how easy it is to use, and give teachers some ideas on how to integrate technology within the classroom and what purpose it would serve.

http://my-ecoach.com/online/webresourcelist.php?rlid=4992

This is a resource for teachers who want to start their own classroom blog. It addresses the issue of enhancing communication and collaboration by using internet blogs.

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/

This link provides links to blogging sites and some educational values of internet blogging. It gives teachers some ideas on how to get started and apply their blogs in their classroom.

Reflection #6 Hotlinks

Blogs in Education
http://awd.cl.uh.edu/blog/
This website is a good resource for teachers who want to figure out how to use blogs in their classroom. The website is broken down into purposes/uses for blogs, articles about blogging, examples of blogs, blog writing tools, aggregators, and tools for advanced blogging. The purpose of this website should be for reference both for new and advanced blogers.

Free Blogs for Education Profession
http://edublogs.org/
This website is a place where anyone in the education field can sigh up for a free blog. Both students and educators can utilize this site. They even have seperate links for K - 12 students, university students and english language students. Further exporation lead to the discovery of a discussion forum. This is a place where blog subscribers

Cool Tools: Blogging
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec570/cooltools/blogging.html
This website is a lesson on blogs. It teaches teachers about blogs and why they would be useful to use in the classroom. This website also gives links to examples and links to keep exploring the subject of blogs

The story of Movies

http://www.edutopia.org/video/movie.php?reset=cookie&keyword=037&id=Art_1671

The video I just watched was entitled “The Story of Movies”. Martin Scorsese has put together a program for schools to use that utilizes movies in various classroom settings. Ultimately, the goal is to cause students to think critically about movies. The history of movies is taught to the students in history class. Science class focuses on the different elements used in the movies. But English class is where the majority of the lessons are taught. Students put together in their English class everything they have learned in their other classes to analyze movies. The whole course lasts four weeks but by the end of it, the students have not only developed tools to analyze movies, but they have enhanced their critical thinking skills.

The actual video only showed the English setting where the only form of technology used was the videos, but I am sure there were other types of technologies used, especially in the science classroom. The teaching in the English classroom was both teacher and student centered. The teacher utilized the technology to ask questions and the students needed to utilize the same technology in order to respond to the questions.

This unit on movies is one I wish I would have had in high school. It is a wonderful unit that is done throughout all of the students’ classes. I always was most engaged in lessons and units that utilized technology and this is obviously one of them. Without the use of technology, this unit would take on a totally different feel. It would basically be lessons in separate classes, not linked by the common theme of movie analysis.

If I were to teach a lesson like this, I would need to do a serious amount of homework. I do not know the least bit about movies so this would take a lot of homework on my part. For the team of teachers to get this done, a lot of planning will be involved. The teachers will have to time their lessons just right so the entire unit will flow together. The English teacher should not analyze lighting until the students have learned about light in their science class. It is possible to pull this unit off but the teachers are going to have to do a lot of planning and communicating in order for it to be as successful as possible.

Teachers also have to realize that technology doesn’t always cooperate so they must plan accordingly. All lessons dealing with technology should have a back up plan and this unit is no exception. If technology fails, it is important that teacher do not give up on the lesson all together. They should keep the lesson going or possibly postpone it because the students are probably going to respond well to it.

Reflection 6: Hotlinks

Site 1
http://awd.cl.uh.edu/blog/
This site is to help teachers get started if they have an interest in blogging with their students. The site gives some articles on blogging, sample blogs, and some blog writing tools. The site also offers some insight as to why teachers and students should blog, as well as instructional tools for students who are just getting started on their blog. One thing that is special about this site is that it gives students examples of blogs that are specified to a particular subject. This will allow students to view blogging as an educational resource.
(Standards: Basic Operations and Concepts, Technology Productivity Tools, and Technology Research Tools)

Site 2
http://www.actionmath.com/blog/MathPlayground.html
This site is an actual blog spot but it is geered towards simple problem-solving tasks that are posed on the blog. This will come in handy for students who are interested in posing tasks through on their blog. This site gives examples of how tasks can be worded so that a more productive response is given.
(Standards: Technology Communication Tools and Technology Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Tools)

Site 3
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techtorial/techtorial037print.shtml
This site is set up like a blogging tutorial for the students. It gives them an overview of what blogging is and how it can be useful to their education. The site also offers example blogs that students can refer to, as well as things students should watch out for while creating and editing their blogs. I liked this website because it gives students a view of how blogging can increase their communication in the classroom with their teachers and peers.
(Standards: Technology Productivity Tools and Technology Communications Tools)