So this is the last blog for this class and I can honestly say I have enjoyed creating this blog as well as adding new posts. It's a useful and easy to use forum in which to share my opinion and I will certainly be implementing this in my classroom.
As far as security on the computers at school go, I know that we use McAfee which is a company that provides people and business which antivirus software and computer protection. Every single ocmputer in the school in protected and for the most part, it has been effective in keeping viruses at bay.
However, my first year of teaching which was the 2008-2009 school, the system at school started to run very slowly. We figured it was the increase in computers as we had added an additional computer lab just a couple of weeks prior to that school year beginning.
A month in to school, it was obvious that something was wrong as everyone in the school began getting messages on their computer stating the computer will shut down in 60 seconds if we didn't install something - I can't remember the specifics. The tech people came in and thought they had fixed it.
A couple of days later, most teachers could not even control their computer and the message returned. I am not sure as to what kind of virus we had, but it was certainly something that paralyzed our ability to use our computers for nearly a week before the problem was resolved.
Technology is an extremely helpful and useful tool but it certainly is not something that should be taken lightly as their are always going to be people in the world that seek to destroy you, the computer you are using, or both. While the benefits to using technology far outweight the negatives, it is crucial to first be protected in terms of internet usage so that all work and information that you put on the computer is safeguarded as best as possible.
I will certainly work hard to implement technology in my classroom this year as I find it necessary in order to ensure the success of my students as technology is a part of their daily lives.
About Me
- Holly Cobble
- Hi! I am 27 years old and am going to begin my third year of teaching 7th grade math in Kenton County this August. I have been married to my husband, for 4 years (together for 10). We have two beautiful sons - Jack (3), and Henry (7 months). We just bought a brand new home in June!!! I have two cats and am a huge fan of UK men's basketball!!!!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Educational Software - Week 7
I cannot believe it is already week 7!! It has been a challenging seven weeks but certainly a beneficial one. I have learned a great deal about technology and have already inserted several pieces of technology into my first unit's lesson plans. I believe that the times have indicated that technological software is advancing to the point where it is necessary to include technological advancements in the classroom setting to heighten our students desire to learn.
After reading about the seven types of educational software, I can honestly say that I have, to the date in my teaching career, included about four of them in my classroom. As a math teacher, however, I have found it a little more challenging to find appropriate and useful software.
This past schoolyear, I actually was given the opportunity to purchase educational software called Kidspiration. This is software that develops visual learning in any educational subject or topic. I introduced Kidspiration while working with fractions. You can always tell a student how to add or subtract fractions, however it is much more useful if they are able to see visuals and manipulate things in order to grasp the concept in an easier way. My students were able to create fraction bars that matched the fraction given and this made them more accountable for their learning.
I used it to talk about rational numbers which is a large objective in the 7th grade year. They had to create a venn diagram and compare and contrast. The students were so intrigued by the visuals and the ability to copy and paste pictures that they paid more attention to the actual content without even realizing it.
Kidspiration is easy to use and manipulate which makes it an even more attractive educational software tool.
The second piece of software that my entire school uses is something called Compass Learning. This is a program where teachers from the county can submit activities or quizzes/tests that other teachers are able to use for the purposes of their own classroom. Students are each given an id number and they go onto the their Compass Learning site. Once there, they can only access the activities or assessments that I have chosen for them to use.
For instance, last year I wanted to give my students a practice test on geometry after we finished our unit. I log on to the teacher site for Compass Learning. I searched through many geometry assessments that are provided by the county but also by teachers. I chose one and assigned it to each student. The students then take the assessment. They are immediately given results. From there, they are given drill and practice and problem solving activities to remediate or practice on the areas that they failed or did poorly on. After this, they will take the post-assessment. I will be provided with a spreadsheet of all scores for all parts for each student.
I enjoy Compass Learning as it is easily accessible and easy to navigate. Since it is tied to teachers throughout the county, it is also organized with content standards and objectives so that I know what I am giving will be relevant and useful towards the success and knowledge of the current topic in my class. I also like that it is individualized for each students learning style and needs.
After reading about the seven types of educational software, I can honestly say that I have, to the date in my teaching career, included about four of them in my classroom. As a math teacher, however, I have found it a little more challenging to find appropriate and useful software.
This past schoolyear, I actually was given the opportunity to purchase educational software called Kidspiration. This is software that develops visual learning in any educational subject or topic. I introduced Kidspiration while working with fractions. You can always tell a student how to add or subtract fractions, however it is much more useful if they are able to see visuals and manipulate things in order to grasp the concept in an easier way. My students were able to create fraction bars that matched the fraction given and this made them more accountable for their learning.
I used it to talk about rational numbers which is a large objective in the 7th grade year. They had to create a venn diagram and compare and contrast. The students were so intrigued by the visuals and the ability to copy and paste pictures that they paid more attention to the actual content without even realizing it.
Kidspiration is easy to use and manipulate which makes it an even more attractive educational software tool.
The second piece of software that my entire school uses is something called Compass Learning. This is a program where teachers from the county can submit activities or quizzes/tests that other teachers are able to use for the purposes of their own classroom. Students are each given an id number and they go onto the their Compass Learning site. Once there, they can only access the activities or assessments that I have chosen for them to use.
For instance, last year I wanted to give my students a practice test on geometry after we finished our unit. I log on to the teacher site for Compass Learning. I searched through many geometry assessments that are provided by the county but also by teachers. I chose one and assigned it to each student. The students then take the assessment. They are immediately given results. From there, they are given drill and practice and problem solving activities to remediate or practice on the areas that they failed or did poorly on. After this, they will take the post-assessment. I will be provided with a spreadsheet of all scores for all parts for each student.
I enjoy Compass Learning as it is easily accessible and easy to navigate. Since it is tied to teachers throughout the county, it is also organized with content standards and objectives so that I know what I am giving will be relevant and useful towards the success and knowledge of the current topic in my class. I also like that it is individualized for each students learning style and needs.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Web Quests
During this week, I have been reading quite a bit about creating and using web quests in the classroom. I have heard of web quests in the past, however, I, as an educator, have never been taught how to use one or create one.
Web Quests are used take students through a process where they are given the opportunity to take learning into their own hands. There are seven parts of a web quests and they are: introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion, credit, and teacher page. Web Quests are broken up in seven parts so that students are able to follow the quest in order for them to actually learn from the experience and not being overwhelmed by the process. The point is not to confuse the students or to see if they can figure it out, however, it is for them to be able to navigate in order to learn and produce a desired result.
Initially, I was overwhelmed by the topics that could be chosen in order to create a web quest. After thinking about it I realized there are so many topics in math that I believe are overlooked and I have a great opportunity one quarter out of the school year called core plus where I am able to teach or remediate basic math skills. I chose to focus on check writing and budgeting.
After I decided on my topic, I realized that I could not only have it to be a web quest but that they can use another form of technology by inserting and organizing their results into a power point. They could then show their peers their power point and given an oral presentation. The students could evaluate all power points and reflect on each groups budget by comparing and contrasting salaries, education, and the life that each group chose to lead.
While web quests are very benefical for students if done correctly, they are very time consuming and so much more goes into creating one than I anticipated although I look forward to creating more web quests in the future and my hope is that the more practice I have creating them, the more beneficial they will be for my students.
Web Quests are used take students through a process where they are given the opportunity to take learning into their own hands. There are seven parts of a web quests and they are: introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion, credit, and teacher page. Web Quests are broken up in seven parts so that students are able to follow the quest in order for them to actually learn from the experience and not being overwhelmed by the process. The point is not to confuse the students or to see if they can figure it out, however, it is for them to be able to navigate in order to learn and produce a desired result.
Initially, I was overwhelmed by the topics that could be chosen in order to create a web quest. After thinking about it I realized there are so many topics in math that I believe are overlooked and I have a great opportunity one quarter out of the school year called core plus where I am able to teach or remediate basic math skills. I chose to focus on check writing and budgeting.
After I decided on my topic, I realized that I could not only have it to be a web quest but that they can use another form of technology by inserting and organizing their results into a power point. They could then show their peers their power point and given an oral presentation. The students could evaluate all power points and reflect on each groups budget by comparing and contrasting salaries, education, and the life that each group chose to lead.
While web quests are very benefical for students if done correctly, they are very time consuming and so much more goes into creating one than I anticipated although I look forward to creating more web quests in the future and my hope is that the more practice I have creating them, the more beneficial they will be for my students.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Using Technology to Communicate
Using technology is one part of teaching that is strongly enforced, however, not much training has been given to the teachers. In the three years I have been teaching, I have been to two trainings or professional development sessions that have included some form of technology.
In the short time I have been teaching, however, I have always kept a website in which is updated weekly regarding multiple topics where my classroom is concerned. This is a website given to each teacher in the county. It is not something that is mandatory at this point, however, I believe it is only a matter of time before it becomes a piece that is not optional.
Out of forty some teachers, only 11 of us use this tool that is being given to us at no cost and have proven to be an extremely effective tool of communication between myself, my students, and their parents.
The website has information about myself, my educational experience, classroom, phone numbers, email; all necessary contact information for not only the parents but also the students. I have my classes separated into letters such as Core A, B, C, D, E. The parents and/or students can simply click on the page with their corresponding class and find information or updates on assignments, upcoming projects, field trips, supplies that might be needed, as well as recognition of students excelling in sports, academics, or things of that nature.
I think this year I am going to work with students and have them each create a blog. I would like for them to put one entry in each week about something they have learned this week, a question they have, or something relevant to class.
In addition to this I would like to create a discussion board so that students will have the ability to read and comment on their peers opinions and statements. I think that when students get involved in their own learning but also delve into what others are saying and really put in the effort to comment or agree or disagree with their peers it allows them to dig into a subject and view it in a different manner. It's important for students to see things in a multitude of ways.
Technology is something that is changing the way the classroom works and I only hope that perhaps sometime in the near future, school districts realize this and allow the teachers the opportunities to be educated on way to include technology in the classroom instead of just telling us to do it.
In the short time I have been teaching, however, I have always kept a website in which is updated weekly regarding multiple topics where my classroom is concerned. This is a website given to each teacher in the county. It is not something that is mandatory at this point, however, I believe it is only a matter of time before it becomes a piece that is not optional.
Out of forty some teachers, only 11 of us use this tool that is being given to us at no cost and have proven to be an extremely effective tool of communication between myself, my students, and their parents.
The website has information about myself, my educational experience, classroom, phone numbers, email; all necessary contact information for not only the parents but also the students. I have my classes separated into letters such as Core A, B, C, D, E. The parents and/or students can simply click on the page with their corresponding class and find information or updates on assignments, upcoming projects, field trips, supplies that might be needed, as well as recognition of students excelling in sports, academics, or things of that nature.
I think this year I am going to work with students and have them each create a blog. I would like for them to put one entry in each week about something they have learned this week, a question they have, or something relevant to class.
In addition to this I would like to create a discussion board so that students will have the ability to read and comment on their peers opinions and statements. I think that when students get involved in their own learning but also delve into what others are saying and really put in the effort to comment or agree or disagree with their peers it allows them to dig into a subject and view it in a different manner. It's important for students to see things in a multitude of ways.
Technology is something that is changing the way the classroom works and I only hope that perhaps sometime in the near future, school districts realize this and allow the teachers the opportunities to be educated on way to include technology in the classroom instead of just telling us to do it.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Presentation Programs
Presentation programs are programs meant to allow the teacher to create an effective, yet meaninful presentation that engages students to learn the intended concept(s). Technology has come a long way and with these advances, come programs that not only enhance student learning but also a teacher's ability to teach.
Programs such as power point give teaches such a wide range of presentation in which to produce which could certainly be overwhelming, however, I believe that coming up with objectives and making a plan prior to producing the power point or presentation is key. With so many options given to you when creating a presentation it is so important to know what your goal of the presentation is.
Once the outline is in place use the text features to simply get the desired text onto the slides prior to adding graphics, music, animations, etc. This can help you stay focused and to make sure the text is in the right place prior to adding the other aspects.
Power point presentations are often though of slides simply with text, however, in order to make an effective product especially for the younger students, productivity tools such as graphics, images, colored text, and animation certainly could enhance the presentation and allow the students to become more engaged and to touch on each of the 7 learning types. It is possible, however, to overdo these tools in one given presentation.
Key points are to keep it brief, concise, simple, be consistant, and follow your plan.
I have created multiple slideshows using images and I would like to start getting more in depth with the presentation by using it in my everyday lesson plans. The ways in which I would like to see the presentation program used are creating class projects, group projects, math and word problems, and possibly multi-media projects.
This year, I am going to be teaching not only math but language arts as well. Seeing as how this is the first time I will teach LA, the possiblities for incorporating these programs are essentially endless and I am looking forward to it!
Programs such as power point give teaches such a wide range of presentation in which to produce which could certainly be overwhelming, however, I believe that coming up with objectives and making a plan prior to producing the power point or presentation is key. With so many options given to you when creating a presentation it is so important to know what your goal of the presentation is.
Once the outline is in place use the text features to simply get the desired text onto the slides prior to adding graphics, music, animations, etc. This can help you stay focused and to make sure the text is in the right place prior to adding the other aspects.
Power point presentations are often though of slides simply with text, however, in order to make an effective product especially for the younger students, productivity tools such as graphics, images, colored text, and animation certainly could enhance the presentation and allow the students to become more engaged and to touch on each of the 7 learning types. It is possible, however, to overdo these tools in one given presentation.
Key points are to keep it brief, concise, simple, be consistant, and follow your plan.
I have created multiple slideshows using images and I would like to start getting more in depth with the presentation by using it in my everyday lesson plans. The ways in which I would like to see the presentation program used are creating class projects, group projects, math and word problems, and possibly multi-media projects.
This year, I am going to be teaching not only math but language arts as well. Seeing as how this is the first time I will teach LA, the possiblities for incorporating these programs are essentially endless and I am looking forward to it!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
WP/DTP
Creating documents for students and parents is large part of a teachers job. Because this is true, a good deal of time is spent creating visually yet meaningful documents to present to them. While this seems like an easy task, it however, is not so simple.
As a middle school teacher I have learned that students of this age respond better to visually stimulating documents. For instance, when I create a simple worksheet using a word processor I always change the font and put a little graphic somewhere on the worksheet. Believe it or not, students respond well to these simple, yet meaningful changes. They, at the ages of 11, 12, and 13, are not always concerned right away with the text that is on a document, however, if you can grab their attention right away, there is a better chance their response to the assignment will be a more positive one.
While students need to be visually stimulated, you also do not want to take away from what the meaning of the assignment is. As I stated above, I make small changes that will grab their attention but I am careful not to make it too busy as to distract to the desirable outcome.
In terms of creating items for parents such as newsletters, I tend to some of the same things such as insert graphics, change font, etc. Depending on the purpose of the assignment I may include more graphics and pictures if the document were a monthly newsletter. If it were a document such as a permission form or some kind of reminder, I would most likely change the font as this would be a document that were straight forward.
When making items such as those for parents, however, it is important not to get carried away as there is always meaning in the reason for sending a document you create home. One thing that might distract from the meaning of a report home or a permission slip is to change the layout and make it more "fun" when the goal is to get a signature or whatnot. If creating a newsletter or something fun, I believe a distraction is too much information in one area and this is where using a desktop publishing is most important. You also want to make sure you use readable font as some guardians of students may be their grandparents. It is crucial that all documents are legible.
Creating documents is an everyday task for a teacher and dependent on the desired result it is important that things such as font, graphics, and layout are taken into account and used properly so that your result is a positive one.
As a middle school teacher I have learned that students of this age respond better to visually stimulating documents. For instance, when I create a simple worksheet using a word processor I always change the font and put a little graphic somewhere on the worksheet. Believe it or not, students respond well to these simple, yet meaningful changes. They, at the ages of 11, 12, and 13, are not always concerned right away with the text that is on a document, however, if you can grab their attention right away, there is a better chance their response to the assignment will be a more positive one.
While students need to be visually stimulated, you also do not want to take away from what the meaning of the assignment is. As I stated above, I make small changes that will grab their attention but I am careful not to make it too busy as to distract to the desirable outcome.
In terms of creating items for parents such as newsletters, I tend to some of the same things such as insert graphics, change font, etc. Depending on the purpose of the assignment I may include more graphics and pictures if the document were a monthly newsletter. If it were a document such as a permission form or some kind of reminder, I would most likely change the font as this would be a document that were straight forward.
When making items such as those for parents, however, it is important not to get carried away as there is always meaning in the reason for sending a document you create home. One thing that might distract from the meaning of a report home or a permission slip is to change the layout and make it more "fun" when the goal is to get a signature or whatnot. If creating a newsletter or something fun, I believe a distraction is too much information in one area and this is where using a desktop publishing is most important. You also want to make sure you use readable font as some guardians of students may be their grandparents. It is crucial that all documents are legible.
Creating documents is an everyday task for a teacher and dependent on the desired result it is important that things such as font, graphics, and layout are taken into account and used properly so that your result is a positive one.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Spreadsheets and Databases
After reading and reviewing all of the provided websites regarding spreadsheets and databases as well as the ones I discovered on my own, it is amazing to me how many ways these two items can be implemented in any classroom . There are many ways in which to utilize these technologies and perhaps some teachers might have the want to product such items but may not even realize the capabilities that are available to make that happen. This is where it is not only unfair to the teacher that these technologies are not available or unheard of but also for the student.
Spreadsheets are most commonly used for rosters, inventories (i.e. classroom materials), charts, tracking and analyzing data and creating budgets. I believe spreadsheets are extremely beneficial when using them to creat a master roster as well as individual rosters, attendance rosters, sports rosters, material inventories for the beginning and end of the year and thing along those lines.
I personally use spreadsheets for just about every kind of list that I make throughout the school year as I am a list making kind of person to begin with. I also use it to create seating charts and basketball rosters.
Databases are used for organizing and tracking data for generating a multitude of reports and/or graphs.
I most commonly use databases to show test scores amongsh my students whether I am comparing boys and girls or free and reduced lunch children against the buyers. These are aspects that we are asked to look at daily while using the CATS calculator in referring to common assessments. While I never show the students the results from the free and reduced and buyers, I often times show them graphs and charts between their results as a class and compare/contrast them to other classes or even boys versus girls.
Spreadsheets: http://www.amphi.com/~psteffen/excel.html
The website above gives tutorials, lesson plans, activitiy and lesson plan ideas, and other useful information in terms of creating and implementing spreadsheets in the classroom.
I am most surprised at how far some of the activities dig into spreadsheets as I always assumed that spreadsheets might be difficult for students in elementary and middle school, however, it is relatively easy to creat, maintain, manipulate, and analyze if given useful information in order to it with.
I have used spreadsheets for the students to analyze a variety of data and I suppose I never thought about allowing them to use their own data to create spreadsheets themselves. I am excited to get back into the classroom and give this responsibility to the students as I know they will accept the challenge and end up learning so much more about how the information and data relate.
Spreadsheets are most commonly used for rosters, inventories (i.e. classroom materials), charts, tracking and analyzing data and creating budgets. I believe spreadsheets are extremely beneficial when using them to creat a master roster as well as individual rosters, attendance rosters, sports rosters, material inventories for the beginning and end of the year and thing along those lines.
I personally use spreadsheets for just about every kind of list that I make throughout the school year as I am a list making kind of person to begin with. I also use it to create seating charts and basketball rosters.
Databases are used for organizing and tracking data for generating a multitude of reports and/or graphs.
I most commonly use databases to show test scores amongsh my students whether I am comparing boys and girls or free and reduced lunch children against the buyers. These are aspects that we are asked to look at daily while using the CATS calculator in referring to common assessments. While I never show the students the results from the free and reduced and buyers, I often times show them graphs and charts between their results as a class and compare/contrast them to other classes or even boys versus girls.
Spreadsheets: http://www.amphi.com/~psteffen/excel.html
The website above gives tutorials, lesson plans, activitiy and lesson plan ideas, and other useful information in terms of creating and implementing spreadsheets in the classroom.
I am most surprised at how far some of the activities dig into spreadsheets as I always assumed that spreadsheets might be difficult for students in elementary and middle school, however, it is relatively easy to creat, maintain, manipulate, and analyze if given useful information in order to it with.
I have used spreadsheets for the students to analyze a variety of data and I suppose I never thought about allowing them to use their own data to create spreadsheets themselves. I am excited to get back into the classroom and give this responsibility to the students as I know they will accept the challenge and end up learning so much more about how the information and data relate.
Technology Literacy
After reading the articles and watching the videos, I have decided that technology is certainly not implemented in my school district as it probably should be. However, after reading the articles and watching the videos it is also apparent to me that my school district is not the only one.
I have learned that technology is not mandated by law as it should be. I believe that technology is such a wonderful opportunity to allow yourself, as an educator, learn but also educate the students in not only the subject being taught but also but being involved in technology education.
The steps that I will take to further implement technology are to use this blog to become more familiar with it's capabilities in terms of bringing it into my classroom as a tool for teaching math and language arts. I will also explore on the web to research different sites that might be used to create blogs and/or web pages so that I can choose a site where it is middle school age friendly. I want learning to be fun and not overwhelming. I believe it is important to make certain aspects of learning exciting and I believe this is that opportunity for students to show their skills on the computer but also explore themselves and learn about their peers in a school setting.
Challenges regarding the implementation of blogs and web pages are the fact that my student computers have been taken out of my classroom to use for a school-wide reading program so it might be difficult for all students to have the opportunity to create their own blog as I would like. I may choose to have them go to the library lab once a month in order for all students to be able to participate if they are not given the tools at home.
My school is extremely diverse when it comes to financial grounds. They range from close to homeless to wealthy. Simply because students are not given the tools, resources, or support at home certainly does not mean that they do not deserve equal opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed. I need to make sure that these students do not feel left out, therefore, I plan to make it a strictly school assignment where students are free to work on it outside of class if they choose, however, I will provide time to all students granted that some students will not have the support at home.
Even though technology is an area that is observed in observation, I find it ironic that we are not given any training on this topic besides gradebook capabilities. The times are changing and I believe teachers play a vital role in teaching and showing students how useful and meaningful these tools can be; not only in a classroom setting, however, but for their roles in the real-world.
I have learned that technology is not mandated by law as it should be. I believe that technology is such a wonderful opportunity to allow yourself, as an educator, learn but also educate the students in not only the subject being taught but also but being involved in technology education.
The steps that I will take to further implement technology are to use this blog to become more familiar with it's capabilities in terms of bringing it into my classroom as a tool for teaching math and language arts. I will also explore on the web to research different sites that might be used to create blogs and/or web pages so that I can choose a site where it is middle school age friendly. I want learning to be fun and not overwhelming. I believe it is important to make certain aspects of learning exciting and I believe this is that opportunity for students to show their skills on the computer but also explore themselves and learn about their peers in a school setting.
Challenges regarding the implementation of blogs and web pages are the fact that my student computers have been taken out of my classroom to use for a school-wide reading program so it might be difficult for all students to have the opportunity to create their own blog as I would like. I may choose to have them go to the library lab once a month in order for all students to be able to participate if they are not given the tools at home.
My school is extremely diverse when it comes to financial grounds. They range from close to homeless to wealthy. Simply because students are not given the tools, resources, or support at home certainly does not mean that they do not deserve equal opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed. I need to make sure that these students do not feel left out, therefore, I plan to make it a strictly school assignment where students are free to work on it outside of class if they choose, however, I will provide time to all students granted that some students will not have the support at home.
Even though technology is an area that is observed in observation, I find it ironic that we are not given any training on this topic besides gradebook capabilities. The times are changing and I believe teachers play a vital role in teaching and showing students how useful and meaningful these tools can be; not only in a classroom setting, however, but for their roles in the real-world.
My 1st Post
Hello all! This is the first blog on my page and the first blog I have EVER written. I'm looking forward to using this as a useful tool in corresponding with you, my classmates. Hope everyone has a great Summer term.
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