Thursday, April 16, 2009

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Assignment - Week 12

For the practicum assignment, I was able to do 5 different projects.
1. "Civil War" Jeopardy Game - It was a total success! The students got involved in the competition and now they want to have a Jeopardy game every Friday! This effective technology integration helped the students recall the facts that they have learned during the Civil War Unit. I used the game as a testing toll to evaluate the knowledge retention of the students. The added value to the learning process was that the students didn't realized that they were being tested and they wanted to be asked more questions. I was able to make testing more enjoyable and now recalling facts (memorization and research) is easier. The comments that I got were: "I have never seen the students so enthusiastic learning about history" "All of a sudden they were able to recall the facts they learned in a real setting!" The program that I used was "Classroom Jeopardy". It has a real scoreboard, the screen looks the same as the Jeopardy game on TV, and 3 remote control indicators. It really turned work into play! It created a lot of enthusiasm in the students. I really recommend the use of this educational tool.
2. Brear Rabbit Photo Story - This project was done with a group of students. The students created a story of Brear Rabbit. They used PhotoStory3 and they learned how to do storyboarding, photo shooting, voice recording, and editing. The students really liked creating the project. They were very proud of their accomplishments. They presented to the whole class and got great reviews. In this setting the technology promoted active learning. The reason that I used this technology with this group of students is because by recording their voices they were able to read with expression and when they heard their voices they were able to carefully hear how they sounded. Many times they were able to noticed their mistakes and correct them. They recorded their lines many times until they reached the desired intonation. They were self-evaluating their reading and they were willing to change. I never had to tell them that their reading was wrong; they were their own judges therefore they were willing to do it as many times as they needed in order to correct the problem. Besides reaping the benefits of improving the voice of their reading they were able to use computer software for the first time! They created their characters using clay and they took pictures of their own created scenes. They were involved in every step of the project.
3. "Antarctic Expedition" - This project was done with a small group of students. The students were able to create a tour of the Antarctic Expedition using Google Earth. It was the first time the students were using this type of technology. I was able to teach them what I learned in my IP&T class (how to insert pictures and information using the basic commands of HTML). The students presented their tour to the whole class using the smart board. They explained them that they could use the computers in the back of the class to take the tour anytime they felt like it. They were able to actively learn more about the subject because they had to find the proper information before they added in the project. The pictures they found in the Internet added to the understanding of the conditions that the people had to face. It added to the breadth and depth of the subject The group of students that participated in this project were very good readers but lacked the motivation to read with a purpose. By doing this project they became "experts" on finding the correct information. They were able to present their findings in a meaningful way and at the level their peers were able to understand. It was a great project.
4. Scientific Exploration - This project involved teaching the "Life Cycle of the Darkling Beetle". This project was challenging from the beginning. In the first place, the school didn't have enough microscopes for the whole class so I tried to use the microscope, the PC, and the software from the BYU lab, but I was not able to do it. The smart board in the school would not recognize the PC, it only worked with a Mac! It was disheartening to see the lack of understanding that the computer lab personnel in the elementary schools have with software and hardware compatibility. In spite of all the hardships that I encountered something good came out of it. The principal of the school was able to direct me to a piece of equipment that the school already had and nobody was using it. It is a device similar to the microscope that can be connected to the smart board. It magnifies the object to a huge array of magnifications, it is computer friendly and there is a possibility to make video of the object at hand. With the help of this device I was able to show the children the different stages of the life cycle of the Darkling Beetle. After the presentation each student got their own larva (mealworm) and got the chance to observe with the naked eye the characteristics and behaviors of their own mealworm. After that, they were able to observe closely under the microscope. In order to do that we divided the class in 6 groups. Each group put their mealworms under the microscope and observed the similarities and differences. This is still an ongoing project. The students are able to see their own mealworm turning into a beetle. Everyday they check and see their mealworm under the "microscope". Of all of them, one turned from mealworm into a pupa. Using this technology is helping the students see in detail each stage of the life cycle of an insect, they are able to see and compare their characteristics and behaviors. They are able to come up with unique observations. In my opinion it is a success not only because the students are able to follow step by step the miracle of a life cycle but the teachers also know that they have a great piece of equipment that can be used at anytime!
5. Formal Dinner - Another project that I was able to implement in the classroom was the use of kidspiration. The students were able to create their own meal plan, learn more about food selection, table settings, and table manners. Kidspiration is a great student friendly program that helps the students manipulate pictures to create a visual representation of different subjects. In this case, the students were able to create a meal plan for their formal dinner. They also learned how to set up the table. As part of the project, I was able to create a power point presentation of table manners and etiquette. The purpose of this lesson was to teach the students the proper way to act on a formal setting. The culmination of the unit was a "Formal Dinner". The students were able to put in practice all the things that they learned during the week. The so called "dinner" included: Meal plan, table arranging, table setting, etiquette, Dos and Don'ts on a date, proper attire, etc. They had their "Formal Dinner" last Thursday April 9, 2009. The guests were 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. It was a great experience because the 5th graders (all my group) were better prepared for the occasion! It was very noticeable the difference! Definitely technology had a lot to do with the success of the event!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Assignment - Week 13

Internet Safety
The article that I have chosen is: "Fighting Internet Filth" by Mario Hipol Ensign, August 2005, 54-57
1. We don't have to be a computer expert to help protect our family when they're on the Web.
2. Besides placing computers in high-traffic rooms, ensure that a responsible adult is nearby when children are using the Internet, and immediately log off whenever they see questionable materials there are more techniques like:
a. Monitor what sites have been visited on our computer
b. Use an Internet filtering tool
c. Teach our children to use favorites or bookmarks
d. Teach our children to use credible search engines
e. Use a pop-up blocker on the Internet
f. Teach our children to be cautious in downloading free software from the Internet
g. Teach our children not to use free peer-to-peer or chat based programs to download material
h. Teach our children not to open spam e-mail
i. Discourage our children from visiting chat rooms
We as parents have the responsibility to keep ourselves up-to-date and be vigilant in our efforts to prevent our children from being exposed to harmful material.
These suggestions are not comprehensive; they are many more things we can do like, taking an Internet class through a community education program.
It is important not to let down our guard or to give up because we feel overwhelmed. Resources are available, and we can make a difference in what our family views on the Internet.


I have talked to a mother of one of my students. She is 35 years old. We talked about how she can control what her child is searching in the Internet. One of the ideas she was very interested in was placing the computer monitor facing a traffic area in the house. She wants to control what her child is viewing but in a very discrete way. It was a very positive experience because she was very receptive to the idea of Internet Safety; in fact, she is planning on implementing some of the suggestions that were mentioned in the article that I shared with her.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Week 11 - Assignment

Plan for Technology Enhanced Lesson

I am in the finishing stages of teaching technology enhanced lessons. I have 2 groups of fifth graders. They are very smart and they were ready to get hands-on experience with technology. One of the groups is making a presentation using Photostory3 and the other group is using Google earth to create a virtual tour of the "Endurance Expedition".

Week 10 - Assignment

Technology Enhanced Lesson

I would like for a group of fifth graders to use Google earth and create the "Endurance Expedition".We are in the process of getting all the information and pictures so we will make a virtual tour. The students are all excited.

Week 9 Assignment

Classroom Technology Inventory

I am doing my student teaching in another school now.
It was very interesting to find out that in this school
they don't have Microsoft installed in their system therefore
I am having a lot of trouble downloading Photostory3!
I am trying to use imovie instead but it is more complicated.
Right now I am working with a group of fifth graders and
they are putting together a story in Photostory3.