Virtual Field Trip

Students will take a virtual field trip to Museo Galileo in Italy!  They will explore the museum virtually and use the information they gather to create a brochure for the museum.  They will learn about the history of science and some of the key people in the history of science.  The lesson plan can be found here:  Adrian's Wiki

Class Assignment 4/7/11

For a lesson in science, I would have my students go to scrumblr.ca and create a board.  They would create 3 columns and label the left one "Tortoise," the middle one "Similarities," and the right one "Turtle."  They would then put notecards under each column.  Characteristics specific to turtles go under the turtle column, same with tortoise, and similarities between the two would go in the middle.  There are many other ways to utilize scrumblr.ca in the classroom.

Computer Lab Seating Chart

In creating a seating chart, Microsoft Word allowed me to easily show the different details of the room by using shapes.  The Insert Shapes option creates good images to show the tables, desks, doors, etc.

One limitation of using Word was that it can be rather difficult to get things to line up the way I want them.  It takes a lot of time to put all the little shapes in and also text boxes to say who is sitting where.

Dream Computer Assignment

If I were able to choose a “Dream Computer” and the accessories for my classroom, I would purchase the following things:

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•       15-inch MacBook Pro—This would be essential for creating presentations, keeping track of grades, planning lesson plans, using it in lessons, and so on.  Macs also have a record of being very resistant to viruses, as well as being very fast.  Therefore, this computer would last a long time and would require minimal repairs and work.
•         eBeam Engage Interactive Whiteboard—This is the best way to project things onto the board for the entire class to see.  The device attaches to the side of the board, and projects from there.  Not only will it “project” on the board, but it also turns the whiteboard into a touch screen.  Therefore, the teacher or the students can be at the board and still control what is being projected.  You also do not have to worry about people walking in front of a projector and people not being able to see, since the images are projected from the side of the screen.
• ·         Epson WorkForce 630 All-in-One Wireless Printer—This printer is the best option for a printer.  It is compatible with a Mac, and it is a 3 in 1 printer, copier, and scanner.  The classroom needs this to scan work, pictures, etc, make copies of worksheets, or print worksheets, pictures, and other things.
• ·         COOLPIX L24 Digital Camera—A camera is necessary to capture images of what we are doing in class, field trips, and pictures for educational purposes.  This can also be used for students to do projects, such as taking pictures of different geometric shapes in the school.
•            Turning Point Response Card IR Clickers—These will be used to take attendance, as well as assess understanding for subjects without singling out students who do not understand.  This way the teacher will know if they need to revisit a subject or go further in explaining the material.  These also are made  to work with PowerPoint, so there will not be any third party software that needs to be downloaded.

Item	Price (Total)	Quantity
15-inch MacBook Pro	$1799	1
eBeam Engage—Interactive Whiteboard	$1299.95	1
Epson WorkForce 630 All-in-One Wireless Printer	$149.95	1
COOLPIX L24 Digital Camera	$1079.55	9
Turning Point Response Card IR Clickers	$695	24

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Assignment 3: Learning and Cognitive Styles

                Upon completion of the learning style inventory, I learned that I am a visual learner.  That came as no surprise; I have always been a “show me, don’t tell me” type of person.  I took this test at http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm.  My results suggested that to study I should use note cards; write out everything for a quick review; look at all study materials, including charts, graphs, diagrams, and maps; and to picture words and concepts in my head.  Luckily, that is how I study anyway, so it would appear that these results are quite accurate.  However, I think that I am a fairly even blend of a visual learner and a tactile learner.  The main study tip for a tactile learner is to write facts that must be learned over and over.  This is one of my favorite ways to study because I know without a doubt that I will learn the information this way.  Another reason why I think I am equally a tactile learner is that I love to create things with my hands.  I love to draw, paint, take photographs, knit, play guitar, anything involving creating.  So while I think the results are accurate, in a sense they are not because I think that I am as equally a tactile learner as I am a visual learner.

            The results from the cognitive style test reported that I am an INFJ.  The letters stand for introverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging.  The link I used to take this test was http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html, which was the link given on every university website that I came across.  The descriptions of the different types can be found here:  http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory2.html.  The INFJ type was described as “determined, perseverant, inspired and often see things just around the corner, into the near or far future.”  INFJ’s see things in the big picture; they are able to see things in seemingly unrelated fields and piece them together to provide meaning.  I would say that these results are extremely accurate.  I am a profoundly determined person, and I persevere until I reach my goals.  I also think that I am able to see the big picture, and I am constantly thinking about the future and how my decisions now are going to impact me in the long run.

            These results can greatly help me in the classroom, as a teacher as well as a learner.  As a learner, I will now be able to study more effectively and know what to pay attention to during lectures and classes.  As a teacher, I think that knowing about the different learning styles can help me better prepare my lessons to cater to all three types of learning styles.  This way, all the students can hopefully gain the same understanding and knowledge of the material.  Knowing my cognitive style is beneficial as a learner because I can use my ability to piece things together to see the big picture to create deeper understanding for myself as well as creating more in-depth assignments and projects.  As a teacher, this is beneficial because I can see my classroom as a whole, but also see each individual’s strengths and weaknesses.  Therefore I will be able to create a better learning environment and invent lesson plans that better suit the class.

Favorite Soft Drink

Create interactive meetings at Poll Everywhere

Technology in Education

     I have wanted to be a teacher for a very long time, but I do not have as much experience teaching in schools as I would like to. I was a member of the Future Teachers of Alabama chapter at my high school. Sadly, I believe the club only lasted about a year. However, during that year, I was able to go to the local primary school for a day and sit in with a teacher and help her with class. Also, right before Christmas, I volunteered with Junior Achievement (JA), a program that according to their website, is “the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs.” I was in a classroom at Englewood Elementary all day, going through five different lessons on business and our city. It was quite challenging, trying to handle discipline while trying to teach, but I really enjoyed it! That is about the only times I have had a chance to teach or help in schools.

     Educational technology, in my opinion, is a very broad term. I think that technically (no pun intended), educational technology could be any innovative tool used to further your teaching. I do think that it has an important role in teaching, but I do not think that every lesson should be taught through a PowerPoint or computer. I still think that there is something to be said for personal interaction more artistic and hands on methods. I realize that technology can be used and you can still achieve artistic and hands on methods, but I am personally just not a fan of using technology for everything. Perhaps I feel this way because of the type of technology that was used when I was in school, which was basically the same thing over and over and over, PowerPoint after PowerPoint after PowerPoint. It got old, really fast. Towards the end of my high school career, I had a teacher that used a SmartBoard, and a few teachers that used an Elmo. That was unique, interesting, and really cool, but I did not have much experience with those. The most interesting thing we used were these remote clickers, where the teacher could have questions projected on the board, each student would have a clicker, and we could answer A, B, C, D, or E to the question on the board. The teacher was then able to show the results of what percentage of the class answered which answer.

     There are many factors that affect the use of technology in schools and teaching. There are some factors that encourage the use of technology. By using technology, teachers can have a “break,” engage students more easily, relate to students better in this new technological age, and introduce students to new and innovative programs and ways of thinking. Many schools and parents also expect technology to be used in the classroom. They expect teachers to help their students and children learn about new technology, so that is another factor that encourages use of educational technology in the classroom.

     However, some factors will discourage the use of technology in classroom. I feel that sometimes, the children can be so caught up in the excitement of using technology they will lose the meaning of the lesson. Also, I feel that right now, there is still some pressure not to conform to technology. Some people still prefer the common teaching methods like lecture. Obviously, there is still something to be said for “old” teaching methods and a teacher who can teach a class well without technology; however, technology is the future of education.