Lesson Plan Technology sample

This is a teacher model for a lesson on KY history, specifically the changes in technology, education, communication, and transportation. This segment is on Kentucky's history of education. All credits are at the end of the video.

My Bag of Tools

I think that all the tools out there on the web are great. One problem.. I cannot remember all the programs, sites, and applications of each. So, out of the tools introduced, one nearly remedies my problem, it is more of an organizational tool that can be accessible anywhere (online)… Delicious.
Every time I get on the internet, first its email, then Facebook, then the weather. Like clockwork I check for any new pieces of information on each. As a teacher, Delicious can turn into the first site, which serves as a stem to the rest of the connected world. I can keep my sites in priority order where it turns into more of a checklist of things to do. We can all be more organized.
In the classroom, Delicious can be an intermediary for students to remain focused and safe in their class work. They can simply be bookmarks to note where they can find the information for the assignment, they can be allowed sites for viewing by the school for fun, and they could even serve as a non-example of places to go. The World Wide Web is often too big for our young kids to handle, especially elementary kids. We could use this site to make it just a tiny bit more manageable.

The World Is Flat

I had the privilege of reading Friedman’s book last year, and these tools undoubtedly facilitate the flatness. Connections to anyone, anyone being able to connect to you, and the information that can be shared and contrived from the experience is insurmountable. The world is indeed getting flat.

Socialites

Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of twitter, it just seemed like another AIM tool, but with a more cutsie name. But after thinking about it, and the youth twitter site, Twitter has potential as a mass note taking/interest marking tool. On field trips or special visits/lectures students could tweet their way into noting their favorite part, something that interested them, or continually take notes, but then on a class twitter page, all of them could be viewed, and either research groups could be formed by combining some people via their tweet and extending the trip or visit into a collaborative learning experience. I hate that my first impression always gets the best of me, because I would have never given it the chance if it wasn’t for reading this book.

3,2,1, Action

While reading the chapter, I drew parallels between podcasting and broadcasting. I believe all these personal opportunities to speak and show researche and other information will lead to less stress and strain on actual public speaking, and possibly open doors and opportunities for radio broadcasting.

Quicki Wiki

The concept of Wiki is better than blogs in my opinion. I think that blogs can be redundant and self focused rather than content, and wiki alters the focus while still allowing for sharing and commenting. The econ teacher who created a Wikinomics site creates a great premice for the tool. My only question is what happens at the end of the year, and the next wave of students needs the opportunity to create their own wiki. Do you wipe it clean, create a new one, or is there a way to database the page so it is always available for someone to access?

Movie Maker In Action

future wedding
first day as a teacher
cat goes to school- WINNER

The final product:

iKid, iCan

I'm trying to think of the transition of slate to paper to pcs, and it seems to go back quite a long way. Just going back one step from what I'm used to (paper) to the slate board era would be nuts. It is amazing the interest that a computer or any other recent technology keeps from students. When we talk about best practice in meeting students where they are developmentally, I think their ability to work with technology is a part of that. Their developmental level is at a computer interface. It isn't worse or better than when we were their age, but it is different, and we cannot teach to what we were like as students, but who is actually in our classroom.

Multiplication Introduction

Multiplication Introduction for Third Grade (Flickr presentation)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38350732@N02/sets/72157618104780296/

MA-EP-1.3.1Students will analyze real-world problems to identify appropriate representations using mathematical operations, and will apply operations to solve real-world problems with the following constraints:
· multiply whole numbers of 10 or less

DOK 2

Cheese :)

Flickr has been a neat tool for sharing photos in the past. It was tricky to upload the pictures, and the fact that there was a limit dimmed my enthusiasm for the program. Now though, realizing the tagging option and linking capabilities, it just seems like an obvious tool to use.
I like the idea of all the students having their own account simply because I want everyone in my classroom to be able to use what they have learned in the real world. There are other benefits, as personal space, ownership, and responsibility, but to be able to share it at home and maybe use it in their life for a genuine purpose, presentation or otherwise, that would be my ultimate goal.

RSS Mania

So this RSS business has some applicable use in the classroom, I especially like the student weblog feed to where you are constantly updated as to what is being posted- screening and assessment measures alike.

It is also interesting to note that we still have to be responsible readers, book:cover :: blog:graphics. This is a point that will have to be continually stressed in the classroom as students will be required to cite sources and evaluate their material.

3: Taking Risks

In reading this chapter, nothing really stood out to me until the end section talking about changing templates, putting this in, blog rolling that, and I finally realized what this entire chapter was saying. Take Risks! Their chosen title of 'Getting Started' is much softer and p.c., but honestly this blogging option and all the possibilities that go with it are endless. At first its a leap to even post your information, but then you find out that its interesting and maybe even fun. To take complete ownership of the blog however, responsibilities and all, could lead to some very personalized and interesting sites that reflect the writer and what they want to portray to the public. This is a chance for students to take a few risks, that aren't all that risky at all.

Ch. 2- In Blogging's Defense

There are two things that stuck out to me in this chapter. One was the inherent purpose of writing, and bringing that to the students, and second was bringing a purpose to reading and writing in other content areas. After all, that is what researchers do right? They write about it and publish their works. In elementary especially, there is an underlying question for writing, yes they do it because they have to, but blogging seems like it would give them purpose and a goal that they are purely responsible for and others will see their work all over the world. They are subjecting themselves to criticism from people they may not even know. Its a purposeful, but gutsy move to create a blog.

Purposefully merging writing, reading, and every other content seems to have been a struggle for elementary. We want science to be hands on, we want gym to be outside, math to be manipulative, but in all our grand desires, at least I would never want to force a child to write about physical education, or read books about math. It doesn't sound interesting to me, so why would it be to an 8 year old? Blogging may have a great idea going here, that where we see academic tracked education taking over, regardless of the needs or desires of the student, this gives them the opportunity to delve more into their subject matter. If a student who is really into automotive reconstruction, writes about it in a blog, gets a few responses and creates a network of people with those same interests and goals, this student may be on his way to the career of his dreams. I realize this is an extremely idealistic way of working the blog, but it could happen.

Nothing is "Read Only" Anymore

So, who had any idea that the fastest growing age group in techno-savvyness are 2-5 year olds? My goodness, but it makes sense, and is good in that they are getting some learning in prior to the school instruction, as well as setting a foundation of computer use in general. But all this does lead me to wonder.. If this is the largest growing age group that has access and interaction with technology, why are we still so worried that our school age children do not have access to their own computers? The claim seems rather silly after reading the anticipated statistic.

Another point of interest about the now read/write web was that it has changed how children think. Richardson says their minds are "parallel, not sequential." I understand sequential, in terms of how to think and organize information, but parallel.. I'm still hazy. I understand that they have multiple connections, and one thought or topic directly leads to the next (which isn't so far off my own thinking, and I think is beneficial and best practice in teaching- to connect information to students' background knowledge), but the term "parallel" doesn't make much sense to me.

Research

As I research, since I've been at it since middle school, I always start with a topic or a question. Everything I do then stems from that or coincides directly with the topic. The following step is then to extract what I know already abou the topic and see if there are any leads and interesting paths to take on the topic.
For the actual research portion the first step is to usually go online and see what there is to offer from a Google search. Usually nothing of variety comes from the search, especially when the subject is very specialized or unique, and then I head to the library. I love going to the library and searching through the catalogue to find as many books that might work with the topic.

Technology Autobiography

When I think about my experiences and views of technology I have to go back to my first encounter of a computer, complete with banner style paper with the perforated edges on the sides to feed through the printer. It was a big box, and I thought the Paint program was amazing. However, I was only about eight years old. I also remember the TV shows that had rooms dedicated to computers that "crashed" or those space shows with quirky special effects. Since then I have thankfully upgraded to a tablet PC, roughly the size of a piece of paper. Thank you technology.

I have used technology in many ways, including projector slides, digital pictures, floppy disks, cds, rewritable cds (I remember when I thought that was amazing.), USB drives, memory cards, webcams, audio recordings, Microsoft Office, and for fun things like music and DVD watching. Through this list it is obvious that some things are now outdated by others, e.g. floppy disks and USB drives. The most recent has so many more capabilities than the latter, and there is really no comparison as far as value, but we all know that transitions can be tough. Outside of the computer world, I had a rough time with the film to digital photo transition. On a trip overseas in 8th grade I remember packing and buying around 20 rolls of 35mm filim, and I even printed them all. Around the next year or so was the digital camera boom, and from the intimate/love/hate relationship with film I wasn't too eager to move ahead with the times, especially with the monetary investment they required. Now seeming a hypocrite, I haven't touched a roll of film or disposable camera since. The ease of loading and sharing digital photos has proven a great asset to my education and career building, especially with my portfolio artifacts. Who wants to look at a bunch of scanned photos that have less pixel quality? Not I.
This past semester in the elementary classroom I like to think I maximized the technology available. I got to experience smart boards, projectors, various online software and freeware, and CSILE. The impact and intrest on the students was so apparent by the comparison of assessments to other units without the same technology focus.

Students should have access to computers throughout the school day during breaks and before and after school. Some students do not have the access necessary to complete assignments at home, and may need more time allotted during the school day. They do not need a personal computer with them at all times.

After this class, I have come across more intentional ways of utilizing technology. Specifically, podcasts, Flickr, and moviemaker are major applications that will interest the students more into their studies and consequently learn more as a result. Many students who are visual learners can now have their needs met by the education system because of these applications. Auditory learners have another outlet as well. This is not the end of technology, or the ways to use it.