Webquest

Here is the link for my 2nd grade webquest on rocks. http://ia.usu.edu/viewproject.php?project=ia:9273
Student Log In: rocks

Digital Photography In My Classroom

There is so many ways that digital photography can be used in an elementary class. When I have my own classroom here are some things I will do. I will have them take their own pictures in order to illustrate a story they wrote. Sometimes they can draw them, but taking real pictures for their story is cool too. Pictures also are really good for enhancing presentations and papers. Also, I can have the students take pictures of the activities we do, then post them to the class blog. Or if I have a parent news letter, I can use my students' photography to enhance it. Pictures are really great for art projects/holiday gifts. I can't think of a parent who doesn't like pictures of their children or a child who doesn't like pictures of themselves, for that matter. If they can take pictures of others and themselves, it will be more personal to the child and the parent. Taking pictures on field trips and big activities helps the children remember and reflect on their experiences. I could keep going on and on about using digital photography in my classroom, but this is a pretty good list, for me.

Geometric Comics

Educational Software

I would like to teach 2nd graders.
* Utah State Content Core Standard 3: Objective 2: Students will observe and describe weather. Some software I found to go with this unit is from the Weather Channel, http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/weather-games/ It has a plethora of different activities the students can do related to weather. In the games, all the directions are spoken and written (accommodates all learners), brightly colored and engaging.
* Utah State Math Core Standard 3: Objective 1: Describe, classify, and create geometric figures. Beacon Learning Center had a bunch of great games and activities related to math. One of my favorites was Mr. Mumble http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/WebLessons/MrMumble/default.html It helps the students learn how to describe the shape, by number of sides, angles, etc. It tells the story of a mouse who mumbles about math all day. He helps the students learn to mumble (describe) shapes, just like he does. So it tells a story and teaches students math, excellent integration.
* Utah State Language Arts Core Standard 6: Objective 1: Learn new words through listening and reading widely. I found a website entirely dedicated to making learning vocabulary fun http://www.vocabulary.co.il/games2/matchgame/match.php One of the games is a matching game, but there are over 50 puzzles with different kinds of words. All the matching game cards have a picture, and the written word. Before one can play the matching game, one has to go through and learn the words and meanings. I picked the nature puzzle, because in the content part of the core, students will investigate plants and animals. Yet again another way of integration. I really liked this game, and the other games on the site, were full of color and good sounds.

Learning Objectives for Webquest

My Target Students:
My students will be 2nd graders, who live in the Cache Valley. This is because the activities are geologically specific.
Learning Objectives:
1. Students will be able to describe rocks and their specific properties.
2. Students will be able to explain erosion of rocks.
3. Students will be able to make structures from rocks.
The Task:
Students will asked to help me build my house from rocks. They will need to know which rocks are available in this area, how they are formed, how they are classified, which is strongest (for a house), and what else could I do with rocks besides make a house.

WebQuest Ideas

I am going to do 2nd grade Utah State Core Content Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of their environment, objective 3: Investigate the properties and uses of rocks.

Problem: I will explain to the students that the other day, I was driving through Logan Canyon and saw many rocks that had fallen on the road.

Ideas:
1. I want to know why they are on the road, how they got there.
2. What kinds of rocks are on the road in Logan Canyon.
3. Could I find all kinds of rocks in the canyon.
4. I am building a new house, I want to make it out of rocks, which would be the best type(s) of rock(s) to use.
5. Could I do anything we these rocks besides study them. (e.g. Rock climbing, mountain biking)

Possible Resources:
* http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_national_forest/ut/cli_was.html - Link on rock climbing in Wasatch-Cache National Forest
* http://www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/create/index.html - How rocks are formed
* http://www.learner.org/interactives/rockcycle/diagram.html - The rock cycle
* http://www.learner.org/interactives/rockcycle/types.html - Types of rocks
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erosion - Erosion of rocks

Website Evaluations

Elementary School - http://www.uinta1.k12.wy.us/AspenElem.cfm?subpage=95897
I evaluated this site using the Kathy Schrock's Guide. It was organized very well, easy to navigate with a table of contents, it has a few pictures of the students and teachers, it has an intro page, it does not have a ton of information, but it has the basics. The author is the school board, and it was last updated, yesterday. It is an accredited website, pretty much just some basic information, for parents.

Lesson Ideas - http://teachers.net/lessons/
I evaluated this site using the PDF found at this site: http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/tutorial/WWW.eval.html. With the scoring system, the website scored 13 out of 20 on the navigation, 15 out of 16 on the content, 8 out of 8 on appropriateness, and 10 out of 12 on the scope & validity. This means the website scored a 46 out of 56, which according to the the scale on the evaluation this website fair, or not so hot.

Informational web site - http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals/CreatureFeature/Lion
I evaluated this site using the form found at http://www.bv229.k12.ks.us/bvn_lmc/web_site_evaluation_form2.html. For the first section of the evaluation the website was voted A Parents' Choice Recommended Winner for 2008. I would say this is pretty good evidence of creditability, but it wants to know about the authority. It was written by National Geographic, and I went into the site specifically designed for kids. The next section is objectivity. This website is obviously meant to inform, this web page is mean to inform about lions, it's not biased, and the information is very clear, meant to a young audience. The next section is accuracy. All the information is accompanied by real pictures, and the scientist that researched each topic. The last section is currency. The site was created in 1996, and was lasted updated in 2009. The last question asks me to rate the website, I would give it a 5 - Great.

Interactive Website - http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/interact-math.html
The evaluation form I used was found at http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/tnl/detectives/eval_form.html. The form is organized in who, what, when, where, & how. WHO - It is published by the Jefferson County School District, and you can contact them by phone or e-mail. WHAT - It is no biased and it covers all the subjects in explicit detail. WHERE - it is a .net web site. WHEN - It was created in 2007 and it was updated in 2009. HOW - The page is very well organized into subjects, then into categories. Last WHY - The information is targeted for elementary students and is a good place for interactive games, better than a book. I would say this is an excellent website.

Overall Questions:
a. I liked the form from http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/tnl/detectives/eval_form.html, because it's organized for the use of an elementary student, They understand the 5 W's, so this worksheet is self explanatory.

b. On some of the evaluations I was asked to find the author. Some of the websites are from a culmination of different teachers, so this means, according to the evaluations, that the website looses some of it's creditability. I don't think this should be the case, especially for teachers lesson plan websites.

c. The value in using a website evaluation tool is it makes you think about where you are getting your information and if it is really is reliable.

d. If I was doing a big project I would want to do website evaluations. For an informal google search on a random topic just for my own information I wouldn't bother with a website evaluation.

Spreadsheets in the Classroom

This week we learned about spreadsheets, and how to use them. I can think of many ways to use spreadsheets in my future classroom, especially for math. The graphs are on the spreadsheets are a great tool. Instead of having to draw all these graphs, all the students will have to do is organize the data on an Excel sheet, and a perfect graph is made. Actually multiple graphs of all sizes, shapes, colors, and configurations can be made. In the second grade math core, students are to be able to identify parts of wholes. Spreadsheets are a perfect way to show that 18 students make up one whole class, just by a simple formula on an Excel sheet. Or they can make their own shapes and shade them, right on the computer, it's instant and it's accurate. I know when I try and draw a perfect circle and then divide it into four equal parts, it doesn't always work out so well. But if one makes a circle on Excel, then has it divided into four parts, it will be perfect. Another standard requires the students to model two and three digits with decimal points out to the one hundredths place. On Excel it has a button that does decimal places, and it will even write the number out in words, what a fun way for the students to learn and practice. I could go on with ways I could use spreadsheets in the classroom, but the one thing I know I will use them for is for grading. The students will not be using this as a resource, but it will sure make my life a whole lot easier. I have used spreadsheets many times in life, for my summer job at the county office, in my school career thus far, and I know I will continue to use them far into the future.

Using Google Docs in my classroom

I looked at the 2nd grade Utah State Core Language Arts Curriculum. There are lots of objectives that say pre-writing, then compose, next revise, last edit,and publish a story. Google Docs are perfect for this kind of thing. They are all online, so they can't use the excuse "I forgot my homework" and the students can help each other out. Another Language Arts Standard says "students will understand, interpret, and analyze narrative, and informational grade level text." As the teacher, I can make a Google Doc of an article or anything, then the students can log on and analyze it all online. They can also put their comments right into the Google Doc, so other students will be able to see what other students thought. Google Docs could be used for other subjects as well, in science, for example, I can send an informational text on the planets, then have them discuss it all online. Social studies, math, etc can also be taught/enhanced by the use of Google Docs.

Cooperative Writing Using Google Docs

So once upon a time...there was a man who was driving in the middle of a horrible rain storm. His windshield wipers stopped working, during this storm. He decided that since the rain was starting to freeze into snow and hail he needed to stop at the next exit and get a room for the night. Then, he saw a blurred green exit 124 1 mile, the lodging sign followed, and it was blank. He began to think through his options. Well I could just sleep in my car, or 'oh no' he said 'it's Friday the 13th!' and i don't really have anything to keep warm i might freeze (knowing that if he left his car running he'd run out of battery or gas). Then in the distance he saw some lights...he began to be hopeful. He jumped out of his car and began frantically waving his yellow rain jacket at the on coming car. to be continued.....

Cooperative Valentine's Writing

Once upon a Valentine’s Day, there was a little girl named Sam. Sam had been up all night gluing and cutting red, pink, and white valentines. It was a very daunting task. But it was defiantly worth it, as she thought of the look her valentine would have on his face as he opened up the beautiful valentines. She realized that she was running late as she glanced at the clock and flew into a panic. Grabbing her valentine, her keys and shoeing the cat out the door she jumped in her car and sped down the road. On her front windshield was a Valentine, but she didn’t stop to take it off, she was already running late. Who was this valentine from? Hopefully, it was not from her creepy friend named Rofus. Again, she pondered on the strange name: Rofus. “Where is that name from? Why does it have a distinctly sinister feel when I say his name?” She brushed the thought aside as she continued driving to school. She proudly walked up to her beau and gave him his Valentine. He just smiled.

UEN Lesson Plan

I did a lesson plan for 2nd graders, on how to use the food pyramid to eat healthy. It is part of the content core for 2nd grade, and I like smartboards, so my lesson uses one. If you want to read my lesson plan, here is the link: http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=22802

Blog Post 2 - UEN Resources

I am from Wyoming, so I had never heard about UEN. It is a great resource, there is so much stuff on it. For INST 4010, I found my complete lesson plan from UEN, complete with extensions and all. It is on health & nutrition, so the lesson plan also had links to nutrition website and worksheets. It will be super helpful as a teacher (granted that I stay to teach in Utah). One of the cool features I liked, not related to my lesson plan, was the online guest speakers. As a teacher, you wouldn't have to have them in the classroom, as long as the guest has a computer and web cam one is set. Just invite the guest speaker into your UEN classroom and off you go. I also think it is just a good organizational tool for teacher. They can keep all their lesson plans and UEN's all in one place. This will also save trees, Go Green! I am glad we learned about UEN, so when I am a teacher, I will have lots of support, right on my computer. Thanks UEN

Blog Post 1 - Blogging in the classroom

The very first reason I think I would use blogging in the classroom would be to keep parents & the community informed. I could post upcoming events that parents can volunteer for, daily classroom activities, etc. I would make the class blog private, so only parents could view it and respond, this would be to protect my students. Another good idea to put on the class blog would be educational links. If we were learning about Bumble Bee's, I could post some safe secure educational websites and the students could do these activities in their spare time, but only if they wanted to. I saw one 5th grade teacher that had math games posted, he also had posted missing assignments. For instance, if you were missing math worksheet 5.3, he would have it posted and all you have to do is download it and print it. This is also useful if a child misses a day of school, all their work is on the class blog. Blogging is also a really great place for students to publish their work. If Billy wrote a really good story, he could post it on the blog for the parents and other classmates to read. Along with posting Billy's story, Billy could get feedback. What was liked about his story, what could be better, etc. I looked at a lot of teacher's classroom blogs and there is an endless amount of possibilities. But I think the best reason for having a class blog is to teach on the level of your students. Kids are really into technology & computers right now, why not teach them through their interests.

Hello

I am just starting to blog for the first time today! I just hope this works.