Good Luck!

It was nice to work with all of you. I wish you all the best of success in your programs at Montclair.

Making A Food Pyramid Plan for Preschoolers

http://screencast.com/t/LNMxXsRpLs

Integrated Lesson Plan - Take Two

Grade 6

Unit Title: Fitness Activities

Description/Summary:

In this lesson students will be paired in groups of three to five. Each group will choose a sport and then pick one key skill from that sport per person. Students will then look up the correct way to perform the skills and either videotape or photograph themselves trying out the skills. Others in the group will provide corrective feedback for each other and themselves after reviewing the recordings and or pictures and comparing it to the correct movement. Each student will write a summary on their experience with their specific skill, the right way to perform it, and the feed back they received from their fellow group members. Students will bring their recordings and/or pictures to class where they will share with the rest of the class while teaching everyone how to perform the skills.

This activity will help students practice their multimedia presentation skills which they will need to build on for their future education and careers. By researching the specific motor skills It will not only be a way to practice specific motor skills but help students with, “understanding of fundamental concepts related to effective execution of actions provides the foundation for participation in games, sports, dance, and recreational activities. And help them see that performing movement skills effectively is often based on an individual’s ability to analyze one’s own performance as well as receive constructive feedback from others,” (Standard 2.5, Strand A, Content Statement). This will not only help them prepare for corrective feedback in sports setting but in future life situations as well.

Through this lesson they can see that little tweaks in their performance as well as working on technique can help their sports skills,  that participating in sports takes real work, and that discouragement over a skill that is not perfect should not be an excuse not to try to be active even at the recreational level. “Knowledge of movement concepts and practice of skills enhance the likelihood of independent learning and participation of physical activity throughout life,” (http://www.rtnj.org/files/80595/PE%20Curriculum%20K-8%20012808.pdf, p. 98).

Inclusion situations will be addressed independently based on IEP accommodation needs and aid availability.

Objectives:

Purpose:

• Foster teamwork through group projects.
• Learn how to give and take appropriate feedback.
• Strengthen basic computer skills and build on presentation skills.
• Learn how technology can be useful in improving sports performance.

Through this the lesson will support teamwork and how to help peers to correct their performance though constructive means. Supports the use of technology in a different setting for a purpose the students may not have been aware of. It will also give responsibility of producing projects partially to the students on their time helping foster responsibility and time management. Practice of motor skills.

All of the objectives practiced and learned in this lesson transcend throughout the world of sport and/or of life.

Content Standard Numbers:

Physical Education        2.5

CPI #    A     2.5.6.A.1            - Students explain and perform motor skills of their choice.

                    2.5.6.A.2             - Students explain and perform motor skills of their choice.

2.5.6.A.4             - Students use media to observe how their performance measures against the correct motor skill movements by using self and group feedback.

Technology       8.1

CPI #   A       8.1.8.A.3            - Students create multimedia presentation.

8.1.8.A.5           - Students learn to use technology to observe possible flaws in motor skills.

Number of Lessons:

5 Weeks

5 Forty-five minute classes

This timeline is more ideal for schools where each class has Physical Education multiple times a week. This way they can still have their time to exercise every week and have time for deeper learning and projects on the side one day a week during the class session.

Technology Integration:

This lesson will build on prior knowledge of the use of computers and internet search engines in order to find instructions on their specific sports skills. Students will need to learn how to or build on their prior knowledge of taking photos and/or video and uploading them to a computer.

These technologies will enhance the lesson by enabling students to find ways that they will be able to critique themselves in a sports setting. Many times in games movements happen so fast that using these technologies to review footage is an important part of practice and game planning. They will be able to see that if a motor skill in a game is imperfect if it is corrected adequately it can make a difference in skill.

Activity/Timeline Procedures:

Class 1: Lesson introduction. Hand out of expectations and rubric. Students will be told about the importance of reviewing game tapes as a game planning and improvement practice for sports teams. Watch video, Prepare a Football Game Plan By Watching Game Footage.  http://www.ehow.com/video_2346075_prepare-football-game-plan-watching.html Followed up by a few clips of game footage from different sports to show that this can also be applied to individual sports as well as team sports. Story of how I used to manage college teams and photograph and tape for them during games. Ask students what they think about it and what some pros and possible cons could be of this practice.

We will then move on to talk about giving and getting corrective feedback in general. The proper procedure, courtesies, etc. Also, to be emphasized is being able to accept feedback in an appropriate way. Talk about with students and have them give personal exams of the following and how it made them feel. How school grades and teacher comments are feedback, in future job situations employers will provide feedback, and in sport situations coaches feedback.

The book The Art of Giving Feedback provides a sample quiz of a self assessment of taking feedback. And there may be a good excerpt or two to read to the students. http://www.trainingsolutions.com/pdf/feedback.pdf

Students will be assigned random groups and each group will pick a sport from the list on the board and one skill per person from that sport that they would like to focus on. Each group will sign up for a presentation slot. When attempting these skills students will be encouraged to try their best since many of them may be new skills.

At this time I will also post a calendar of one hour after school sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next three weeks where any group who does not have access to these technologies at home can come and use the schools facilities with my supervision.

Class 2: During class period number the students will be taken to the computer lab and shown how to use a video camera and a digital camera and how to upload the information onto the computer. Students will need to have previous knowledge of/and or learn …

• Basic functions of using a computer – Turn on. Log on. Open Programs.
• Use of web browsing software and search engine inquiries.
• Basic functions of using a digital camera. – Turn on. Take picture. Review pictures. Uploading pictures to computer.
• Basic functions of video recording device(s). Turn on. Record. Review footage. Upload footage to computer.
• Use of PowerPoint and Google Docs software. – Makes slides. Insert pictures. Insert video. Upload presentation to Google Docs. Upload video to Google Docs.

If the school itself has preferred programs that it uses for certain medias those will be used first. The availability of Google Docs will also be shared with the students since the programs are a free service. Students will have the availability of emailing projects or uploading to Google Docs for their presentation. The students will have the rest of the class period to research the correct way to do their skills on the internet.

Class 3: Students will have time in the computer lab again to work on project. This time can be used to ask any follow up questions students have and they can take the option of having me look over what they have done already to let them know if they are inline with the expectations of the assignment or not.

Class 4: Final copy of assignment due to be uploaded to class Google Docs account. Groups will then have a week to review and fill out their own version of the rubrics for each group along with solid reasoning behind their feedback choices based on what we have learned about giving appropriate feedback.

Criteria For Success: Did each student participate and through that participation did they try their best to succeed? Did each student treat others in the class with respect and good sportsmanship throughout the lesson? Did each student show that they grasped the knowledge of giving and accepting appropriate feedback? Did each student learn a motor skill? Was assignment turned in on time? Did each student work as a team player and help to foster teamwork in their group? I will see that these goals are accomplished by observing the students throughout the learning sessions and using the rubric to grade their presentations.

Assessment Strategies:

Assignment is worth 15 percent of marking period grade. (Example score/2 = points towards final grade.)

Assignments will lose one point for each day they are late.

Peer Evaluation - After each group presents students will fill out a rubric for each group. (5 points).

Rubric for presentation: (25 points).

                                    5                                  3                      1

Presentation showed or explained the correct way each skill is supposed to be executed.	Explained motor skills correctly.	Explained motor skills with minor errors.	Explained motor skills incorrectly
Presentation had media images of group member performing skill.	Each member had clear media image(s).	Most members had clear media image(s).	Few or no members had clear media image(s)
Presentation described viable feedback from media for each skill.	Each member gave clear, concise, appropriate feedback.	Feedback given was somewhat clear, and appropriate. Feedback was given by most members	Feedback given was not clear or appropriate.
Groups grasped use of technology skills in using visual media and developing presentation.	Technology was used correctly to complete presentation format.	Technology was used with minor errors to complete presentation format.	Technology was used with major errors. Presentation not complete.

Integration Lesson Plan

This is my first time writing a lesson plan. Please let me know if I am on the right track.

Summary:

In this lesson students will be paired in groups of three to five. Each group will choose a sport and then pick one key skill from that sport per person. Students will then look up the correct way to perform the skills and either videotape or photograph themselves trying out the skills. Others in the group will provide corrective feedback for each other and themselves after reviewing the recordings and or pictures and comparing it to the correct movement. Each student will write a summary on their experience with their specific skill, the right way to perform it, and the feed back they received from their fellow group members. Students will bring their recordings and/or pictures to class where they will share with the rest of the class while teaching everyone how to perform the skills.

This activity will help students practice their multimedia presentation skills which they will need to build on for their future education and careers. By researching the specific motor skills It will not only be a way to practice specific motor skills but help students with, “understanding of fundamental concepts related to effective execution of actions provides the foundation for participation in games, sports, dance, and recreational activities. And help them see that performing movement skills effectively is often based on an individual’s ability to analyze one’s own performance as well as receive constructive feedback from others,” (Standard 2.5, Strand A, Content Statement). This will not only help them prepare for corrective feedback in sports setting but in future life situations as well.

Through this lesson they can see that little tweaks in their performance as well as working on technique can help their sports skills,  that participating in sports takes real work, and that discouragement over a skill that is not perfect should not be an excuse not to try to be active even at the recreational level. “Knowledge of movement concepts and practice of skills enhance the likelihood of independent learning and participation of physical activity throughout life,” (http://www.rtnj.org/files/80595/PE%20Curriculum%20K-8%20012808.pdf, p. 98).

Inclusion situations will be addressed independently based on IEP accommodation needs and aid availability.

Grade 6

Unit Title: Fitness Activities

Objectives:

Content Standard Numbers:

Physical Education        2.5

CPI #    A     2.5.6.A.1

                    2.5.6.A.2

        2.5.6.A.4

Technology       8.1

CPI #   A       8.1.8.A.3

          8.1.8.A.5

Number of Lessons

5 Weeks

5 Forty-five minute classes

       This timeline is more ideal for schools where each class has Physical Education multiple times a week. This way they can still have their time to exercise every week and have time for deeper learning and projects on the side one day a week during the class session.

Technology Integration:

      This lesson will build on prior knowledge of the use of computers and internet search engines in order to find instructions on their specific sports skills. Students will need to learn how to or build on their prior knowledge of taking photos and/or video and uploading them to a computer.

These technologies will enhance the lesson by enabling students to find ways that they will be able to critique themselves in a sports setting. Many times in games movements happen so fast that using these technologies to review footage is an important part of practice and game planning. They will be able to see that if a motor skill in a game is imperfect if it is corrected adequately it can make a difference in skill.

Activity/Timeline Procedures:

Class 1: Lesson introduction. Hand out of expectations and rubric. Students will be told about the importance of reviewing game tapes as a game planning and improvement practice for sports teams. Watch video, Prepare a Football Game Plan By Watching Game Footage.  http://www.ehow.com/video_2346075_prepare-football-game-plan-watching.html Followed up by a few clips of game footage from different sports to show that this can also be applied to individual sports as well as team sports. Story of how I used to manage college teams and photograph and tape for them during games. Ask students what they think about it and what some pros and possible cons could be of this practice.

      We will then move on to talk about giving and getting corrective feedback in general. The proper procedure, courtesies, etc. Also, to be emphasized is being able to accept feedback in an appropriate way. Talk about with students and have them give personal exams of the following and how it made them feel. How school grades and teacher comments are feedback, in future job situations employers will provide feedback, and in sport situations coaches feedback.

       The book The Art of Giving Feedback provides a sample quiz of a self assessment of taking feedback. And there may be a good excerpt or two to read to the students. http://www.trainingsolutions.com/pdf/feedback.pdf

Students will be assigned random groups and each group will pick a sport from the list on the board and one skill per person from that sport that they would like to focus on. Each group will sign up for a presentation slot. When attempting these skills students will be encouraged to try their best since many of them may be new skills.

       At this time I will also post a calendar of one hour after school sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next three weeks where any group who does not have access to these technologies at home can come and use the schools facilities with my supervision.

Class 2: During class period number the students will be taken to the computer lab and shown how to use a video camera and a digital camera and how to upload the information onto the computer. If the school itself has preferred programs that it uses for certain medias those will be used first. The availability of Google Docs will also be shared with the students since the programs are a free service. Students will have the availability of emailing projects or uploading to Google Docs for their presentation. The students will have the rest of the class period to research the correct way to do their skills on the internet.

Class 3: Students will have time in the computer lab again to work on project. This time can be used to ask any follow up questions students have and they can take the option of having me look over what they have done already to let them know if they are inline with the expectations of the assignment or not.

Class 4: Presentations – Will have laptop set up with projector for students.

Class 5: Presentations – Will have laptop set up with projector for students.

Assessment Strategies:

Peer Evaluation             -           After each group presents students will fill out index cards anonymously saying if they felt they were adequately shown the skill. (20 pt)

Teacher Observation    -           Observation of the presentation. Observation of the video/pictures. Did the group members give valuable feedback that would help in refining the skills? (20 pt)

Participation Based       -           Did all group members participate in the project? Did all group members participate in the presentation? Did all students participate in learning the skills during the presentation? Were all students courteous during other group’s presentations? (20 pt)

Performance Based      -           Did the group find the correct form of the skill to start from? If their form wasn’t correct did they use the feedback from the group members and watching themselves to realize how to correct it? (20 pt)

Summary Paper            -           Rubric (20 pt)

Delete And Stop The Cycle

Over the past few decades schools have taken on the burden of educating students on most taboo issues that parents are not comfortable talking about. (Sex Education, Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Puberty, Pregnancy and Parenting.) So it should be of no surprise to anyone that most parents expect the schools to take care of this issue as well.

I think the deeper issue here is ethics and bullying the technologies are just making the availability of these instances happen faster and on a broader scale. Bullying has always been a problem in schools. I was bullied a lot when I was in middle school and the school just let it continue.

This causes my main anger about all of the girls who hurt themselves especially in the ones case where the taunting was going on for two years before she hung herself. Sure they should have not posted the pictures in the first place but friends, teachers, and parents knew that these students were being bullied to this extent why didn’t anyone do anything to stop it. The one mother knew her child was in a really bad place and let her make the choice to stay at her own school instead of going to a different school or at least take a leave of absence to get a break from life. If that was my child they wouldn’t have had the choice they would have been pulled from the school and/or would have made sure the administration did something about the harassment. Looking back I wish my parents would have done that for me.

Bottom line no matter what kind of bulling it is or where it stems from schools have the obligation of keeping their students emotionally safe and helping them learn cope with these instances. Also since a lot of the sexing seems to occur via girls trying to impress their crushes or boyfriends this topic should probably also be included when teaching about dating violence letting them know that they should not have to be talked into doing these things that make them feel uncomfortable.

On a digital level since technology is part of the curriculum and is being taught and used for educational purposes the schools most defiantly have an obligation to teach students about using technology responsibly and keeping themselves safe. Especially since there are legal ramifications for using technology inappropriately they need to know what they are and how they can affect the rest of their lives.

Copyright Paradox

The Blog assignment for this week is kind of ironic. We are supposed to simply define what fair use is via copyright law and how does it applies to education, after reading multiple articles about it. So in reality all of our answers should be the same for the most part and will be derived or quoted from the articles. This in itself hopefully becomes an example of fair use as long as our explanations abide by the fair use policies.

To directly answer the posed question, “the basic idea of fair use is that a work can be used or copied for educational purposes as long as the use is not solely a substitute for purchasing copyrighted the work. - [To take it a step further] educational fair use is a use of the work for teaching, scholarship, or research. Congress took special steps to protect educational fair use and authored special protections for this type of use in the copyright law. The fair use statute provides that making “multiple copies for classroom use” is an example of fair use.

In determining whether a use qualifies as fair, courts will analyze four factors:

1. The purpose of the use, including whether the use is commercial or for nonprofit educational purposes.

2. The nature of the work; for example, is it a fact-based or highly creative work?

3. The amount of the work used in relation to the work as a whole; generally, the greater the amount used, the more likely that the use is not fair.

4. The effect of the use on the market and potential income for the work,” (Thompson, 2005, p.11).

In my above explanation of educational fair use I quoted K. A. Thompson from her article Copyright 101 from Learning & Leading with Technology. I am myself exhibiting educational fair use by taking a small piece of her work for a research based educational purpose, which I am not being compensated for, while giving her credit for it. Also, since we all were supposed to read it my use of the information is not taking away from anyone in the class reading the whole article and since our Blog audiences are small it does not inhibit outsiders from not reading it either.

When we do things on a day to day basis copyright is probably the last thing on everyone’s mind. I took the quiz first just to see where I was at with copy right knowledge before digging in. While taking the quiz and then reading the articles numerous instances flashed through my mind where I had previously used images in Power Point presentations, made copies at the library, downloaded music, have gotten to watch movies in school as entertainment, etc. I think definitely paying attention to the rules of fair use needs to be kept in the back our minds as we go forward with our careers in education.

Though, I do have to say that I am very glad that all of my intellectual property is legally seen as mine and I can hold people accountable if they do not abide by “fair use” practices.

Fostering Curiosity

I chose the cell that is in the cross section between authentic learning at the infusion level using shared access to computers/technology. The lesson deals with students using the web to learn sign language and then make a tutorial video to share with other students and to keep in the school's library. I liked this lesson because getting dual certified in special education I think its great that the students wanted to get involved in different ways that people communicate and show that those with disabilities are capable people who are valuable members of their school and society.

The example of the lesson can pertain to a couple of the NETS for Teachers standards. Under number 2, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, there are two sections that are applicable. Section A, design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity, and Section B, develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. Both of these standards are relevant because the teacher took the learning experience a step further by using a book that the class had read and derived an additional lesson using digital media to explore the themes more in-depth so her class could explore their curiosity further on how different people communicate.

Number 4, Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, can and should be applied to all lessons in one way or another. Section A, advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources, was seen in this lesson by the students using a safe web browser while looking up the content they needed and by the teacher guiding them through each step of the project from formulating the vocabulary list to directing the video.

Before I chose a level of technology integration to further think about I watched a couple of examples of lessons from both of the Infusion and Transformation categories. After watching I knew I was definitely comfortable with the Infusion category but a little tentative with the Transformation category. The technologies used in the Transformation category are not at all hard to use but the lessons used many at same time very interdependently. While watching I felt that the Transformation level needs more thorough preparation of the lessons and all the different ways they can go since the students had more say in the direction of where the lesson was headed. I feel confident in using all of the technologies we have learned so far and those I knew before hand. Now I just have to work on using different medias together to make the lessons more enriching.

Just Breathe

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Students are to listen to the podcast and then write a one to two page journal reflection on the following. There are many things that cause us stress in everyday life. From school, to extra curricular activities, to jobs, to relationships with family and friends, and even society in general. Write about at least three of the following questions. What are somethings that bring stress into your life? What do you currently do to positively deal with stress on your own? Do you think that any of the techniques listed could work for you? Do you think any of the techniques could be highly successful for a majority of people? Do you think any of the techniques would not work for most people?

(Content Area: Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, Standard: 2.1 Wellness, Strand: E Social and Emotional Health, CPI #'s: 2.1.6 E3, 2.1.8 E4)

The Haves Vs. The Have-Nots

Well with the state of the economy right now there are not going to be funds to add anything new since there are still talks about cutting more. So the only way this can be done is to start small in the classroom with what we already have so that fostering creativity doesn’t die off in the midst of the worries about “teaching to the test”.

I think the bigger issue of creativity not being nurtured is “compassion fatigue”. It’s an easy way out to use the same lesson plan year after year and have students read out of the book and have them take the same tests over and over again to see if they retained the material. Going along with this syndrome Sir Ken Robinson said, “All kids have tremendous talents and we squander them pretty ruthlessly.” The power that teachers have over their students is tremendous and having an apathetic teacher that makes you feel like your ideas are not important or makes you feel horrible when you make a mistake can extinguish creativity and interest in learning. I think that we’ve all had an experience with this whether or not it happened to us or we saw it happen to someone else.

Sir Robinson pointed out that most public education forms did not exist before the 19^th century and the needs of industrialism came about. So until the societal shift towards creativity and 21^st century thinking becomes an official age or era in society and/or we hit another sizeable stint of economic recovery, growth, and prosperity adequate unfortunately the hierarchy of subjects will stay the same and funding will most likely not go towards anything new or extra in this area on a wide scale.

Week 6 - #1 "Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In the article The Workforce Readiness Crisis, it states, “particularly disturbing is the study's findings on the current lack of preparedness of the nation's high school graduates. In addition to the deficiencies in communication and professionalism shared by those with varying degrees of college education, well over half of new workforce entrants with only a high school diploma are deficiently prepared in all ten of the skills that employers rate critical.” How can we expect students to be successful in whatever they choose to do with their lives after high school if they are not equipped with the know-how to apply these 21st century skills to the knowledge they have learned. As technology continues to make the world smaller and smaller everyone needs to be able to deal with what lies ahead for them in the “real world”.

After being a manager in my field for the past five years the ability to have these skills makes the difference between not only the amount of shifts awarded but just keeping a job in general. We make it a priority to try and coach employees on these skills to see if they will pick up on them and be an integral part of the team but for a lot of them it’s too late and they have already become apathetic to the process and either quit or get terminated.

If you take a in-depth look at the critics’ articles they aren’t even truly against integrating these ideals into education, they just don’t want the content knowledge to go by the wayside and for this movement to be eased into since it is not data based at this time. For example, Diane Ravitch states, (in her article Critical thinking? You need knowledge), that she believes, “What matters most in the use of our brains is our capacity to make generalizations, to see beyond our own immediate experience. The intelligent person, the one who truly is a practitioner of critical thinking, has the capacity to understand the lessons of history, to grasp the inner logic of science and mathematics, and to realize the meaning of philosophical debates by studying them.” Isn’t that what this movement is trying to accomplish in the end?

I think that the critics of 21st century learning are taking the p21 information too literally. In the article, Flawed Assumptions Undergird the Program at the Partnership for 21st-Century Skills, the president of P21 Ken Kay states “Our real expertise is in the setting of goals. Other people have the expertise in how to make it happen.” These standards or any standards really are just an outline. It’s up to educators to put on their thinking caps when they make their lesson plans to be creative and find ways to implement these standards into their content learning and research ways to coach them so students can be better equipped to be successful members of society.

Week 5 - Back To School Night In Surround Sound

View more webinars from grahamk55.

I think adding the audio lecture to the Power Point can be very valuable. Not only can you have the presentation with the bullets posted on the Web but you can add your lecture so the class can have a full representation of each point you are trying to focus on. This can really help with different types of learners. Also, the media can be paused and replayed numerous times so that students can stop at different points to write something down they want to remember or repeat something they may have missed without having to ask a teacher to repeat in front of their peers and becoming embarrassed. With a lot of the smart technology the information is also downloadable and portable to a number of different devices.

I really thought that the last video “The Flipped Classroom” made some great points. Chemistry teacher Aaron Sams said, “When kids come to class they don’t show up to learn new stuff, they show up to apply the things they learned at home and to ask me questions about the things they learned at home.” Going along with Mr. Sams’s practice viewing and listening to lectures posted on the Slide Share site can become the homework and the students can be guided through different activities in the classroom with what they learned.

(*The actual application of this specific technology of course depends on the availability students have to Web accessible devices outside of the school.)

Week 4 - Back To School Night

Welcome

View more presentations from grahamk55.

I think being able to share presentations over the web is a very useful tool. Not only can it be used as a technology accommodation for students with special needs, it also makes the material available for all students and parents to access at anytime to use as a study guide or to catch up on missed classes. I think it is great because even before you take a class with a teacher or professor you can get a feel of their teaching approach and the general material that will be covered in the class.

Week 3 - Task 2 - CPI # 8.2.4.D.1

Standard - 8.2 Technology Education, Engineering, and Design: All students will develop an understanding of the nature and impact of technology, engineering, technological design, and the designed world, as they relate to the individual, global society, and the environment.

Strand - D. Research and Information Fluency

By the end of grade four students need to be able to, “Analyze responses collected from owners/users of a particular product and suggest modifications in the design of the product based on their responses,” according to the Cumulative Progress Indicator for this strand. This will help students to develop their, “information-literacy skills, research, data analysis, and prediction provide the basis for the effective design of technology systems,” as stated in the content statement for this part of the standard.

In the exercise/sports/nutrition world there are enough gadgets, supplements, vitamins, gym franchises, exercise fads, web pages, work out routines, and equipment choices to make anyone’s head spin. Throughout this exercise I want students to learn how to make educated decisions when looking at consumer goods and also know that there are many different options for just about any health/fitness product or service they desire.

The students will be partnered in groups of three. The class will be given a list of products and services, (some examples pedometers, sports drinks, shape up sneakers, local fitness centers), that they can choose from or they can pick a topic themselves as long as it is approved by me.

Each group is to find basic information on the product or service. What it is, what it does, how long it has been in existence, price, etc … Then they are to search online to find at least five consumer reviews, (positive and negative) from at least two different web sources. Some examples include but are not limited to blogs, articles, or web pages that have these items for sale that include customer comments and reviews. The comment or review cannot just be a percentage or star rating it must have input on what the consumer felt was either wrong or right with the product or service. Based on the consumer responses and their own ideas about the product or service students must then make their own recommendations to fix any of the issues and/or make the product or service better.

To present their findings and suggestions each group must create a six slide Power Point presentation which will be presented to the class. Each group member must talk about two of the slides in their presentation.

Slides to include …

Introduction – Introduction of presenters.

Product/Service Information – Basic product/service information, why this product was chosen. Must include a graphic of product.

Positive Reviews/Negative Reviews

Suggestions for Improvement of Product/Service

Would You Buy or Use This Product/Service – Based on the information given do you think this product worth it? Would you use it?

Research is to be done at home. Each student in the group can research reviews online then bring their findings to class to collaborate. Time will be allotted in class for collaboration and in the computer lab to create the Power Point presentations so students can be taught the basics of the program if they haven’t already and/or any questions about how to use the program can be addressed right away. Groups must also hand in a print out of presentation and a list of all sources used.

Students will be evaluated on:

Their ability to work as a group in the computer lab and during presentation.

If all of the necessary information was included and all questions answered in presentation.

If graphic was included in presentation.
List of sources handed in were appropriate to project.

(This exercise also satisfies Standard 8.1 Strand A. CPI# 8.1.4.A.3 and Standard 2.2 Strand B. CPI # 2.2.4.B.1.)

Week 3 - Task 1 - Dinosaur Extinction

In many classrooms throughout schools and districts this technology initiative is going to take a lot of getting used to. Besides the direct technology components it proposes a new way of thinking and a new way of approaching teaching as a whole. Some districts and teachers are well on their way on their quest to conquer this while others are being left in the dust. For some educators that have been teaching for decades and are stuck in their ways of teaching this is going to be especially difficult. Rose Porpora, from Chatham High School, is a prime example of what I am talking about. Ms. Porpora shared that she feels she is “trying to hang on to what I think is the most important part of what [she does] but [her] time is over it’s too much for [her] this is not the educational arena that [she] entered into.” I do not think that you have to lose the direct connections to the material and the face to face interaction and processes that she referred to but there has to be a realization that flexibility with integrating the new technologies and 21^st century learning ideals is not only essential but at this point an inevitability.
I feel very fortunate that I have grown up and have gone to elementary and high school during the infancy of introducing technology into education and in everyday life. I believe that it has made me more adaptive to changing technological environments and made using various technologies a part of my everyday life.  I think that these standards and ideals will allow me to be much more creative as I develop myself and my pedagogical career. I plan on staying as informed as I can about emerging technologies and getting as much information and guidance as I can from educators that are exemplary in their efforts to achieve the standards. I feel that I am very creative and a critical thinker and after getting my bachelors and being in the working world for five years I know how important it is to have and to pass on these skills to others. I am a big advocate for this type of learning so for me it is a very exciting time in education.
I really enjoyed watching the overview of Frank Drapers class and their Hydrology Project. Mr. Draper did not have smart boards or a classroom where each student had individual access to a computer the whole time. He just simply used what he had to his advantage to create “authentic tasks”. He had them use simple web pages, interact with each other, interact with their community, and had them make personal connections to the material.  I think that he provides a great balance between the material, integrating the technology he has access to, and 21^st century learning in this project. His viewpoint is, “when [his] students do real work, authentic kinds of tasks where they’re doing something that is real for the school or for the community they now understand why this is important to learn this stuff, how valuable it is to their own life, and to the broader community. - When you have students do meaningless work your pretty much saying they’re not real important but when I give you something meaningful to do you’re an important member of the community and I value what you’re doing. It’s a different mindset of what schoolwork is about.”

It would be fantastic to be able to choose a district that already has all of the, “bells and whistles” technologically like Chatham High School. Though, the reality right now with the competitiveness of getting jobs in the teaching world needs to be highly considered. When I start to look for districts that I am interested in I will be looking for organizations that have a solid game plan and commitment in place to achieve the required technology and 21^st century learning standards. I feel that with a plan and my creativity I could do my part to help get a district and its students where they need to be.

Week 2 - "Full of Sound and Fury"

Out of the 76 District Factor Groups in category GH I chose Paramus. I made this selection because it is not only geographically closest to where I live but I also work in the town so I wanted to find out more about it. The district page is very organized and straightforward. There are tabs for each of the schools in the district as well as event calendars, contact info for the administration, and information on technology. Also provided is a staff page and a parent’s page where they can sign in and access important information, policies, and email. All in all for a district page clear, concise, and easy to find what you are looking for.

When searching for a good teacher webpage I chose to start with the high school having an inkling that I may find something interesting. From the roster list of teachers I clicked on about three or four names from various subject bases before I found a teacher that actually had their own webpage in addition to the required basic one. (Just to give some background Mr. Allocco is a Social Studies teacher at Paramus High School. He covers World Studies as well as US History I and US History II.) As soon as I clicked on the link, Mr. Allocco’s webpage grabbed my attention right away.

I am a very visual person so as soon as his webpage came up I was intrigued by the design. On his virtual corkboard not only does he have various links for each of his classes and contact information he also took the time to add sports logos for his favorite major league teams as well as Paramus High School. The layout provides all links in a clear appealing manner for easy access to the information.

Each subject base that he teaches has its own page. When brought to the subject page you get to see the homework list and a weekly breakdown of what is going on in class each day. I think this is a great tool. I remember back when I was in high school everyone had their daily agendas where we would physically write down our homework assignments each day only to end up leaving our agendas in our lockers or misplacing them about school or at home. Also, for the students there is a links page provided listing external links to various web pages where they can find up to date information to aid in their assignments and even sporadic links on the homepage pertaining to the current historical remembrance days. On the homepage the U.S. History II students are lucky enough to get a sample test, which for a high school student can be an invaluable resource. This page definitely delivers; as Dr. Jamie McKenzie would call it, “the goods” to Mr. Allocco’s students.

For parents especially there is a mailing list they can sign up for where they will be sent important information about the classes and there is also a contact info page with weekly office hours listed. For students and parents having this accessibility to their teacher can provide a great resource for questions and extra help while also keeping the parents in the loop so there are no surprises when report card time comes. Also, since the parents can see all of the assignments as well they have the ability to follow up thoroughly on their child’s homework completion.

Mr. Allocco’s web page also includes an expectations page which acts kind of like a syllabus letting the students and parents know what decorum is expected in the classroom, rules on turning in assignments and absences, and how inappropriate behavior will be dealt with. I think it is great to give this information ahead of time so the rules are clear to all and the students can be held accountable for themselves.

Dr. McKenzie considers factors of good school Web site to include, “outlining the [class] mission and the kinds of learning available while sharing more mundane but valuable items such as calendars, schedules and lunch menus. The more skillful have introduced forms and e-mail features which allow them to gather information and feedback from their parents.” From my observation, and from Dr. McKenzie’s standards, I think Mr. Allocco’s web page is extremely effective for both students and parents alike. If I was taking U.S. history at Paramus High School right now I would feel very fortunate to have an outlet of information such as this accessible to me.

Week 1 - Hopes and Expectations

I feel my background it technology is at an adequate working level. I understand how to work most programs, and if I am not sure about something I know where I can find the information I need. I think my real education of technology started to take off when I went to college. This introduction spanned from learning how to use more advanced office programs and building simple web-sites throughout the mandatory 101 computer class; to more informal learning through the start of Web-sites like Napster and My Space. The social expectation at the time that every student have their own computer created lots of time for tinkering around the Web. My level of being technologically savvy has stayed pretty consistent since then.

Throughout middle school and high school I remember just listening to the teacher and/or other students go around the room and read aloud out of the text book while the rest of us took note after note after note, simultaneously counting down the minutes until the class was over. Technology and the creative ideas that can be spawned from it seem to have the ability to get us out of this rut. In the video, Learning to Change - Changing to learn, as well as in all of the articles there were current themes that were stressed. Critical thinking, problem solving, and information literacy through technology are valuable lessons I agree students need to be exposed to.

I am happy to see the movement towards information literacy and critical thinking through technology is already in progress. For example, Susan M. Allen and Karen M. Dutt-Doner advocate for the use of digitized historical documents so students can come up with their own ideas of what the documents stand for instead of just solely taking the text book authors interpretation. Also, Rona Frederick discovered that even teachers in under funded areas started using technology to not only engage the students but try to reshape the curriculum standards in her area. Rona Frederick stated, “Jones used the Internet and graphic technology as a way of finding liberating stories, disseminating those stories, and encouraging her students to develop their individual voices.” Altogether the video and these articles show that technology and education can provide a very exciting combination and endless possibilities bringing the fascination of learning back to educators and students alike.

This is my first experience with an online classroom. My expectations for this class are to learn how to use and become comfortable with an online class in general so I will be able to sign up for other online and hybrid classes throughout my tenure at MSU. I also look forward to making some contacts with my classmates so we can become available to each other as a support network during our studies here.