LEP

This is the link to my LEP. The purpose of this website is to demonstrate our personal growth and knowledge of implementing technology while teaching Mathematics and Language Arts. This portfolio was designed for Professor Anne Davis' Technology for Teachers course (IT 3210) at Georgia State University. It demonstrates our competence and implementation of technology in our lessons to produce an effective and proper learning environment.

Thoughts on Weblogs

I have enjoyed using my web log greatly this semester. It has been a great experience for me and has allowed me the opportunity to review projects I have completed as well as reflect on my work and progress over time. It is a great way for students and teachers to communicate and share ideas and thoughts on various topics with one another. Also blogging has allowed me to share my work with classmates and get feedback so I can improve certain areas. It has also given me the opportunity to share and highlight my strong points with friends and family. I am very comfortable with using the blogs and I will definately implement them into my classroom when I become a teacher so my students can reflect and share their work in a portfolio like fashion. I am thrilled with web logging and I really enjoyed it through out the semester.

FINAL REFLECTION

Since the beginning of this semester, I have learned so much useful information and resources to help me in the classroom. I feel more than ready and very comfortable with implementing technology into my classroom. I am more than certain that I will utilize the various programs we have used to help me in preparing and instructing in a proper and effective learning environment. I have learned a variety of programs and techniques of integrating technology into my lessons. Though, the use of technology will make the learning experience more enjoyable and interactive for my students, it remains very important in the classroom especially in today’s society because it facilitates the learning experience for students greatly.

Given that I am concentrating in Mathematics and Language Arts in the Middle grades, I will definitely need visual aids to help my students grasp and comprehend the information more clearly. Without doubt, I will use Blogs in my classroom so my students can keep a portfolio of their work throughout the school year as well as write their personal thoughts and reflective essays of material covered in class. I will also use Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Publisher to assist me in presenting data and significant information to my class. These are all very useful and interactive tools that will help me in my successful instruction as a teacher.

In this class, I have already learned how to make a web page using it for an internet-based activity as well as incorporating inspiration charts into lessons for summarizing and revision purposes. I have learned how to make and maintain a personal blog as well as the reasons and usefulness of blogs in the classrooms. I have learned how to use technology in Math and English lessons, which is essential for me because those are my two areas of concentration. I have done projects incorporating Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, and Word into my lessons, which will be beneficial to both my students and myself. Utilizing these various strategies and implementing them into my lessons will not only make my lessons more enjoyable and enlightening for my students but it will decrease my workload tremendously. I am very excited to use these programs in my classroom and I am certain that using technology will have a positive effect and outcome in my class.

I have definitely learned how to tackle challenges more efficiently using technology because I have learned how to incorporate it into Math and English lessons, which is essential for me because those are my two areas of concentration. I have gained so much knowledge on technology and its importance to the classroom; however, I feel that technology should be used in the classroom for research and informational purposes as well as to aid the lessons and help keep the children’s attention throughout classes.

The technology resources of my future school of employment will have a significant impact on my teaching because without the resources there will be less production. However, as a teacher it is important to make use of the materials and resources that are available and take it from there. Not all schools will have the latest and most reliable technology so it is always important to have hard copies as well as a back up plan. Part of being an excellent teacher is knowing how to cope with the current situation regardless of the circumstances.

Technology can improve teaching immensely because it makes the class more interesting and enjoyable for the students. Additionally, technology is dominating today’s world and everything has become computerized or digital in some form. For people to live comfortably and stay updated they must be computer literate and technologically advanced. This means that technology must now be taught in the schools and students must be familiar and comfortable with computers and technology. I feel it is significant that technology is implemented in the classroom and used to the fullest extent because it will only benefit our students as well as teachers and make the education process more interesting and pleasurable.
Finally, as a teacher it is crucial for me to stay updated with technology and continue to educate myself as well as learn new techniques and effective strategies of implementing technology in the classroom setting. It is my responsibility to take courses and research new information and technology products that will facilitate me as an effective and successful teacher. I am thrilled and appreciative of the amount of useful and supportive technological tolls that I have learned throughout this semester and I am positive that I will implement and take advantage of these resources.

WEBSITE AND SOFTWARE

The software that I evaluated was Soccer Math. It is a drill program that focuses on math problems for children ages 7 -14. It deals with basic math including fractions, percentages, decimals etc.

The website that I evaluated MarcoPolo which is a vary useful resource for teachers. It provides a wide range of lesson plans, activities and other useful resources for all subject areas.

Both the Website and the Software were great tools that I will definately utilize in my classroom when I become a teacher.

Digital Divide Network

I read the article about Real-World Research: How do Low-Income Parents Support Their Children’s Educational Development? The article was very interesting and basically discussed how:

parents play a big role in promoting their child’s success in school. In fact,
parenting practices account for about 25% of the achievement differences between
high- and low-performing students. A child’s education can suffer when parents
are too busy to offer their full support.

Low income families are not fully involved with their kids' education because of numerous factors such as working more than one job, lack of education or literacy themselves, feeling intimidated ot threatened by school environment, an organization called Computers for Youth has a program which supplies families like these with computers. It is a great program and seems to be quite successful. The article is very interesting and goes into the various programs offered.

The mission of Computers for Youth is:

to help low-income students become engaged learners and thereby succeed in school and in life. To achieve this goal, CFY places computers in students' homes and operates programs in their schools that increase parental involvement and improve teaching practices.

Access Project

Project: Polygons

Learning Goals and Standards:

The Polygon activity is targeted for Grade 5 students and is based on the Mathematics lesson: The Geometry Dictionary. The students will be able to recognize and list characteristics of regular polygons including triangles, rectangles, squares, parallelograms, rhombuses, trapezoids, circles, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, octagons, nonagons, and decagons.

The QCC standards addressed in this lesson include:

• Determines line of symmetry and identifies geometric relations (e.g., parallel to, perpendicular to, intersect, horizontal, vertical, similar, congruent, flips, slides, and turns).
• Makes models of plane and solid figures and sorts and classifies these models according to characteristics such as number of sides, angles, vertices, faces, edges, tessellations, and lines of symmetry (include triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, circles, cones, cylinders, rectangular prisms, and pyramids).
• Identifies basic technology tools.
• Demonstrates understanding of basic technology and telecommunication tools.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the uses of technology and telecommunication tools in society.
• Demonstrates appropriate and effective care and use of technology tools.
• Operates basic technology tools and applications.
• Identifies and uses technology tools to solve problems with teacher assistance.
• Manages information with databases and spreadsheets.
• Recognizes the appropriate uses of information and information technology.

Rational for Technology:

Technology plays a very significant role in this lesson and shows students that Mathematics can be easily represented and understood by the use of technology. Also this lesson is very interactive and is a more advanced but enjoyable and educational activity for the students. Children love using technology and this is a great and educational experience for them. The main purpose of this lesson is for the students to have a complete summary of the basic polygons and the characteristics of each and be able to represent the data using various tools of Microsoft Access.

Description of Lesson Implementation:

This activity is more of a revision exercise for students. I would probably use it to help the students in preparing before a Mathematics test focusing on Geometry. The students will use the various tools of Microsoft Access to represent data on Regular Polygons. They will use tables, queries, forms, and reports but preferably with the wizards to make it less difficult and easy going for the students. However, I would guide the students through this process step by step because Access is a very useful but tricky software program. We would make sure to incorporate the most significant polygons and the characteristics of each. I would already have a list of each polygon that will be used with some of the characteristics but the students will also give their input on the main characteristics while we create the chart. This will help the students recall the most important points as well as incorporate these ideas onto slides which help them better organize and store information.

Assessment:

The students will save their presentations on the computers and print them out including the tables, forms, queries, and reports. I would allow the students to work in groups of twos and present their data to the class for assessment. I would also use a special assessment rubric to grade the students’ presentations and their hard copies of the Microsoft Access projects.

Other Places to Use This Solution:

I would definitely recommend using this in the classroom for any subject area as a way to summarize important information or as a new method for storing and keeping track of huge data. It is more useful as a tool for teachers but is a great way for students to summarize their work and have easy access to it. This would also be great for teachers and parents to help organize, update, and keep track of significant information. This is a great activity and Access could be useful and beneficial for everyone.

What I Learned:

I learned that in order to have a successful lesson with technology integration the teacher must be computer literate and comfortable with technology.

Evaluation:

The Polygon activity is an example of an integrated lesson. It is extremely useful and incorporates technology well. It is structured on Geometric concepts and consists of all the important areas of a lesson. The lesson is clearly written and meets the criteria of the QCC standards. The Polygon activity would be useful to all students and could be modified for varying students. This lesson is very interactive and is also a fun activity for the students. Children love using technology and this is a great and educational experience for them.

Resources: Georgia Learning Connection

EXCEL PROJECT

Project: Polygons

Learning Goals and Standards:

The Polygon activity is targeted for Grade 5 students and is based on the Mathematics lesson: The Geometry Dictionary. The students will be able to recognize and list characteristics of regular polygons including triangles, rectangles, squares, parallelograms, trapezoids, rhombuses, circles, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, octagons, nonagons, and decagons. The students will also be able to recognize how many sides, vertices, and angles each polygon has as well as the sum of all angles in each figure. The total, average, minimum and maximum number will also be calculated in this exercise.

The QCC standards addressed in this lesson include:

•Determines line of symmetry and identifies geometric relations (e.g., parallel to, perpendicular to, intersect, horizontal, vertical, similar, congruent, flips, slides, and turns).
•Makes models of plane and solid figures and sorts and classifies these models according to characteristics such as number of sides, angles, vertices, faces, edges, tessellations, and lines of symmetry (include triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, circles, cones, cylinders, rectangular prisms, and pyramids).
•Identifies and uses technology tools to solve problems with teacher assistance.
•Manages information with databases and spreadsheets.
•Identifies basic technology tools.
•Demonstrates understanding of basic technology and telecommunication tools.
•Demonstrates an understanding of the uses of technology and telecommunication tools in society.
•Demonstrates appropriate and effective care and use of technology tools.
•Operates basic technology tools and applications.

Rational for Technology:

Technology plays a very significant role in this lesson and shows students that Mathematics can be easily represented and understood by the use of technology. Also this lesson is very interactive and is an enjoyable and educational activity for the students. Children love using technology and this is a great and educational experience for them. The main technology connection in this lesson is for the students to have a complete summary of the basic polygons and the characteristics of each. The students will also learn the basic functions and tools of Microsoft Excel that will assist them in computing totals, averages, minimum and maximum numbers among other numerous mathematical functions. Microsoft Excel is a great program for students and will be a fun and interactive activity that is beneficial to everyone.

Description of Lesson Implementation:

This activity is more of a revision exercise for students as well as a new learning experience. I would probably use it to help the students in preparing before a Mathematics test focusing on Geometry. The students would construct their own spreadsheets of the significant regular Polygons using Microsoft Excel. However, I would guide the students through this process step by step. We would make sure to incorporate the most significant polygons and the characteristics of each. I would already have a list of each polygon that will be used with some of the characteristics but the students will also give their input on the main characteristics while we create the chart. This will help the students recall the most important points as well as incorporate the sum, average, minimum and maximum numbers of each column into the spreadsheets. The spreadsheets are useful because it help them better organize and store information. However, we would also create charts to represent the same information on the tables to give the students a visual aid to compare and contrast the results of the table. This lesson will be a fun and interactive learning activity for the students. Their math skills and technology experience will be put to good use in this lesson.

Assessment:

The students will save their Microsoft spreadsheets and charts on the computers and print them. I would also give each child the opportunity to present his/her individual projects to the class. In addition, I would use a special assessment rubric to grade the students’ presentations and their hard copies of the Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and charts. Overall the students’ knowledge of using Excel to represent their ideas and knowledge of polygons is the main focus. Not only will their computer skills be used but also the understanding of polygons and basic mathematical functions will be used in this activity.

Other Places to Use This Solution:

I would definitely recommend using Microsoft Excel in the classroom for any subject area as a way to summarize important information or as a new method for lecturing to my class or even as a study guide. It is a great and easy way for students to summarize their work and have easy access to it. This would also be great for teachers and parents to help organize, update, and keep track of significant information such as test scores, attendance, and performance throughout the school year. It is a great activity and Excel could be useful and beneficial for everyone.

What I Learned:

I learned that in order to have a successful lesson with technology integration the teacher must be computer literate and comfortable with technology. It is also very important to make sure the websites, clipart, and research materials online are book marked or reviewed first by the teacher. To prevent inappropriate information, I would already have the list of polygons and characteristics available to the students so no one would have to research them on the Internet. Also the students would obtain their additional information from their textbooks on Polygons. It is also important that students understand the basics of using Microsoft Excel and then everything else basically falls into place. Excel will calculate, update, and organize information but it is just doing it the correct and most efficient way that matters. Excel is a great program that is useful to everyone and I will definitely implement it into my lessons.

Evaluation:

The Polygon activity is an example of an integrated lesson. It is extremely useful and incorporates technology well. It is structured on Geometric concepts and consists of all the important areas of a lesson. The lesson is clearly written and meets the criteria of the QCC standards. The Polygon activity would be useful to all students and could be modified for varying students. This lesson is very interactive and is also a fun activity for the students. Children love using technology and this is a great and educational experience for them.

Resources:

Georgia Learning Connection
Math League
Clipart

BLOOM'S TAXONOMY

Using Blooms in Math with Polygons:

KNOWLEDGE: List 5 of the regular polygons in geometry.

COMPREHENSION: Contrast the characteristics of each polygon.

APPLICATION: Illustrate an example of each polygon.

ANALYSIS: Make a connection/similarity between each of the polygons.

SYNTHESIS: Create a game incorporating polygons in it.

EVALUATION: Explain the most important characteristic of all regualar polygons.

RESOURCE: Bloom's Taxonomy

DESKTOP PUBLISHER PROJECT

Desktop Publishing Project

Project: School Newsletter

Learning Goals and Standards:

The School Newsletter activity is targeted for Grade 5 students and focuses on Polygons in the Math Section of this particular Newsletter. The students will be able to recognize and list characteristics of regular polygons including triangles, rectangles, squares, parallelograms, rhombuses, trapezoids, and circles. The teachers are responsible for the main structure and organization of the Newsletter. The main purpose of the newsletter is to highlight important information and post reminders for parents, teachers, and students. Each week a different subject area is focused on such as Math, English, Science, and Social Studies, however, Math is the subject for this week. The Subject page is always on page 3 of the newsletter and this is where the students get to work hands on with the newsletter and recap important information on certain content areas. The students compose the subject section of the newsletter and the teachers only assist when needed.

The QCC standards addressed in this lesson include:

• Determines line of symmetry and identifies geometric relations (e.g., parallel to, perpendicular to, intersect, horizontal, vertical, similar, congruent, flips, slides, and turns).
  
• Makes models of plane and solid figures and sorts and classifies these models according to characteristics such as number of sides, angles, vertices, faces, edges, tessellations, and lines of symmetry (include triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, circles, cones, cylinders, rectangular prisms, and pyramids).
  
• Operates basic technology tools and applications.
  
• Identifies basic technology tools.
  
• Demonstrates understanding of basic technology and telecommunication tools.
  
• Demonstrates appropriate and effective care and use of technology tools.
  
• Applies word processing/desktop-publishing tools to facilitate the writing process.
  
• Identifies and uses technology tools to solve problems with teacher assistance.
  
  Rational for Technology:
  
  Technology plays a very significant role in this lesson and shows students that Mathematics as well as other subject areas can be easily represented and understood by the use of technology. This lesson is also very interactive for the student s and teachers. It is an enjoyable and educational activity for the students and shows them various methods of representing important information with the use of technology. Children love using technology and this is a great and educational experience for them. The main technology connection in this lesson is for the students to have a complete summary of the basic polygons and the characteristics of each while incorporating it into their School Newsletter.
  Description of Lesson Implementation:
  
  This activity is more of a revision exercise for students and it integrates the use of technology. I would probably use it to help the students in preparing before a Mathematics test focusing on Geometry. The students would construct their own summary of important points focusing on Polygons. However, I would guide the students through this process step by step. We would make sure to incorporate the most significant polygons and the characteristics of each. I would already have a list of each polygon that will be used but the students must use their Math textbooks as well as notes to highlight the significant characteristics of each Polygon. This will help the students recall the most important points as well as incorporate these ideas onto the School Newsletter Subject page, which will help them, better organize and store information. Students can work individually or collaboratively for this activity.
  
  Assessment:
  
  The students will save their publications on the computers and print them out. Students will also share with the class the characteristics of each polygon and write a reflection about the activity on the class blog. I would also use a special assessment rubric to grade the students’ final publication and the oral presentations to the class. However, the best publication will be the one used in the School Newsletter and published for the following week.
  
  Other Places to Use This Solution:
  
  I would definitely recommend using this in the classroom for any subject area as a way to summarize important information or as a new method for lecturing to my class or even as a study guide. It is a great and easy way for students to summarize their work and have easy access to it. This would also be great for teachers and parents to help organize, update, and keep track of significant information. This is a great activity and Desktop Publishing could be useful and beneficial for everyone. For future lessons I would use Desktop Publishing to make bulletins, signs, invitations, calendars, brochures, labels and award certificates. We could do numerous activities in class using this software.
  
  What I Learned:
  
  I learned that in order to have a successful lesson with technology integration the teacher must be computer literate and comfortable with technology. It is also very important to make sure the websites, clipart, and research materials online are book marked or reviewed first by the teacher. To prevent inappropriate information, I would already have the list of polygons and characteristics available to the students so no one would have to research them on the Internet. Also the students would obtain their additional information from their textbooks on Polygons. I would have a worksheet highlighting the most important points and procedures for using Desktop Publisher too.
  
  Evaluation:
  
  The Polygon activity is an example of an integrated lesson. It is extremely useful and incorporates technology well. It is structured on Geometric concepts and consists of all the important areas of a lesson. The lesson is clearly written and meets the criteria of the QCC standards. The Polygon activity would be useful to all students and could be modified for varying students. This lesson is very interactive and is also a fun activity for the students. Children love using technology and this is a great and educational experience for them.
  
  Resources:
• Barry’s Clipart
• Clipart
• Georgia Learning Connection
• Math League

Visual Literacy

I chose the Visual Activity using Web-based photo resources. The activity was to basically build "visual reading" into your classroom by using one of the listed links to design an activity that uses the Picture of the Day. There are various pictures to choose from one of the following websites. I chose the Astronomy Picture of the Day which was of Enceladus. Everyday a new picture is put up of an image of some aspect of the universe and a brief explanation is followed. This would be great in a Science class for a weekly or daily activity.

The surface of Enceladus is as white as fresh snow. Still, an impressive variety of terrain is revealed in this contrast enhanced image. At a resolution of about 30 meters per pixel, the close-up view spans over 20 kilometers - recorded during the touring Cassini spacecraft's March flyby of the icy Saturnian moon. Enceladus is known to be the most reflective moon in the solar system, and the recent Cassini encounters have also detected the presence of an atmosphere, making Enceladus the second moon of Saturn with such a distinction. In fact, Enceladus' fresh looking surface and significant atmosphere both indicate that the tiny, 500 kilometer diameter moon is active. Researchers suspect that ice volcanos or geysers coat the surface with fresh material and replenish the moon's atmosphere, ultimately providing the icy particles that compose Saturn's tenuous E ring.

POWERPOINT PROJECT

Project: Polygons

Learning Goals and Standards:

The Polygon activity is targeted for Grade 5 students and is based on the Mathematics lesson: The Geometry Dictionary. The students will be able to recognize and list characteristics of regular polygons including triangles, rectangles, squares, parallelograms, trapezoids, and circles.

The QCC standards addressed in this lesson include:

Determines line of symmetry and identifies geometric relations (e.g., parallel to, perpendicular to, intersect, horizontal, vertical, similar, congruent, flips, slides, and turns).
Makes models of plane and solid figures and sorts and classifies these models according to characteristics such as number of sides, angles, vertices, faces, edges, tessellations, and lines of symmetry (include triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, circles, cones, cylinders, rectangular prisms, and pyramids).

Rational for Technology:

Technology plays a very significant role in this lesson and shows students that Mathematics can be easily represented and understood by the use of technology. Also this lesson is very interactive and is an enjoyable and educational activity for the students. Children love using technology and this is a great and educational experience for them. The non-assessed QCC Standards include technology integration, which identify basic technology tools, demonstrates the understanding of basic technology and telecommunication tools. Also the non-assessed QCC standards demonstrate appropriate and effective care and use of the technology tools as well as operating the basic tools and technology applications. The main technology connection in this lesson is for the students to have a complete summary of the basic polygons and the characteristics of each.

Description of Lesson Implementation:

This activity is more of a revision exercise for students. I would probably use it to help the students in preparing before a Mathematics test focusing on Geometry. The students would construct their own PowerPoint Presentation of Polygons using Microsoft PowerPoint. However, I would guide the students through this process step by step. We would make sure to incorporate the most significant polygons and the characteristics of each. I would already have a list of each polygon that will be used with some of the characteristics but the students will also give their input on the main characteristics while we create the chart. This will help the students recall the most important points as well as incorporate these ideas onto slides which help them better organize and store information.

Assessment:

The students will save their presentations on the computers and print them out as well as present them individually to the class. The students could also work in groups of twos and present their slideshow to the class for assessment. I would also use a special assessment rubric to grade the students’ presentations and their hard copies of the PowerPoint Slides.

Other Places to Use This Solution:

I would definitely recommend using this in the classroom for any subject area as a way to summarize important information or as a new method for lecturing to my class or even as a study guide. It is a great and easy way for students to summarize their work and have easy access to it. This would also be great for teachers and parents to help organize, update, and keep track of significant information. This is a great activity and PowerPoint could be useful and beneficial for everyone.

What I Learned:

I learned that in order to have a successful lesson with technology integration the teacher must be computer literate and comfortable with technology. It is also very important to make sure the websites, clipart, and research materials online are book marked or reviewed first by the teacher. To prevent inappropriate information, I would already have the list of polygons and characteristics available to the students so no one would have to research them on the Internet. Also the students would obtain their additional information from their textbooks on Polygons.

Evaluation:

The Polygon activity is an example of an integrated lesson. It is extremely useful and incorporates technology well. It is structured on Geometric concepts and consists of all the important areas of a lesson. The lesson is clearly written and meets the criteria of the QCC standards. The Polygon activity would be useful to all students and could be modified for varying students. This lesson is very interactive and is also a fun activity for the students. Children love using technology and this is a great and educational experience for them.

Resources:

Georgia Learning Connection
Math League