Everyday Math Online

POLL IT BABY!

http://www.polleverywhere.com/

Check this out- I got it from a webite that had 14 new technologies that educators should watch out for in 2010 : http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/01/20/14-technologies-educators-should-watch-in-2010.aspx

You can do this FOR FREE!!!!! In 3rd grade, my kids LOVE taking polls. We use them in every subject. This would be awesome to post on the class website or blog. I think I would start as a "class poll", the move into groups, and eventually have them create one on their own. Cool stuff guys!

School Improvement Plan

Over the next few years, I think one of our school goals is to make our curriculum more align. That means, the transitioning is smoother for kids. You see, with private school, teachers have more freedom in their lesson planning which can be a HUGE positive. There is much more room to implement creative learning. However, a negative is that sometimes the curriculum does not align. For example, one teacher might teach English or Writing in a very specific way, and the other teacher might use a completely different format. They may even use different textbooks with contradictory methods. To ease this problem, we are having more meetings. For example, 1st and 2nd grade meet. Then 2nd and 3rd grade meet, and so on. Then when all come together for one "big" meeting to make sure students are where they need to be by middle school and teachers don't have 100 kids with 4 different ways of solving problems or have hugely different levels of exposure to certain areas. This hurts us is all subject areas. Think about one class doing a unit on space, then another class did a unit on animals instead. Well, what is next years teacher supposed to do? We are collected data based on surveys and feedback from our meetings. We are also making our lesson plans and curricular aims available online so we can all share what we are doing to make sure our students are equally prepared for the next year. Making our lessons available online for the entire faculty to see really helps us as teachers, and the administrators. It also helps when we receive our standardized test scores back, we can look online and see where there is a "hole" in the curriculum and how and what grade we need to fix it. We are starting to realize that it all begins in Kindergarten, and as we continue to build on those foundations, we must stay aligned. Teaching in different methods is great, but we need to have use the same curriculum guide to follow to make it easier on students and teachers. I think all our future assessments will be greatly improved by sharing lessons online with each other and using standardized tests to help measure our success and recognize our weaknesses.

CYBER-BULLYING

There are 4 types of bullying : this one has the least research because its new. But we need to be aware as teachers!

Walker Tradition at SMU!!!!

Doak Walker Article Dallas Morning News

Click the link to read the article. This is me with a picture with Doak Walker's Heisman! SWEET! Go MUSTANGS! The Walkers are MY FAVORITE!!!! The nicest family ever!

Bullying / Social Isolation

This topic has bothered me a great deal lately. It is the tpoic of discussion today in my Gifted class. I'd like to share this clip. It is light-hearted, but I feel so many of our kids are bullied, especially girls. This author wrote, Queen Bees- she is famous and travels the world helping teachers, kids, and parents. This is worth it guys.

Making another video

HAHA! It's so much fun once you get it down! I made a hysterial video for my sister that lives in Houston. I went around recording everyone in my family sending her messages-even the dogs! She was really excited and it was soemthing new no one in our family has ever done so I was pleased with my new technology skills!
Moving on, I dressed some kids up yesterday in western wear and made them act in my second video, Hoe-Down Throw Down. That's correct. I teach kids teh hoe-down for Farm Day, so I thought making a video would be way easier than me spending an entire day teaching 100 kids! Got some cool music on CCmixter.org !

Gifted Females: Role Models for teaching females

Hello! Well, I was researching today for my Gifted and Talented classes and came across some amazing statistics I just had to share!

• There are 76 women in the House of Representatives and 359 men.
• There are 17 women in the Senate and 83 men.
• 41 women have won the Nobel Prize and 765 men...the first woman was Marie Curie!

We have got to encourage our female students to look at gifted females for role models. A favorite clip of mine encouraging females comes from a great movie, "Akeelah and the Bee".

Take a look guys:

Akeelah and the Bee Movie Clip

AWESOME TEACHING TOOL

Okay- while working on a presentation, I found this AWESOME sight. This would be great for open house, presentations, or used to inspire your students. It is free video clips from inspirational movies. My favorite is the Diary of A Wimpy Kid clip! Check it out guys!

http://www.wingclips.com/

STUDENT LEARNING

Well, in terms of my school collecting data on students...I think the most important is SES status. The majority of my students have the means to have technology at home. This way, when I assign homework that requires technology, I know that everyone will be able to access the technology needed. I would never want to embarrass a student, so I think that is a very important issues. Also, I like that my school collects data on students with disabilities. I like using technology as a tool to meet their different needs. Lastly, I have seen my school collecting data on what the "feeder" high schools are using. Feeder high schools are the school that "most" of our students attend after our school. They are mostly private high schools in Dallas. So we look at what technology they use with their freshman students, and what they are expected to know. This trickles all the way down to us in elementary school starting the foundations!

Charlotte's Web Survey

http://Click here to take survey

Check out my survey for my Charlotte's Web unit?!

NYC Magnet School

I spent the day at SMU's Law School library. I must people, the school of education better get a nice library. I was wondering why the heck I spent all my time studying in Fondren with this masterpiece. No undergraduates and silence! HEAVEN! Well, I found some pretty cool things for my Gifted and Talented (G/T/)class I wanted to share.
Ok, so there are these magnet schools in NYC....if you are interested at all in G/T, you have to read "A Class Apart" by Alec Klein.....well, these 9 magnet high schools in NYC are super competitive to get in to. I mean, kids start preparing in elementary school. These kids go to the Ivys...live and breathe school, like Texans and football.
So, check out this statistic: in 2010, the kids that were admitted to these schools were:

7% black
8% Hispanic
28% white
57% Asian

It just blew my mind....it made me sad to see such a lack of diversity.
Let's go America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ideas for Project Based Learning

Hey guys! Wow, after doing our reading for the week in class, I checked out the Top 10 Innovative Ideas for Project Based Learning. My two favorites were "Life on the Streets" and "Keeping the Peace". It just blows my mind that kids are doing these. I showed my Dad the project the students did on the Japanese War Veterans and he was in shock. I am an adult and trying to learn all this technology, and chances are about 1/3 of my kids already know how to do this stuff. You should check out this site though. It will get your brain going on how you can apply these ideas to fit your class!

http://www.techlearning.com/article/1640

Teacher Tube Video : Great Kapok Tree

This is my favorite video from Teacher Tube! I read this book with my students in April. When we are doing "Third Grade Goes Green" unit. This book is great on the day we study rain forests. This would be great to do the following day with the students either as a model to create thier own, or in help understanding the book before taking their required Accelerated Reader tests online.

Kid's Podcasts

Okay! After reading Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts by Will Richardson I must say that going to those recommeded webistes are incredible. My favorite was the "Coleycasts" from the students at Brent Coley. This would be so much more fun to do rather than a Power Point. I feel I always use Power Points or Photo Story, but this would be an incredible way for children to report their information. I am thinking when we study biographies, this would be a much better way for students to demonstrate what they have learned. They will have more fun creating a podcasts than writing ANOTHER book report. I am sure if this is their first experience with it, they will retain the information as well. I love using different forms of assessment, and this is a great idea!

The Classroom of the FUTURE

I actually have quite a bit to say about this (I know you are all shocked). Well, last year Ursuline Academy if Dallas (GO BEARS) asked me to work on the committee Vision 2033. I was super excited, and honored. I was the youngest and assigned to the Education committee. Actually, a student's parent is a professor at SMU and I worked with her on it. We researched for 6 months until we presented our findings.
I believe a few things will happen based on research:
1. Virtual Classrooms :
It is inevitable people! Don't fight it, embrace it. I believe students will have classes in other countries using the web.
2. Independent Study:
Rather than required courses, I think there will be several fields of study and students will pick from a variety of options.
3. Teachers are Guides:
I think teachers will serve as mentors and guides to help students on their independent path. I think teachers will have frequently meet with students to check on their progress and assist in ideas.
4. "Teacherpreneurs":
This is similar to entrepreneurs but for teachers! Hey, maybe we can start making more money! With the use of virtual classes and the ability to teach anywhere in the world, with proper marketing, teachers can teach several classes anywhere in the world!

FYI: After researching this for a year, there is some awesome stuff on the web! It is exciting!! I actually decided to pursue Technology classes at SMU after completing this research.

Creating Videos

WOW! This is the biggest feeling of accomplishment for me. I was so nervous about this assignment. I had done Photo Story several times, but I had never used Movie Maker. However, while babysitting/tutoring, so many of my students told me they had used it. I figured I could conquer this.
After our first class, I immediately asked Stephanie if I could borrow an extra camera. Being the saint that she is, she kindly let me borrow one. We met at the Nasher Museum the following Sunday to take some shots. I learned how to upload them to my computer. I played a bit with Movie Maker and audacity, then called it a day.
I was off to nanny while the parents went on a vacation. I was "MOM IN TRAINING" with 5-9 kids everyday! It was neat because since I had learned how to take video on the camera, I recorded one of the kid's baseball games...and he scored the winning run to win the game. I was able to upload and send it to his parents! How cool (I think this is why I got an extra "tip" when the paid me)! I used the kids to do some of the shots. While at their house, of course, the camera starts to get a fuzzy shot. I cleaned it and tried several modes, but I think since in was an inexpensive camera, it had run its course and was time to be retired. I had not gotten paid yet, so I decided to continue using the camera...hey, we are all struggling teachers and graduate students....we gotta do what we gotta do! I went to Church with the kids and had a talk with the "Big Man" and asked Him for some serious help in juggling so many things. I think He must have listened, because I finally finished this today! Oh, yes, the day the parents returned, I went to my other SMU class (9 hours in one summer is not the smartest), then loaded a UHAUL and moved to Houston! I arrived back from Houston today, and got my Mom to finish up the last few shots.
I was able to use our text for help in the editing process. The website CCMixter.org has an awesome selection of free music. Playing with the different animations and transitions was so easy with Movie Maker. I know this is something great to use not only in class, but in my personal life. There is so much more you can do with Movie Maker instead of using Photo Story! Watch out You Tube....here I come!

Lesson Accelerators, Atomic Learning, & Animation...oh my!

Finally I have Atomic Learning! YEAH for me!
I was nervous that I would get so far behind! I really like the program! So far, since our Audio File is due Friday, I played around with the Audacity lesson. I thought it was very informative. It would be easy to use in a professional development course because the audio and visual aids are excellent. I would like to use this program for my class when we do "Fairy Tale Rap Songs". Yes, I know, 3rd grade is so cool. I think the kids would have a great time and get really into this! In staff development, I'd like to show teachers how to use Audacity as a resource for the websites if a student or parent needs extra information on an assignment. I bet it would cut down on phone calls and emails! I would change the lesson and divide it into two parts:
1. using audacity for music purposes
2. using audacity for instructional purposes (voice recordings only)
I think that would be more helpful for most teachers.

Another lesson I worked with was Power Points with Animation! Okay, for class I am a bit confused if we have to do animation, but I thought after looking at some classmates blogs, they were confused too, but went ahead and did it. I was thrilled to learn it wasn't too hard. The lesson was straight forward and slow. It was very easy to learn the different animations to make a more visually appealing Power Point. There are so many ways to use this in the classroom and in professional development. Every teacher should use this training at the beginning of the year. It can be used during Open House, parent meetings, as a link to the school's website, and for in class teaching purposes. I love to do my reviews for tests on Power Points. Now that I know all the different animation effects, I am sure I will have a much more effective resource for my students. Also, I like to have my students do Power Points at least once a quarter. I like the idea of having them incorporate different animations, which I can give them options on a rubric. I would not add or change anything from this lesson because I learned a great deal and it was very organized.

District Data Strategies

How is our district storing and protecting data? What recommendations and questions would you make?

Our district does a pretty solid job of protecting our security. (Well, that is what I think now, but give me a few moments to ponder this and change my mind)! At my school, we have two staff members whose sole purpose is technology. One person works on security and preserving our data. The other person works on maintaining the website and communication with the parents, teachers, and students. We each have our own website to update weekly under the supervision of the technology director. We attend technology safety trainings twice a year. The teachers, students, and parents have user names and passwords. The user names are changed yearly, and the passwords are changed monthly. Now, changing a password every month can get annoying, but it helps protect us. Luckily, we also have all information stored on one main G drive on our server, plus we all use jump drives as a back up. Further, each year, teachers store all their files to the main server and a CD. We keep all our documents, files, photos, video, etc. in a "digital library". This thing is kept under tight security- we are talking Fort Knox people! The teachers can't even get in without one of the technology directors! I also really like that our personal information, and the students personal information and grades are all stored on a specific program. We are virtually a paperless school. This makes it easier on teachers and students, plus we are "GOING GREEN"! We still keep hard copies of all major documents locked in the office in file cabinets to be extra cautious in case anything ever happened.
Some questions I do have for our district involve our social security codes. I do not like signing in each day on my computer with my login as my social security, plus the computer remembers it as well. I would recommend that changes. Also, our websites can be seen for all. Can we move to a protected website where a user name and password is required for access? This is a huge safety issue, especially having photos of the students and links to email addresses. Lastly, what future trainings are in place to teach teachers and families about Internet safety and viruses? Being that our website and email addresses are open for anyone, several times a teacher has opened an email thinking it was from a parent and a virus exploded. It took three days to correct the problem. Our school was without the use of computers and it was a scary time wondering what was destroyed or accessed. I would like to see not only constant training, but also stricter safety precautions with sharing our personal information. After all, our job is to keep the students safe. I understand having a website that is accessible for all to see helps bring in potential families to our school. It is a private school, so I understand the "business" side. However, safety comes first. Thoughts for the day from me!

Current Assessment Practices

Currently at my school, our students take two forms of norm-referenced tests in the fall. The students take the test for one week in the morning. The first test is the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. This test allows educators to determine a student’s ability compared to other students’ abilities. It also helps educators compare their students to other students around the country. The other standardized test is the Cognitive Abilities Test. This tests the student’s cognitive ability and informs educators and parents if a child is reaching their ability level. Both assessments identify strengths and weaknesses for each child, and can be helpful determining students with learning disabilities and gifted students.
In terms of benchmark practices, teachers follow their curriculum given by the district. Teachers use Harcourt text book series in Language Arts. The book provides benchmarks to assess students. Lessons begin with a pretest and end with a posttest. Also, throughout the chapter, the book provides several forms of benchmark assessments ranging from quizzes, worksheets, and discussion questions. Students also journal in their writing notebooks daily about their Language Arts lessons.
The use of portfolios is greatly encouraged and embraced by teachers, students, and parents. Students select one piece of written work to place in the portfolio monthly. All posttests are submitted in the portfolio as well. Students take four Accelerated Reader tests on the computer per quarter, and the results remain in the portfolio with a chart showing the child’s progress in reading comprehension and vocabulary throughout the year. This valuable tool is used for parents to select books for their children, and passed to the child’s teacher the following year.
Fortunately, project-based learning is becoming more prevalent in my classroom. This form of learning helps students gain mastery level on important material. Also, it is helpful to use to implement differentiated instruction and meeting the needs and interests of all students. Each quarter, I provide a list of ideas for students to select from helping meet their interest. Further, I supply several options that encourage students to use different skills ranging from technology, art, engineering, writing, and creativity. I provide students with a timeline and constantly meet with students to assess their progress. Students choose to work in small or large groups.
Students use several forms of technology which helps the assessment process. Daily, the students in my class practice typing on the computer for fifteen minutes. The computer keeps a log for each child to continually monitor their progress throughout the year. Students use PowerPoint, digital storytelling, and Excel to demonstrate skills learned. Also, students love to do Web quests and internet scavenger hunts. Lastly, at the end of the year, students create a newscast using a video camera to demonstrate their investigative skills which integrates Language Arts and social studies.
The students have a specific computer teacher to assess their computer skills and meet the standards. However, the computer teacher and I integrate several assignments together. Students must continually work on their typing skills. Also, students are expected to independently use Microsoft Word and Power Point. Using Excel, students learn how to create graphs. Students also must be able to save their own work, pictures, and videos. The most important standard for students is to learn the safety of the internet and use it wisely.
Overall, I feel integrating technology into the classroom at the earliest age is vital. For third grade language arts, I feel confident that I do a job using technology to assess my students, and using available resources. Integrating with the computer teacher on assignments is an easy way to give students another form of assessment rather than a test. I look forward to learning new ways to continue to use technology as an assessment tool.

Audio File

So, after playing around with Audacity for sometime while babysitting, I think I created a decent file. The kids thought it was loads of fun and we played around for the entire afternoon. I decided to unleash my dorky side, and honor my Mom by instructing how to bake the perfect pound cake. I had to write out everything and record several times before I was satisfied. My Mom of course was thrilled, but she obviously is biased. I created it as a WAV file, but I am still working on the edit process. There are so many options, and after hearing it over and over, it is hard to tell what sounds best. I figured it was wise to leave it be for now, and start the edit process again in the morning with "fresh ears". Does that even make sense??? Either way, this is all brand new to me as this is my first technology course, and I have never done it before, so I am proud of myself and looking forward to using this with my class next year!

First Day

Well, I just learned in class how to create a blog! I am feeling very proud and productive! Now, I just have to learn how to operate this thing!