Project Completed

I just saw that it's been 4 weeks since my last post. Time flies! I have been spending more time on the other graduate class since our final projects are now due. My group volunteered to present on the first possible night, so we are FINISHED!! It's such a great feeling. The other group did a fabulous job, and I'm sure the remaining two groups will do just as well. This has been another learning opportunity with technology. During my preparation for the project, I practiced with graphs and tables. Our group presented our data and introduced the assigned school system with a movie/video. The other group shared information about their designated school system with the "clickers." A lot of schools have e-instruction. This group used something very similar, so they introduced another form of technology. As we have all seen and talked about during the semester, technology is all around us. We had better get on the ship so that we don't get left behind! My focus will now be redirected to this course. I have started on my last assignment, but it's time to step it up, get it completed, and turned in. Good luck to us all!

Ineffective Technology

I was interviewed by a teacher the other day regarding the use of technology in classrooms. One of the questions asked about any technology that is viewed as ineffective. What is your opinion? Do you view any type(s) of technology as ineffective? Please explain.

Visit in a Technology-filled Class

I had a great experience today at Craven Early College. I stopped by to check in with the Algebra 2 teachers who are doing an outstanding job. The entire class period was spent using technology. Each student has a laptop which makes this tech. usage much easier. The class began with a review using a WIKI page. The teacher had listed each topic that would be covered on the upcoming assessment along with notes. The students were able to compare the topics listed with their own notes to be sure they had all materials to study. They then proceeded to a website for AlgeCaching. This was wonderful! I had so much fun! If you are not familiar with AlgeCaching, it is a lot like a scavenger hunt. Math problems were given along with instructions of what to do with the answers they came up with. For instance, it may say to multiply your answers from part 1 and then find the product of that number and the cube of 25. The answer derived had to be included in the URL in order to go to the next problem. The students covered a wide variety of skills in such a fun way. They were so excited when they had the right answer that led them to the next part. They were high fiving and pulling for each other. I had a wonderful visit. I can't wait to go back!

Integrating Technology in Math Classes

As I am visiting math classes this year, I am encouraging teachers to integrate technology into their lessons. If anyone has any "best practices" that involve technology, please share them on my blog. Also, if you or someone you know, has found any outstanding websites that are math related, I'd love to hear about those.

Teach them to think!

I had been wondering what to post next. WOW! I found something powerful. Please take a couple of minutes to watch:
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=12272&title=A_Vision_of_K_12_Students_Today

This really makes you stop and think about the use of technology in the classroom. After watching, I am more motivated to incorporate and broaden my knowledge. Educators tell their students to "think out of the box." Educators must also "think out of the box." Hope you enjoy!

Technology at work

I attended a math articulation meeting this week at one of our middle schools where I found out some valuable information regarding technology. One thing was with Home Connect which allows parents to sign up, provide their email address, and receive scores when their child takes a test in Accelerated Math, Accelerated Reading, or completes an activity from Math Facts in a Flash. This is a great way for parents to stay up to date on the quantity and quality of their child's assignments. I immediately registered to receive my own children's scores. I feel like many parents would take advantage of this notification if they were aware of it. I hope the teachers will share this information and encourage parents to participate. Another bit of technology that impressed me was that the math department at this school has a WIKI for math vocabulary. Math terms are listed, and anyone can visit, edit, and save to add definitions. This site is a resource for grades 6-8. By the end of the year this will be an excellent way to review terms/language that students should be prepared to see on the EOG. The WIKI is accessible by anyone, and those who choose to submit definitions can post their name to receive credit for their contributions. This is a work in progress that numerous students have already visited and added to. I thought it was a great way to incorporate technology and a resource that will be useful, especially at review time. The students have an opportunity to help develop their own math dictionary. I would love to hear stories from those who have seen technology at work this week. If anyone else has had experience with Home Connect, please share your findings.

Sites of the Week

Kudos to our instructor on the websites for the week. I thought two of them were fabulous. I've got to start off with the Slydial. I had to try it to really believe it. I played a trick on my husband. He was my guinea pig. I used the slydial and left him a message. I later called him and said, "So you'll answer now, huh?" He saw that he had a message and could not figure out how he had missed the call. He told me the phone had been in his pocket the whole time. I then had to tell him about this "sly" resource. The other site that I really liked was WolframAlpha. This is a dream come true to a math student. It will graph, factor, solve, etc. Check out these sites if you haven't yet. If you have, tell me what you thought.