Blog Me

This is the Photo Story created by my 3rd grade studets as part of my integrated technology unit.  The song lyrics awere written by the students themselves!

final-photo-story1

I used a lot ot technology during my integrated unit plan and found it to be very helpful and beneficial for my lessons. These technologies include:

LCD projector
United Streaming
BrainPop
Smartboard
Photo story
Audacity

I used several clips from United Streaming to introduce new topics to the students. I also used BrainPop which the students absolutely love. The Smartboard was used during a lesson in the computer lab which had the students completely engaged throughout the entire 50 minute period. Audacity was a bit difficult for me to use because I had trouble aliginging my students’ voices to the background song. However, once it was settled, the end result in Photo story served as a good reflection and assessment of the unit.

Below you will find a link to an integrated unit I wrote for my 3rd grade classroom on animals and communication.  The unit plan targets all of the 8 multiple intelligences and learning styles and integrates writing, non-fiction literature, animals and ecosystems, dance, music, drama, visual arts, and more

http://tat.clairvoy.com/tiki-index.php?page=Technology+Integrated+Unit+Plan-%22How+Animals+Talk%22&highlight=integrated

1. Ask tech to get video camera into computer
2. Get special cord (analog to digital converter) - $40
3. Plug into audio and video plug the other side goes into USB port
4. Pull up movie maker
5. Insert video from camera
6. Hit play on video camera
7. Hit record on moviemaker
8. Don’t include any student or school info
9. Upload to teachertube or youtube
10. Go onto wikispaces.com
11. Copy embedded video link from teachertube and copy to wikisapces

After reading the following insightful and educational blog about blogging:

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Reader_Responsiveness_2.0.aspx

I will admit I am impressed and pretty surprised at how useful and beneficial blogging can be for students.  I personally have never been a blogger and am new to the blogging world so a lot of the information I read impressed me.  The fact that students were coming to school early just to  use the computers for blogging purposes speaks volumes! To me that shows just how motivated students are to express their thoughts and feelings, as long as they are given the right forum to do so.  Just because some students don’t talk out loud in class, does that mean they don’t have anythign interesting to say? Of course not! All that means is the avenue was not right for them.  Therefore blogging provides the perfect opportunity for all students to express their ideas in a safe environment.  I am very eager to use blogging as a teacher.  After reading the blog above the benefits to blogging cannot be ignored.

I agree that strategy over lesson plans is the way to teach most effectively.  As a new teacher (and an intern)  If you don’t know WHY you are doing the things that you are doing, then what good is that..

be back later class ended

I learned that differentiation begins with knowledge of the students by the teacher.  If the teacher does not know his or her students’ strengths, weaknesses, needs, etc., then successful differentiation cannot occur.  Differentiation is provided as part of the instructional and testing/assessment process so that the student has equal opportunity to learn the curriculum and experience success.  Differentiation can be related to time, scheduling, setting, presentation, and response.  During my observation day I learned that differentiation is imperative for special needs students to experience success.   The focus of differentiation is the students and is based primarily on assessment (Tomlinson, 2005).  Technology is an important part of differentiation.  Part of differentiation is grouping students, so that students’ weaknesses and strengths are maximized.  The teacher plays a very important part in a differentiated classroom and is in charge of organizing the classroom in such as way that effective learning is maximized.  As I learned from the Special Education teacher at my school, scaffolding is another important component to differentiation.  By monitoring and assisting the students, the teacher is aware of student progress and can better prevent leaving any student behind. (Tomlinson, 2005)