February 4, 2010

What have I learned?

I certainly had to scramble and dig into the depths of history to find out how to get back onto this site in order to respond to the reflective process we use. I have learned about an add-on to help with the math testing within Office, although I have not yet downloaded the plug-in. I have also learned that much of what we did today with GapMinder I had already tried as a motivational and exploratory tool with my lowest math students back in October after a re-exposure to it.

I am anticipating learning how to "mine" data through the tableau download we will work with tomorrow.

I appreciated the "tell the story" approach to engage thinking skills in students.

What do I still have questions about?

I am most curious how to proceed with the process of selecting data in Excel format, with headings on the columns and visualizing the format.

What can I apply in my classroom?

I can definitely work on the more "inspirational" approaches to exploring data, encouraging kids to ask more questions of data. I shared GapMinder with students last fall as an exploratory activity, but now they are ready to proceed on their own. I will be able to have them tell stories with what they find and adapt the process to their level.

BTW, I have introduced Prezi to my students who have very successfully used the free, downloadable version to make presentations in class. Apparently no one else in the building has used it yet, and the students are quite pleased with their first attempts.

1) What did you learn today?

I am amazed at the resources/ potential of the math resources offered today, especially the Geogebra and GapMinder resources. The applet potential has great options - it will replace Sudoku for those moments when I need to entertain the brain, but still be mindless! I see potential for ALL my classes, plus others on staff, especially the GapMinder!!! Logger Pro I used years ago with now-defunct machines, so I plan on upgrading it. I definitely will explore the SciDAVis program as well.

2)What questions do you still have with regard to content, technology, and pedagogy?

My only current concern is staying connected, which was not tended to well this past year (by me, not others!). I look forward to having one location where all the resources from this projet will be available. Yay, Keri!

3) How can you apply this to classroom practice? All four of these programs will be put to use - more to follow!

1) What did you learn today?

TONS!!!! I am thrilled at the progress I have made in analyzing data with Fathom and at knowing enough of how to make it work so that I can explore extensions. My confidence level in being able to use it with my students, even with one input is much better. I also am tickled with being able to connect directly to Fathom instead of having to go through the TI first for data collection.

2)What questions do you still have with regard to content, technology, and pedagogy?

I still need to work out some bugs with specific ways to maneuver around on the calculator and in Fathom, but I need to practice.

Also, can we get more info on how to "download" YouTube presentations so that they can be accessed and included in a presentation.

3) How can you apply this to classroom practice?

The sonic ranger will be of huge use in physics, as I have not had a real life way to model these motion graphs before. But it would also improve the reason for graphing in my basic algebra classes. The Fathom skills will vastly improve data analysis, letting students EXPLORE, leading to questions and "how else can I look at the data?" Models provided today on data collection gave great prompts to use and give ideas for lessons.

1) What did you learn today?

I learned much better how to use Fathom to analyze data, thanks to Marc and Angie's assistance. Using filters, models, linear regressions, and "photoing" the images for use elsewhere made the whole process far more useful.

While I did not personally do the work involved in uploading to Voicethread, I can see its potential. Our group worked well together in the data collection, I had no idea that the Brewster park existed, and I wish that we could have gotten to less of a backwater area of the Columbia.

I also learned how easy it was to use the flow meter and dissolved oxygen probes.

2)What questions do you still have with regard to content, technology, and pedagogy?

I am not yet clear as to how to use Voicethread, as I did not get the hands-on experience with it, but will explore it further.

3) How can you apply this to classroom practice?

I will be able to get students to use Fathom to carry out better data analysis, as students are very willing to collect data but far less willing to process it. Many more connections jump off the page with the various options within Fathom and I can better "fathom" how to introduce it.

I can also see the Voicethread has some awesome possibilities for instruction if I have to be gone, to help with those who missed a critical lesson AND to have students provide their presentations and participate in each others. Frequently students don't meet deadlines (ABSENT!!!) or miss what others present due to absences. This technology would eliminate those excuses and allow us to go to a deeper level of involvement ----once I figure out how to actually use the Voicethread site.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

1) What did you learn today?

I learned how to use and calibrate a variety of probes and feel more comfortable using the TI as a data collection device. I also feel as if I can transfer data from the TI to the computer, even on a Mac.

2)What questions do you still have with regard to content, technology, and pedagogy?

None. The content is all too familiar, the technology is not difficult but needs practice, which will be difficult if there is not ample opportunity to actually use it in the classroom. I appreciate learning how to build various probes and would like students to do this as well. Limited pedagogy was developed today.

3) How can you apply this to classroom practice?

If I had the probes and TIs, I could readily design or have students design investigations that would collect interesting and relevant data. Access to the equipment is a possible issue.

Thursday - blog 4 Microsoft ?'s

(1) How do you currently use technology in the classroom, if at all? If so, what technologies? How many students have access to PCs at home?

I currently have an iMac with connections to a document camera and a projector, and a reasonable selection of software on the computer, as a staff computer. I also have about 10 older PC computers I had been awarded through a TLP grant back in 2001! They are wireless, and I have a networked printer to my computer. However, we don't have a networked (or otherwise)printer connected to the lab computers. In time I hope to have probeware hooked to those PCs.

As for student access, we have a computer lab with 24 stations - a mix of PCs and Macs. There are several other sites in the building that have Macs of PCs that are specific teacher's rooms but are accessable on occasion. Home access MAY be about 90% - it is hard to say. I certianly have many students who have amazing access, and there are others who claim that they can't do assignments that require the computer b/c they don't have access. My real concern at this point is the district policies regarding access. We currently have a filter called BESS that is used to block out much of the Web 2.0 activities. If this is as extensive as I think it may be, the new activities I have in mind may have to be homework from outside the building. I also would have to design my sites etc. away from the building as my access is just as limited as the students. Our system is built on Macs AND PCs, where every computer stands alone, rather than stations that feed back to a logged in access.

(2) Is your school leadership supportive of your individual use of technology in teaching and learning?

The principal is VERY tech minded and quite savy himself and therefore appears to be very supportive. My only concern is about access, which has been diminishing over time.

(3) Where did you get information about ICT in the classroom or about technology (before this PD, of course!)?

Most of my recent access has been through the Web itself as I explore. I use the Web constantly as a teaching resource for information, but not for new tools. I have not had much formal PD on technology since 2000, other than some exposure last summer through another grant. I am now far more equipped to find information and tools to assist me.

(4) Would you be interested in connecting online with other teachers from around the state/region/world with similar interests?

Absolutely!

Thursday - Blog 3

Ideas for Next summer's PD

You know, I really don't know at the moment. I have so much to master at the moment that I can only think about what I am trying to accomplish/master at the moment. As I explore more of the web 2.0, I know that I will have lots of questions and ideas, but at the moment I don't know.

I personally want to see more on the brain research relating to learning digitally.

I also need to find out more about access to many of these sites in a school setting which specifically blocks the use of these very functions, cell phones, etc.

Maybe next year's funding might provide a CBR??? although I should be able to come up with at least one of my one.