Think-Tac-Toe (Blog Post 5)

One activity that I use in my classroom that supports Performance Based Assessment and technology integration is a Think-Tac-Toe board. Students are given the project requirements and rubric 3 weeks before the end of the unit on Squares/Square Roots. They are to complete it in a tic-tac-toe pattern. The choices range from a page in their book (that they have to access online), online games, creating a booklet, worksheet, or PowerPoint presentation, and creating a 3D visual model. Students can choose which activity that they would like to complete as long as they follow the pattern. They are encouraged to be as creative as possible. Exemplary work is then posted in the classroom for all to see.

Think-Tac-Toe Project

Think-Tac-Toe Rubric

Emerging Technology that Supports Communication and Collaboration (Blog Post 4)

In reading this chapter, I find myself thinking about my school. Each member at the school is part of a data team. These teams are subject area and grade level specific. I am fortunate to be a part of a truly collaborative team. Other subject areas just cooperate with one another. There is a big distinct between the two. Collaboration is when all members work together to develop a plan of action for the lesson. All members bring their knowledge and resources to the table and a decision is made as to which route must be taken. Cooperation is when each member has a separate role in the plan. Both are extremely important for effective teaching and learning.

Comic Life

Comic Life is a technological tool that engages students in learning content related materials while promoting humor and laughter. Complex problems can be presented in such a way that students do not realize that they are learning. My group's interdisciplinary theme is Space. The following example will involve the distances of planets written in scientific notation through humor. My hope is that my students will gain a better understanding of the material with this new approach.

Reflection

When I first heard about Comic Life, I was unsure of how I could use it in the classroom. Now that I have researched it and created one, I realize that it has endless possibilities. I am looking forward to implementing it in my classroom. My one concern is that parents will have to download the program, will they be willing to do that. I feel as though my students can have fun while accurately displaying content material in a way that is outside the confines of a normal classroom. The first Comic Life that I will have them create is a choice between irrational and rational numbers, explaining Pythagorean Theorem, or laws of exponents. There are many other topics that can be used such as displaying proofs, mapping out a word problem, and explaining geometric shapes of everyday lives. I have enjoyed this project and am excited about seeing the students' products.

Comic Life Article
How to Use Comic Life in the Classroom
retrieved from the WWW on 9/20/09

The use of comics in the classroom have aided in instruction. Studnets can use them to analyze and synthesize content that is hard to grasp. Comics offer a visual representation along with words to tell a story or explain a concept. Comic life increases student participation in class ssignmnets. Students will have fun creating their story to share with others, while mastering the concepts.

VoiceThread Integration in the Math Classroom (Blog Post 3)

I enjoyed being the Project leader to VoiceThread. Even though I did not create one, I decided on many ways I could use one in my classroom. My hopes are to start creating them for each unit. I would like to provide examples of concepts so students who are having trouble or were absent can refer to for additional support. They can post comments and ask questions, which I then can clarify for them. By hearing me walk them though the problem and seeing it worked out, they will feel as though they are sitting in the classroom. Once they are created, they can be reused each year, with slight changes. I am excited to get started.

Emerging Technology that Supports Content Learning (Blog Post 2)

In reading this weeks chapter, I find myself thinking so much of where Cobb County is going where performance assessment and the push for the differing level of Bloom's Taxonomy. It is important for students to have all three types of knowledge mentioned: declarative, structural, and procedural knowledge. Declarative knowledge is similar to the identifying level where students rely on wrote memory. Structural knowledge correlates to the understanding level. Procedural knowledge allows students to apply the concepts to the real world. A math example for the different stages are as follows:

• Declarative--rewriting a number from standard form into scientific notation.
• Structural--looking at a chart of the planets and seeing how far each is form the earth
• Procedural--using google earth and information about them(height, length of stride) to determine how many of them or of their strides it would take reach Australia

The main idea that I saw consistent in the chapter is the need for teacher's to make connections for the students and the fact that they need all three types of knowledge levels to be successful.

Technology Integration Article

Carey, R., Kleiman, G., Russell, M., Venable, J.D., Louie, J. ( 2008). Online courses for
math teachers: Comparing self-paced and facilitated cohort approaches. The
Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 7(3). Retrieved September 3,
2009 from the ERIC database.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of online professional development (OPD) on teacher content knowledge, beliefs, and practices. It is speculated that there would be a greater impact on the Facilitated Cohort Group as opposed to the Self-paced group in these areas.
The participants of this study were middle school teachers who taught at least one Algebra course. Of the 91 participants, 52 finished the program. One reason for the high drop out rate was due to family health situations and time constraints. The other reason was the level of math content. Those that were comfortable with the advanced content level stayed in the program, where as those who were challenged by the concepts felt the need to not continue.
This 10 week study examined the effects of a course taught two ways. Both ways required the participants to read the same material, complete the same assignments, and assign the same activities to their classroom. The two courses had the same two facilitators teaching one section of each to insure the validity. The only difference is that in the Facilitated Cohort group the significance to work collaboratively with the other group members and to interact with the teacher was emphasized. The participants, as a group, completed one session per week with daily open discussions and were required to post comments and questions two times a week. The Self-Paced group was given 10 weeks to complete all assignments at a pace that was comfortable to them. They did not interact with one another or with the teacher.
Data was collected using six different instruments. First, participants filled out a closed-response background survey on teaching experiences and use of technology. The second instrument was a closed-ended survey on the pedagogical beliefs. The third instrument was a math assessment covering the mathematical concepts covered in the study. The assessment was administered during the first and last weeks. The fourth instrument was a log that the participants filled out containing the number of times they implemented a strategy from the study into their classroom. The fifth instrument was a student survey that asked the students to record the frequency of specific learning strategies and activities that went on in the classroom. The last instrument was a course evaluation that listed the positive and negative aspects of the study as well as rating the course work as to its relevance to their classroom routine.
A t-test was conducted and proved that OPD did have an impact on teacher content knowledge, beliefs, and practices. However there was no significant difference between the Facilitated Cohort group and the Self-Paced group. Several reasons were given to explain why the outcome did not support the hypothesis. First, the study put too much emphasis on one course that was taught by one grade level. Next time, it is suggested that they include other subject areas. Second, the drop out rate was very high; they did not have a good representative sample to conduct the experiment. Third, the length of the study was too long. Fourth, the materials were too organized and thorough. This was an advantage for the Self-Paced group. They did not need to have online discussions to understand the strategies. The strategies were fully explained in the provided materials. Finally, all participants were volunteers; therefore, they were intrinsically motivated and interested in finding new ways to teach their curriculum.
Future studies might yield a different outcome if the above reasons were taken into consideration. Although the study did not have the results that it was looking for, it does show that OPD is successful.

Goals and Purpose

The purpose of this blog is two fold. First, it satisifies a requirement for the Integrating Technology course needed for my Specialist Degree in Technolgy. Second, it will be used as an ongoing communication tool for my group members and instructor. I will post numerous answers to discussion questions. In addition, I will post examples, reflections, and documentation on several technology-based projects used throughout the course. These will include Comic Life, Digital Storybook and VoiceThread. By the end of the course, I hope to gain a wealth of knowlege that can be carried over and implemented into my classroom.