Mind Mapping

Below, please find a mind-map of the properties of real numbers. These are properties that the students gradually learn. They begin learning these properties in about first grade and they are still being reviewed throughout high school. I decided to create my mind-map on webspiration. I like webspiration because it is a collaborative sight, colorful, easy to use and you can upload your own images. If I had to create the next mind-map, it would probably be almost the same, only I would add the next layer, which would be the inverse of the additive property and so on. I realize that when the image appears on the blog site it will be difficult to see. Therefore, please also find the link to this mind map just right above the image. http://www.mywebspiration.com/view/658477a2a02

Newssletter to Parents about 21st Century Learning & Teaching & Web 2.0

A Reflection on Engrade, The On Line Grading Site

I really enjoyed using Engrade. I found it very easy to use. I have used teacher ease, another on line grade book in the past. Teacher ease was not free (although there is a free trial period) and I think it is a little more complicated. I was familiar with Engrade’s existence before this assignment and some of its capabilities. However, I never took the time to try it out until now, and I like it. As part of the assignment for teaching with technology class, I created a class of five fictional students, set up a weight scale for the grades, and created a few fictional assignments. I even downloaded a couple of worksheets onto the site so that the students, if absent, could have access to a missed assignment. The fictional class is called Integrated Algebra 109. There are many features that I liked about Engrade. For instance, each time an assignment, quiz, or test is posted (with the date), the post automatically is placed on the calendar. A class calendar with assignments posted is a great communication tool. If the parents are made aware of Engrade from the beginning of the school year, they can verify that their child does or does not truly have homework to do that evening. Moreover, they (the parent) could remind their child to study or quiz them before a test. If more teachers used Engrade, the better the chance that a student or their parent(s) can periodically check on most or perhaps all their grades at one time. Also, I like the fact that a teacher could choose to print out each student’s assignment/grades individually. This feature comes in handy for parent-teacher conferences. I keep folders for each of my students in the class. Instead of taking the time to hand back papers during class, I place the corrected papers in their individual folders as I am grading them and they can each grab their folders as they enter the room and take their seats. The individual print out is something that a teacher can periodically place in the student’s folder as a reminder of missing work or as a status report. After all, we cannot assume that all the students will be checking their grades on line. There are times when a teacher would decide to excuse a student from a missing assignment for various reasons. I like the fact that Engrade allows for a student to be excused from an assignment. Teacher ease also offered this feature. Each time you excused a student from an assignment, a wrapped present would appear (you are giving them a gift – I thought that was cute). I appreciated the fact that the grades can be waited according to the teacher’s desire. There is a discussion tab where the parents or the student may click on to view a particular graded assignment and the regarding said assignment. I like this feature; however, I wish that the program had the capability to automatically (if desired) send out an e-mail to the student’s parent(s) regarding each assignment. The teacher ease site offers this feature. My son’s teacher used this and I found this helpful. A parent may not always take the time to check Engrade (especially for multiple children), but they will probably check their e-mail. Having worked in a building where teachers were using a variety of grading systems. I found that the excel program were among the two most popular methods for grade calculations and organization. Through my experience, I did notice a couple of problems using Engrade. First, when the grades were near due, and many of the teachers were on the computers entering their grades, the system would slow down. I heard several teachers complaining about the decrease in speed during this time. Second, I remember one marking period in particular, the morning that the grades were due the computer system had crashed. Teachers were upset because they could not access their grades from Engrade or enter them into the school site. I didn’t have that problem because my grades were all in the night before (thank goodness). Overall, I like the site because it is free, easy to use, and provides the teachers, students, and parents with a great communication device.

Video Lesson (special education) - Pluralize words that end in -y when there is a consonant before the -y ending.

I am posting my video lesson plan for a special education course that I am taking at Mount Saint Mary College (ED 5280). This post is for Dr. Berlinghoff's review.

Creating a Digital Story or Lesson / Assignment - ELA "Drop the y and add ies"

Because I have to create a video lesson for my Applied Research & Diversity special education class, I decided to practice the lesson that I am creating for that class and use it as a digital lesson for my teaching with technology class. The topic, pluralizing words ending with –y, when there is a consonant before the -y was randomly chosen (hand-picked) out of an envelope. There are a lot of repetitive statements because the lesson is geared towards a special education class. Dr. Berlinghoff, my special education professor told our class to make ure that we repeat ourselves to that the student will remember what they heard. Sometimes I wonder if I had repeated certain things too many times. Perhaps I will send her a link and have her preview the screens before that assignment is actually due.

At the end of the lesson, I created an assignment for my “pretend” class to carry out. The assignment would be a lot of fun for any class. The students (“pretend students”) will have the opportunity to be creative using words, art/computer clip art, they will have the opportunity to video themselves or simply record their voices as their artwork and lyrics to their song appear on the Voice Thread presentation. Please find the link to the link to this Voice Thread lesson/assignment posted below.

I believe that this lesson and assignment display what a teacher can do with Voice Thread. Any student that was absent can still view the lesson for the day. In addition, the students will love the creative aspect of the assignment. I think that they are going to love the fact that they can hear themselves and their friends and family may have the opportunity to post a comment.  Moreover, a posted lesson would be helpful to a student who has been absent.  I also believe that the children are going to love to have their family and friends post comments to their work.

Creating a Digital Story or Digital Lesson/Assignment

Because I have to create a video lesson for my Applied Research & Diversity special education class, I decided to practice the lesson that I am creating for that class and use it as a digital lesson for my teaching with technology class.  The topic, pluralizing words ending with –y, when there is a consonant before the why what randomly chosen (hand-picked) out of an envelope.  There are a lot of repetitive statements because the lesson is geared towards a special education class.  At the end of the lesson, I created an assignment for my “pretend” class to carry out.  The assignment would be a lot of fun for any class.  The students (“pretend students”) will have the opportunity to be creative using words, art/computer clip art, they will have the opportunity to video themselves or simply record their voices as their artwork and lyrics to their song appear on the Voice Thread presentation.  Please find the link to the link to this Voice Thread lesson/assignment posted below.

http://voicethread.com/share/1471025/

Digital Story - Religious Education - The Story of Abraham and Sarah

I decided to create a digital story about Abraham and Sara for a number of reasons. First, I teach religious education on Saturdays and I may someday include this video into a lesson. Second, the textbook that we use consists primarily the New Testament (Jesus and after). I believe that the Old Testament is very important too. I have a children's Bible that I use in conjunction with other sources when I teach lessons from the Old Testament. However, I like a little of what one source has to say and some of what another source had to say. Creating the digital story gave me the opportunity to include the parts of the lesson that I feel are important. I will post the link below. It may be a little longer than you expected, but felt the length would be okay for classroom use. I hope you enjoy the video. Please let me know if you learned anything from it.

http://litacme21.pbworks.com/w/page/Fran%27s-Children%27s-Bible-Videos

WAIT A MINUTE - I'm trying to get the video to appear here on the blog. The site listed above belongs to one of my pbwiki pages. The video is also posted on my Mount Saint Mary College Moodle page and my assignment page of my pbwiki. I'm going to keep trying. Hold on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Let me think . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

                      The Story of Abraham and Sarah

 

LOOK AT THAT!!!!   I think I figured it out!  YESSSSSSS!

Wait a minute again.  It is taking a long time to load the video.  Is that normal?  How long should I wait?  I left the computer to get something to eat, came back and it still says, "Processing Video."  How long is too long to wait?