Personal Learning Reflection.

• What are some things that you have learned about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology?
• When technology is integrated into instruction, many effective teaching strategies occur.  By integrating technology, students of more learning styles will benefit.  By using the Promethean Board, teachers can uses algebra tiles to represent expressions and solving equations on the board as students work at their desk.  This helps the tactile learner see understand variables.  Additionally, it i easier to show real world linear problems.  For example, I can go to the Pizza Hut website and show the additional cost for pizza topping, and then make an equation that can be used to evaluate different situations.  This brings algebra to reality for students. 
• Integrating technology also makes learning more engaging.  If students are not engaged, then learning is not taking place.  I have learned through our assignments and the SIG's about different technology sources that can be utilized by the students and me.  I have learned about different websites to stream to the Promethean Board, different presentation methods like Google Docs and Prezi, animation creations by http://www.goanimate.com/ and http://www.xtranormal.com/ where students can create short clips about the material they are learning, and voice threads where students can record and share information about solving an equations.  Through this class, I am inspired to do more projects in math where students can demonstrate their knowledge in ways beyond homework, tests, and quizzes. 
• How did integrating the Internet help you think about and evaluate uses of technology?
• Before this class, I never realized how useful the Internet is.  I used the Internet as a means to view information: when does the movie start, what's going on around the world, what is happening on Facebook, and what information is being communicated through email?  Through this class, I have learned about a variety of websites that can be used for instructional purposes.  The next project can be assigned through Google Docs and I have way to see everyone's participation.  Prezi can be used as a new way to present information.  I have learned how to create short animation clips on goanimate and xtranormal for my classes.  On Monday, I will be showing a video that I made.  It is nothing big and profound, but it brings creativity into the class and students are not sitting and watching me do problems on the board.  This class has broadened my view of the Internet, and through time I AND MY STUDENTS can utilize what I have learned about free and "always accessible" application available on the Internet to enhance learning and the uses of technology. 
• Which of the assignments that you turned in do you feel really exemplifies good teaching with technology and why?
• Throughout the class, I learned about different technologies that can be used.  One of my goals for this class was to get students more involved with technology (not just about what I can do with technology) and to keep parents informed.  After this class, I will convert this blog from a personal reflection place to a blog about my class.   I will open up the blog for students to post questions and comments.  My Honors Geometry class often quizzes on Fridays, and I start a post on Thursdays about the quiz.  From there students can write in questions where I can answer or another student can answer.  When students are able to help another student and write about math, it truly shows a deeper understanding of the material.  Additionally, I will blog about what is coming up during the week.  Through this blog, I can give an abundant amount of information to the parents and it will be there at anytime.  This blog was the best because it can easily be converted into something to use with my students, it allows for discourse in math, it is readily accessible to students in the classroom and beyond, and students are actively using the technology with me.  Lastly, I have been trying to YouTube videos about my topics covered in class and I can easily embed them here.  The other day, I asked a student why he doesn't use the videos more often to help him and he stated that the last time he searched for the videos for class, he couldn't determine which one to use.  Now, I can do it here and link it to the actual day it was taught.  I am excited to change this blog over!
• How have you met your goals established in your Personal Growth Plan?
• My first goal was to use technology to make a difference in education. I wanted students to be more involved, open communication with parents, and become familiar with the technology students are using.  I do not think that I have accomplished this goal today; however, I am walking away from this class with many ideas to help me accomplish them.  Throughout this class, I have learned so many things, but I have not had the time to process everything and determine what is the most beneficial for meeting my goals.  Over the next month and a half, I hope to explore everything more and have a better understanding so that I can apply things for the second semester and make my goal a reality.  In order to do this, I will be using my blog, YouTube, the Promethean Tools and the website Xtranormal.com.  I will use the blog to get students involved and communicate with parents, YouTube and Promethean Tools to create videos to help me students, and Xtranormal to create animations for my students and to have them create video clips for reviews. 
• In my second goal to increase my skills in using technology, I feel that I have partial accomplished the goal.  I have learned about Prezi, Google Docs, and Xtranormal.  This week I will be showing the first video that I made on Xtranormal.com to make things more engaging for students.  Geometry is spatial and I want to incorporate a vocabulary video for the students using aspects of Prezi.  For example, I can put a set of parallel lines and a transversal and then zoom in on the transversal and it will show the word transversal.  I could also use it for other vocabulary words such as the exterior angle of a triangle and so forth.  I am still working on a way to be more accessible to my students for help other than email.  My last goal was to become more organized in a central location.  I have done this partly but with some reservation.  I was hoping that Google would be the one stop shop, but I have so issues trying to format things as I would have on Microsoft.  I also find that it is delayed, and it can become difficult to work with.  I have found the calendar to be extremely beneficial, and the fact that my husband and I both have the Droid Incredible phone.  All of my school emails are forwarded to a Google account which has an application on my phone.  Through this, all meetings or scheduling things that I put in my outlook calendar also get on my phone calendar through the Google account.  Additionally, my husband and I are able to send our schedules or calendar appointments to each other through our phones.  This has been extremely helpful for me to combine my personal and professional calendar into one place, my phone, which I often have with me. 
• Do you have any new goals? What are your plans for reaching your new goals and your long-term goals after this course is over?
• My new goals are not really new, but rather to implement what I have learned from this class and maintain what I have created.  For now, I can not try to learn and successfully implement new technology strategies.  I need to focus on a little more mastery of what I have learned.  Someone once told me that multi-tasking is to do multiple things without ever committing yourself to the success of either one.  Currently, that is where I find myself.   As of today, I have decided not to continue with the program so my goals from a week ago are not the same.  My husband will continue and I hope to learn many things through him, but I need some time to process all that I have learned.  I want some time to use what I have learned.  I find myself consumed in school work and work for this class that I am not able to be creativity and actually use what I am learning with out the stress of being on a timeline.  Not having time to master what I am learning really bothers and frustrates me.  Ultimately, I would love to have my own website where teachers go for interactive lessons and where students go for assistance.  Someday, I will use what I have learned from this class and what I will borrow from my husband expertise and make it a reality. 

Interested in Interactive Whiteboards

Check out the presentation about the different Interactive Whiteboards.  https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dgw3m23g_1dvkqw8cz

Learning Styles

I have taken many tests and questionares about my learning styles, leadership styles, and personality type, but I feel like I am always all over the place on things.  I have learned that I learn best in math when I see an example and then try things on my own.  When receiving directions, I need to draw a picture and also move my hands in the directions I will be turning.  If someone gives me verbal directions, they might as well have said, "blah, blah, blah, blah" because I just can not remember them.  In math and science, I am a visual learner.  I can read through the book or examples on my own and then do problems to practice.  I know that I need to do examples and check them to make sure I understand.  Additionally, notecards are also helpful and I learn best from them when I write down the answers.  I have to write them down, just as I would for a test; it is not enough to look at the cards and say the answers aloud.  When we would review for tests in my science class, I always could be the first to write down answers, but the last to get them out of my mouth.  For math and science, I am a visual learner, but my attention span often gets the best of me and I need to begin doing something with the knowledge. 

For anything other than math and science, I usuallly learn best when someone verbally explains things and lets me write down my own notes to refer back to.  If it is not math and science, I do not prefer to read on my own as I would for math or science.  Additionally, I do not need extensive directions because I enjoy exploring and doing things on my own.  Currently, I struggle to read through all the directions tutorials in the assignments for my online class, but I am lucky to be taking the classes with someone who I can briefly discuss things with.  The videos "In Plain English" have been the best for me because they are short, sweet, and to the point, and then I am able to look through things on my own. 

My personal feeling about learning styles, is that I have just found a way to adapt to my teachers and learn.  I have always felt that regardless of my teacher and what he or she does, I will take it upon myself to learn.  Unfortunately, an online course provides you with that opportunity, but I have struggled to enjoy the freedom.  What I am learning is that I prefer to have someone there as a reference for my questions because I get overwhelmed with too much reading or listening.  Sometimes, I feel that there is so much in the sessions that I don't know where to focus my attention and I lose my desire to keep looking through the next clip and the next clip.  I know that I am the kind of person who can't handle too many choices and I feel that this class gives us so many choices to pick from.  I would rather pick one things and learn it well.  If after a while, it doesn't provide me with what I need then I will search some where else or find a way to manipulate things. 

I have been sitting infront of this one post for over an hour trying to determine my learning style and I don't feel like I have decided any more than I had an hour ago.  Depending on what I am doing, I find that my learning style fluctuates.  What is important to me is a focused content with the opportunity to explore within that area.  But now I flip to the other side and feel that the most amazing thing about math is the ability to solve a problem in so many ways.  However, my ability to solve an algebra problem from so many ways is that I had a focused and thorough understanding of the basics and as things become more complex, I am able to see the simplicities in a variety of ways.  As a math teacher, I feel that many curriculums are a mile wide and an inch thick, and it makes it more difficult for students to see the beauty in solving problems in a variety of ways later.   Now, I am on another topic and all over the place. . . but still haven't decided on my learning style.   My final comment:  Regardless of how my teacher teaches, I need time to process, and when I don't have that time, there isn't a learning style that can help me!

Creative Commons

Below is a link to a picture shared on Creative Commons.  Enjoy! 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55097688@N07/

Creative Commons Lab

In Algebra 1, we are currently learning about slope intercept form.  I often tell my students it is like rate and base.  Slope is the rate.  The variable represents how many at the rate.  The y-intercept is a base price or one time fee.  I am always looking for application problems that relate to the students' lives.  I often compare solving equations in slope intercept form to ordering a pizza with toppings.  In the lesson, the pizza alone with crust, tomato sauce and cheese would cost $5, and each piece of pepperoni costs and additional $0.10.  The lesson begins by showing the cost for 1, 2, 3, and 4 additional pieces of pepperoni.  But a majority of the students agree, that 4 pieces is not enough.  One idea would be to continue to add $0.10 to the $5 for each piece of pepperoni; however, if you wanted a pizza like the one in the picture, it would take a while to continue adding the same number repeatedly.   From here you show students that you can multiply the "slope/rate" by the number of pieces of pepperoni and then add the "y-intercept/base."  We continue to go further by asking how many pepperoni's they could get with $6 and if that would be enough for  good pizza.  The final part would be to ask the students how many pieces they could get for $7.25.  How would the $0.05 affect the number of pepperoni pieces.  Many times students often round up even though the case is to round down because you wouldn't have enough money.  I often look for personal pictures that the students can relate to and make the math come alive to them.  Throughout Algebra, I am often embedding pictures into flipcharts or worksheets.  Our Promethean Board comes with a bank of pictures for everything and I am always able to find a visual for things that we are learning.  For some lessons, I begin by solving application problems where the students know what "makes sense" and then I show them that they are already doing Algebra in their reasoning.  I don't think students even realize how often they use Algebra without even thinking about it: going to the movies and paying for childrens' and adults' tickets, going to a fair and being able to buy tickets for rides, and going to the grocery store and deciding how much you can buy with a given amount of money.  I have also found that adding pictures to any document makes it not seem as "boring" to students.  It catches their attention and gives them a visual for each word problem rather than just words. 



Photo Attribution:

Original Image:  "Homemade Pizza"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spablab/93871819/

By: spablab's photostream

Released under an Attribution License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Looking for Information about Interactive Whiteboards?

I am working with a Special Interest Group to bring you information about using Interactive Whiteboards in the classroom.  You can check out my proposal by clicking on the link.  Check back later for all the information!  https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1s3hvZEiQqsDgOKEmH5OOp7D0GkXmOdN7XP0VqtJs_nM

RSS

Wow!  The last three weeks have been filled with so much great information.  Let me share with you what I am also reading.  Below is a screen dump of my RSS Reader page.  You can also follow it anytime on my blog in the top right hand corner. 

 

Currently, I am following a blog written by a principal.  One of his posts was about burnt out teachers.  He discussed how some teachers are burnt out yet they still keep coming back and they are protected by tenure.  I commented that all teachers who are "burnt out" aren't still passionate about teaching.  Thinking about my own experience, I was a bit "burnt out" for a while.  However, I made a change to a new school and I am loving the change and my faith in teaching is renewed.  My feeling is that when teachers are becoming burnt out, they need change.  If change doesn't help, then I think it is time for them to go.  Of the 11 comments posted, he replied back that he agreed with me.   I'm so excited to be acknowledged and experience the dialogue (although extremely short). 

NPR was extremely overwhelming for me.  Given the amount of information that was broadcast over the three days, I couldn't keep track of it.  Since I wasn't able to keep track of it, the subscription does not seem effective.  Most days, I was so absorbed by NPR, that I often overlooked the one or two postings by other Reader Feeds.  I can just look in the area where all unread articles are, I have to go through each subscription and see which ones actually posted something.  On the other hand, I subscribed to The Educated Reporter and found that it posts about twice a day with things that I am interested in.  I believe that I would continue to follow this beyond the class.

Through my news feeds, I have learned a little about a lot.  Sometimes, I have found that one article leads me to another article and I can spend more time than I initially committed.  I have enjoyed the articles on the Educated Reporter, and it often makes me think about education from special education to the movie Waiting for Superman.  Additionally, I just read some stuff from NCTM that will be useful for me in the classroom.  I wish that it updated the feed more often.  As I have gone back through older feeds I have found interesting things.  Given the constant criticism about math and where it is going in the US, I would have thought there would me more instructional advice/ideas on there.  Some of the information on there is about promoting their conference or promoting the selling of products rather than instruction; however, maybe I am just subscribing to the wrong feed. 

I am still searching for good things from my subscriptions to use in the classroom.  NCTM, didn't quite have what I was looking for.  I am following a math blog, but most of the things I have seen are far beyong my middle school students.  There are many great things on math forum, but it has turned off the track changes in Reader and many times I am searching all over the place for things that fit my students.  Sometimes I wonder if they are really trying to "help" or "sell" their product.  It is a little discouraging that the top names in math education aren't open to sharing.  Now, everything wants you to log in and share your personal information.  Currently, I am still in search for a great website that has a reader that I can subscribe to and use in the classroom. 

PC Maintenance and Security

1.Blocking Spam in Yahoo! Email
I started with a Yahoo email address and I now receive so much spam in that email account.  After a while, I decided to open another email address under Hotmail.  In the video I learned how to clean up some of the spam I receive in that email account.  However, I wish that I would have known the differences between hotmail and yahoo when I first opened with email addresses.  Hotmail offers an option that lets you only receive emails from people in your contact list.  I wish that I would have just started with one email address and set that preference.  Then I wouldn't have had to open a new email to send back and forth with my family.  I was surprised that yahoo did not offer that same option.  Currently, I have an email address that I use when I have to give an email address and one that I use for "secure" things and it is sometime annoying to have to go back and forth. 
2.  Mozilla Firefox
Currently, I use Internet Explorer, but I have used Firefox in the past.  A while back, it was advised to use Firefox because of a virus on Internet Explorer.  Through the tutorials, I learned that it is a bit safer to use because of the settings.  However, I am surprised at how fast I went back to IE after "things were better."  I am willing to subject my internet safety for convience and what I know better.  I wish that I would have just made the conversion and not gone back.  Eventually, I would have become accustomed to the change, but I just didn't have the patience to out-last the learning curve.  I am always amazed at how we let our comfort zone get the best of us when it comes to internet security.  I think I will try to make the conversion again. 
3.  msconfig/windows clearnup!
Through a few different tutorials, I learned a lot about cleaning up my computer to make it faster.  There were some things that I already knew but don't do often enough.  Currently, we have a desktop and two laptops.  The desktop is so unbelievably slow that I hate gettting on it, but I work better in the separate room at the desk.  It the best working environment, but the WORST computer.  I had never hear of windows cleanup! but I am excited to use it and all the other FREE STUFF that I didn't know about on the internet.  I was surprised at the number of free things for clean up and security (firewall and malware).

Getting Things Done

Before using this process, I used to prioritze things, but it often left me with so many things left undone.  I would start by doing a big project that took forever, and in the end, I had no energy to do all the little tasks.  However, this week, I did all the little two minute tasks (big or small) and then tackled the more time consuming projects.  I probably spent the same amount of time, but got many more things accomplished. 

I started by writing everything down on paper with a pencil because this allowed me to take my tasks with me throughout the day.  This week, I needed to grade BCR/ECR's, turn in tests to be scanned, grade quizzes, enter grades, call parents, create lessons, do school work, meet with colleagues and students, email principals, translate a speech, set up for an opening ceremony for my second job, and do laundry.  And, most things had a deadline of Thursday, Friday, Saturday. 

This week, I gave 15 minutes to either respond, send, or mark emails.  Unlike most weeks, I didn't have an endless list of emails that needed further action.  If they needed something small, I responded and deleted the email rather than read and mark for further action.  I couldn't believe how short the list was in my inbox. 

For all the things that needed to be done for the opening ceremony, I was able to defer until after school on Friday because it didn't need to be done until Saturday morning.  Although it was not difficult, I needed the time to focus on the things that were due by Thursday and Friday. 

For my technology class, I went through the information and labs, and set up the twitter account, but I deferred some/most of the tasks until Sunday when I could give it my attention. 

On Thursday, I gave tests and quizzes in all my classes, and I was able to grade them all by Friday mid-morning.  While the later periods took their quizzes, I graded and filled in scantrons for the tests from the morning classes.  Since I only had two problems to grade per quiz, I knew that it could all be done within two class period, sharing my time between grading and walking around the classroom.  I did it without hesitation, while I usually just defer grading them because I just don't enjoy it.  This time, I set my personal feelings aside and accomplished something; giving me a much better feeling in the end. 

I found that when I am mindful of choosing a process to accomplish things, they get done.  Too often I defer things that could easily be done and I find myself with a mountain of little things to do that has turned into a "big" thing.  I will continue to use this process in all aspects of my life because regardless of the task it is still taking from the same pot of time. 

Social Networks as a Part of My Life

I have extremely mixed feelings about social networks.  From a personal standpoint, I don't feel that my daily  life is so exciting that I need to post every minute of my life.  It is awesome for keeping in touch with my family members who live in Texas, but I don't care for the rest of the world to be in my daily business.  I have a Facebook and I only spend about an hour a week on it; I can't say that I have a strong desire to get on there at the end of a long day.  Since school has started, I don't have much time.  I use it more for family than anything else.  Additionally, I feel that they are not very personal; I'm "friends" with people that I never really talked to in high school.  And, I still don't talk to them. 

Professionally, there are a lot of advantages to social networking, and you never know what doors may open up by keeping in touch with people.  However, I feel there is a thin line between networking for professional and personal reason with the same "identity."  As a teacher, I have to be careful of the people I network with and what is posted because students often what to know "about you." 

From my small experience, I feel that social networking does fit into the life of me and my students.  Through our grade book system, students are able to email us and they are always asking questions.   I will often email back and forth throughout the evening.   I believe that if it were set up like a social networking site, students would interact with it even more.   Students are often looking for help with homework and different things.  Additionally, they would be able to get help from anybody that was on the site at the same time; they wouldn't need to wait on me to get back to them.