Well, Friday I visited my adopted 5th grade classroom and played around with the smartboard with mathcats- and we had fun!!
We first visited the "Multiply It" area. It illustrates multiplication with arrays- which is a very powerful model. It didn't really lend itself to group participation. Then we did the "What a crowd" one. It shows a bunch of people and you have to estimate how many people are in the picture. We grouped the kids into three groups (of four- yes, only twelve kids!!And it's a regular ed classroom! Want to come north to teach?!?) and each group gave a guess. We then found the average of the guesses (they tried to do it faster on the calculator than I did by hand on the board with the COOL pens). It then tells you how far you were off and you get points for how close you were. That was okay.
Then we tried the "broken calculator." I've done this with kids on paper before- but this was so much more fun and interesting. They gave you a number, and ours was 65. They then show a calculator with a button missing- ours was the 6 button. So we had kids come up with equations on a sheet of scrap paper, and when they thought they had one, they went up and tried it. At first they gave us very simple (but correct) one operation equations. The teacher asked for equations that had two operations. The children thought that that meant two separate equations. They didn't get the idea of 50+20-5=65. This would be a great math class "warm-up" in a Number of the Day sort of activity.
I am still having trouble at home with the plug-ins issue, so I was unable to test any activities before I got there. Any thoughts or suggestions on the plug-in issues? I clicked the download button, did the "manual download" and it said it did it, but it still doesn't work. On the classroom computer, we did it, and it worked right away!
It was a little cumbersome to set up the computer and the board. I don't know about the feasibility of keeping one just set up all the time. I know there are boards that are wall mounted, but all the ones I've seen in this county are portable/on wheels. And then you have to set up the projector as well.
Cheryl asked about how much influence I might have in my county in the area of technology in the classroom. I think as much as I want. The technology department seems to be just the tech aspects of getting things hooked up, purchasing, and keeping the server going (which does seem to be an issue). I think as much as I provide resources, and include activities in my staff development, I can have a huge influence. Right now, the K-2 teachers use the palms for entering literacy testing data (and we are looking at a new math component they are making available), and 3-5 does Accelerated Reader (gag), Accelerated Math (gag- but not so much), and TestMagic for a databank for testing type questions. Even in the computer lab, they are going on to Study Island and doing computerized remediation instead of using the tech for producing anything. Babysteps, babysteps.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
SmartBoards
Well, I haven't been able to get a minute to call NCTM to figure out my password problems, so I haven't been able to post that article. However, I decided to check out the interactive smart boards- their website has a bunch of articles on research- it sounds like some of the research is action research. Here's one:
http://www.smarterkids.org/research/paper4.asp
It is about how using using the smart board helps to increase communication and cooperation by using game software. The author put kids in groups and let them play as one person would play on one computer. Hmmm....interesting ideas.
Another part of the website has a traveling bear activity. Here's the link. I have a traveling bear with a math problem for classes. I have been thinking about video taping the lesson with the kids, and posting it for other classes (ie teachers) to see. I'll check out more details of this tomorrow. Not enough hours in the day. Here's the link: http://smarterkids.org/imaginations/index.asp
Good night!
http://www.smarterkids.org/research/paper4.asp
It is about how using using the smart board helps to increase communication and cooperation by using game software. The author put kids in groups and let them play as one person would play on one computer. Hmmm....interesting ideas.
Another part of the website has a traveling bear activity. Here's the link. I have a traveling bear with a math problem for classes. I have been thinking about video taping the lesson with the kids, and posting it for other classes (ie teachers) to see. I'll check out more details of this tomorrow. Not enough hours in the day. Here's the link: http://smarterkids.org/imaginations/index.asp
Good night!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Tuesday's babysteps
Well, I am trying to overcome plug-in problems on my home laptop to make mathcats work. What a pain. On the good side, I set up a time to go into a fifth grade classroom where a teacher uses a Smartboard to try it out. What I've been thinking about- video taping how it goes... but, what kind of permissions do I need to get from parents to be able to post a clip online? (but don't assume I know how to DO that... just something that would be fun). Even if I don't get to video tape it, I'll still get to try it out on the smartboard.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Math Cats
Math Cats (www.mathcats.com) is a website with interactive games/ activities that engage children with mathematics topics. I have not actually used this site, but I've used a similar one (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, NCTM, site, Illuminations). I think this would be a really cool website to use with the Smartboards. I used the smartboard for the first time last Wednesday for that 5th grade science teacher's workshop. I was able to get it hooked to my computer and get it hooked up to work with the powerpoint. Even the limited amount of use, it was cool! A teacher friend that I asked about what she uses with her smartboard said that anything she does on it completely rivets the children's attention!
Apparently, the Teaching Children Mathematics journal (the elementary journal of NCTM) has written several reviews and an article on the use of mathcats. Here's the link for one of the reviews: http://www.mathcats.com/reviews.html#teachingchildrenmathematics
(I've forgotten my password for my NCTM membership and I've changed my email, so I have to wait until monday to get that straightened out. So when that happens, I'll email my team and those interested either my password, or the article).
Apparently, the Teaching Children Mathematics journal (the elementary journal of NCTM) has written several reviews and an article on the use of mathcats. Here's the link for one of the reviews: http://www.mathcats.com/reviews.html#teachingchildrenmathematics
(I've forgotten my password for my NCTM membership and I've changed my email, so I have to wait until monday to get that straightened out. So when that happens, I'll email my team and those interested either my password, or the article).
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Teaching with Blogs
The resources make my mind whirl!! I SO wish I was back in the classroom!! I found a blog-site (?) for a kindergarten class- they had celebrated Dr. Suess's birthday and had pictures and quotes from kids. How FUN!! I also found the Time for Kids website listed on some resource page. I loved the magazine and recommend it to teachers whenever I get a chance. But they have the questions that kids can answer and then it tallies the results and shows the information in a graphic (circle graph, etc.).
I am wondering if I can hook up some of my teachers with some classes in other counties, or even within the county. The penpals of the 21st century! I loved having pen pals when I was growing up!! I have a workshop this Wednesday with all of the fifth grade science teachers in the county (about 15- not a HUGE county!). What kinds of reservations are they going to have to having students post their findings? (all classrooms in the county are actually connected to the internet- not the fastest server in the world, but everyone IS connected).
I think I am still not getting it with regard to finding other people's bogs- and/or how to post a comment. Remember- I am old! (yes, I am having a birthday this week- kind-ve reminds me of the increasing years of experience!)
I am wondering if I can hook up some of my teachers with some classes in other counties, or even within the county. The penpals of the 21st century! I loved having pen pals when I was growing up!! I have a workshop this Wednesday with all of the fifth grade science teachers in the county (about 15- not a HUGE county!). What kinds of reservations are they going to have to having students post their findings? (all classrooms in the county are actually connected to the internet- not the fastest server in the world, but everyone IS connected).
I think I am still not getting it with regard to finding other people's bogs- and/or how to post a comment. Remember- I am old! (yes, I am having a birthday this week- kind-ve reminds me of the increasing years of experience!)
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Technology through the eyes of babes
I interviewed four students at a rural NC school in the county where I work in central office. I conducted interviews in a fifth grade teacher's class. Two children's names were picked out of the teacher's name bin, and she chose two more. Three were girls, one of the girls was white and the other three children were African-American (which reflected the racial make-up of the class, and the school). The school is a Title I school, and a Reading First school. They have not made AYP in two years, so parents had the option of moving children to an "opt-out school." When I conducted the interviews, I was only in my third week of working in the district so, I was anxious to see what technology students had available to them.
The first question threw each of them a bit. One girl asked me to explain what I meant by technology, and the other three named ovens, lights and microwave ovens in their list of what they had at home. All of them had TV's VCR and DVD players, some sort of gaming product, like GameBoy, Nintendo, or both. All of their parents have cell phones, and most had digital cameras (and the moms were the ones who were the ones who used them). Each child also had a computer in the house, although one girl's was her aunt's laptop. The girls, Princess Mia, Red, and Alijah (I let them choose their own pseudonyms) all used the computer for online games, Study Island, and for "writing reports," but all three admitted that they usually resorted to the computer when they were bored. "Snake," however, was much more excited about the games and he was also more aware of the technology in the house, but he even admitted the computer was a last resort for something to do (when they said their favorite thing, it was to ride their bikes).
These kids have access to a lot of technology in their classroom and school. Each classroom has four (relatively new) computers wired to the internet, a cd player, TV's and VCR's, and Smart Boards (new this year). The school has a digital projector, digital camera and video camera. Students mostly use the computer for study skills (Study Island) and testing (Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, etc). However, they did mention that they have used the computers for research, and typing their writing. All of these children reported learning to use technology by watching a relative use it, having a relative show them how, or just by playing around on it.
Snake was the only students who actually got excited in thinking about the technology he wished he had- at home and at school. He seemed to really connect technology to learning, whereas the girls thought about it as a production tool. For example, Red, a horse lover, wanted a digital camera to take pictures of people with handicaps working with horses (she wants to be a physical therapist who utilizes horses when she grows up- cool!!). She would like to use the photos to keep as inspiration as she goes through college. (cool!!) Snake, however, wants a Wii to play in virtual reality.
I was thoroughly surprised (pleasantly) that these children have as much access to computers and other technology that they do. Each of them were also excited about the possibilities the Smart Boards can present. They thought teaching teachers about them would be very good. Overall, the schools are trying to give students every opportunity they can to provide them with a technology rich environment (even though half the school buildings are very antiquated). It appears that girls have less of an interest in using the technology for entertainment purposes, but all students realize that computers, dvd's, and the internet are tools for learning.
The first question threw each of them a bit. One girl asked me to explain what I meant by technology, and the other three named ovens, lights and microwave ovens in their list of what they had at home. All of them had TV's VCR and DVD players, some sort of gaming product, like GameBoy, Nintendo, or both. All of their parents have cell phones, and most had digital cameras (and the moms were the ones who were the ones who used them). Each child also had a computer in the house, although one girl's was her aunt's laptop. The girls, Princess Mia, Red, and Alijah (I let them choose their own pseudonyms) all used the computer for online games, Study Island, and for "writing reports," but all three admitted that they usually resorted to the computer when they were bored. "Snake," however, was much more excited about the games and he was also more aware of the technology in the house, but he even admitted the computer was a last resort for something to do (when they said their favorite thing, it was to ride their bikes).
These kids have access to a lot of technology in their classroom and school. Each classroom has four (relatively new) computers wired to the internet, a cd player, TV's and VCR's, and Smart Boards (new this year). The school has a digital projector, digital camera and video camera. Students mostly use the computer for study skills (Study Island) and testing (Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, etc). However, they did mention that they have used the computers for research, and typing their writing. All of these children reported learning to use technology by watching a relative use it, having a relative show them how, or just by playing around on it.
Snake was the only students who actually got excited in thinking about the technology he wished he had- at home and at school. He seemed to really connect technology to learning, whereas the girls thought about it as a production tool. For example, Red, a horse lover, wanted a digital camera to take pictures of people with handicaps working with horses (she wants to be a physical therapist who utilizes horses when she grows up- cool!!). She would like to use the photos to keep as inspiration as she goes through college. (cool!!) Snake, however, wants a Wii to play in virtual reality.
I was thoroughly surprised (pleasantly) that these children have as much access to computers and other technology that they do. Each of them were also excited about the possibilities the Smart Boards can present. They thought teaching teachers about them would be very good. Overall, the schools are trying to give students every opportunity they can to provide them with a technology rich environment (even though half the school buildings are very antiquated). It appears that girls have less of an interest in using the technology for entertainment purposes, but all students realize that computers, dvd's, and the internet are tools for learning.
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