Gettin' Triggy Wit It (WSHS Math Rap Song)

Closing Thoughts

As I look back on my opening post, I feel that I met all of my goals. Even though the course required a lot of assignments and hard work, I learned about technology tools that I will be able to use in my future classrooms and education. This course allowed me the chance to explore many ways of using technology in an educational setting and how to create lessons for students to develop their own technology skills. For example, my favorite assignment which I will definitely use in my classroom is the interactive spreadsheet. This tool was quite tedious to use; however, by following our exact directions, I was able to create an interactive quiz/assessment that will ease my grading and allow students to practice using technology. Also, the Web 2.0 presentations gave me a brief experience with multiple tools that a future teacher should try to use in the classroom. Overall, I will take many of the things I learned in this class with me through my internship and into my future classrooms. My apprehensions of this course where diffused quickly due to helpful peers and a great professor. Thank you for broadening my technology education and giving me so many tools to keep in mind as a begin my career as a teacher!

iMovie Project

This iMovie is for a Mathematics teacher to play to a class that asks why their Mathematics knowledge is important. I have heard many comments such as this in my experiences working with students; therefore, this video is something that may encourage students to make it through their Math classes. Math is useful, and this video can show a student that.
Overall, iMovie was a complicated tool, but after working with it, I think I understood it a lot better. I felt like iMovie was a much better tool than Windows Movie Maker at least in terms of ease. I don't think I would make another movie, but I am proud of the project I have done.

Interactive Spreadsheet

The interactive spreadsheet activity was really exciting for me. I do not use Excel very often so I did not know about this sort of feature. Even though making the spreadsheet work properly is sort of complicated, I could definitely see myself using it in the classroom. It is an easy way for students to be quickly quizzed or reviewed on the material while both students and teachers can get fast feedback. My example spreadsheet was a quiz on polygon properties that a Geometry teacher can use as a review or assessment before moving on to new material. The only drawback to the interactive spreadsheet, especially in a Mathematical setting, is that the answers must be one word, and there is not a way to turn in students' work; however, maybe a teacher could have students work equations on a separate sheet of paper and turn this paper in. I suggest the use of this great tool for any classroom.

Inspiration Web

Web 2.0 and Inspiration

Prezi is a tool to help diversify a lecture. Since it has a different structure than the standard PowerPoint, Prezi is a way to differentiate my instruction. Also, I thought this tool might be a way to begin the first day of class by making a presentation introducing myself to the students (I saw an example of this on the Prezi site).

I think that Animoto, Smilebox, and Picasa are great tools to use but I could not see myself applying them to my future Mathematics classrooms. It might be a great way to share field trip pictures, wedding pictures, or laboratory slides; however, I do not see an application I would implement in my classroom.

Google Forms are a great way to have students do a short quiz or fill out a survey for feedback on themselves/the teacher. I can get quick scoring through the spreadsheet feature and even share the results with parents or the students if applicable. The tool seems fairly easy to use and something I will try to use in my future classroom in a myriad of ways.

Voicethread would be a way for me to tutor students outside of classroom. For instance, if I have any special needs students and I know they are struggling with a particular concept, I could record a short video, email it to them, and let them listen. Then, the students could complete extra practice problems maybe for some extra points to re-teach the material without having to use class time. Since many students have disabilities or problems in Math, I will try to use this tool or something similar to help differentiate my teaching.

Inspiration has been a difficult tool to use in relation to Mathematics; there are not many concepts than can be build into webs. This tool is more likely to be applicable for English or History classrooms; therefore, I might show this tool to my students to use as a study tool or a practice for other classes. I would probably use this tool sparingly if at all in a Mathematics application.

Scavenger Hunt

This scavenger hunt activity required me to collect pictures that related to a certain theme which my group picked as Verbs. We went outside and acted out many different verbs. Then, we took pictures of each and added captions for what verb the picture is illustrating. Uploading the pictures and compiling the slideshow was an easy task. It was exciting to see the finished project especially since it was a fun activity!

A teacher could use this sort of activity in many ways. Students could borrow a camera from the school or use personal cameras at home to complete the activity for any central theme. For example, a Mathematics teacher in a Geometry class could have students take pictures of shapes in daily life. In general, this is a fun and easy activity where students can learn technology skills while gaining content knowledge through a hands-on assignment.

Picasa Mountain Collection

This slideshow is similar to the scavenger hunt activity except the pictures have been gathered through various methods. During this assignment, I picked a central theme of mountains and collected pictures through different modes such as online collection, digital camera, and scanner. Then, I complied the photos using a tool in Picasa, an online photo tool.

This activity is great for having students explore and use different technology skills. They must obtain the pictures using various modes and then import them into a slideshow online. The only disadvantage for using it to learn general education content is that the requirement of so many methods may take too much time. To make this assignment more time effective and educational, I would probably require students to use any method of obtaining the pictures they liked and base more of the grade on the actual content. However, this assignment is great for a pre-teacher education class since students can learn various methods of collecting pictures to use later in their classrooms.

Lesson Planning

After looking in detail at these four Web 2.0 tools and completing a Mathematics lesson plan which incorporates technology, I understand how difficult it may be for me to use technology in my every day classroom. I could see scheduling the computer lab for a WebQuest day or a project to work on with a group; however, finding a way to allow my students regular use of technology may be difficult. I have never attended a school that had multiple computers in the classroom so I never had the opportunity to use these types of tools. However, after completing a lesson plan on polygons using online activities, I see that I can maybe assign homework to be completed using an online tool even if I cannot get computers or a computer lab during class time. I will definitely try to incorporate technology in my future lesson plans such as the one completed in our class because technology is so important to today's students. Also, I can have students work on the non-technological portion of a project or homework in class and complete the rest outside of class on a computer. I now see many ways that technology could be incorporated into my lesson plan even though it might have initial challenges.

Glogster and Delicious

Both Glogster and Delicious seem like great Web 2.0 tools to help a teacher when trying to incorporate technology in the classroom. Glogster allows students to create posters/webpages where they can add text, graphics, videos, and more. Teachers can use this tool to present new topics instead of using PowerPoints, have students create an About Me page, or allow the class to reflect on a book or science project. Delicious has similar technical applications because it is a way for teachers/students to store web bookmarks that can be recalled from any computer. A teacher can create a WebQuest activity where students log into Delicious and have all the sites readily available. Also, students can store links to sites they are using in an on-going project so that they can access the sites from home or another computer without having to copy down the URL addresses. Both of these tools are ways teachers can differentiate their instruction and aid in a technological classroom environment.

However, I do not see much use for these tools in my future Mathematics classrooms. Glogster seems like a tool that students would use to explain art, literature, or an activity; however, it is not seem very applicable to practicing math problems or formulas. Also, using the tool, requires some artistic abilities and creative thinking where as Mathematics is more scientific. Students could experiment with this tool to explain a formula in colorful/pictorial ways; however, I do not see myself requiring the use of this tool in my classroom. Also, Delicious seems like a tool I would suggest as an option but not required. If I ever gave students a WebQuest activity during a day in the computer lab, I might have students log into one Delicious account so that I know they are using the correct sites. However, I cannot think of many Mathematics projects in a high school setting that require the use of multiple websites. This tool is more geared towards research based ideas or exploratory activities which are not usually mathematical. I might create an extra-credit activity for students to research careers that use Mathematics; however, I do not see myself trying to incorporate using either of these tools into the curriculum.

Applying Wordle and Twitter

Both of these Web 2.0 tools could be useful in the classroom; however, I do not see much of a use for them in a secondary Mathematics class. Wordle, since it is a tool to create word clouds, seems like it would be more applicable to a language arts or foreign language class. These students could create clouds of words describing a book or as review of verb conjugations. I could show my Mathematics students this tool for their personal use such as creating binder covers or to print off and use on a poster. However, I do not see how this tool could have much educational Mathematical use. 

In addition, Twitter could be used for reminding students about upcoming homework, tests, and activities in the classroom/school; however, there is not much use for this tool to do Mathematics work. This tool could also be helpful for teacher communication with parents such as updates on classroom plans, out of class activities like field trips, and reminders about homework or tests for their children. Since users of Twitter can follow one another, the parents in my classroom could create a following of one another, as well as me as the teacher, to communicate and collaborate about their interests in the classroom. Both Twitter and Wordle seem like great applications for some teachers to implement in the classroom; however, I do not see many uses for my field.

WebQuest

Today in class we completed a WebQuest activity. I remember doing this type of activity in high school; we would be given a sheet with instructions, go to several websites, and answer questions based on each site. I also remember thinking these activities had no purpose and were simply busy work. However, after the experience today learning about WebQuest, I understand that these activities can actually be educational. A teacher can use a site such as QuestGarden to design a page with a specific task, instructions, and evaluation. The students go to the site, group themselves accordingly, and follow the instructions. I particularly liked the example activity where students design their own ice cream flavor and market the product. Also, QuestGarden contains sample WebQuests that are shared for teachers to use as activities in their own classroom. For example, I found one for high school Mathematics where students plan a vacation for two using an allotted budget.

I feel that I could use an activity like the ice cream project or vacation planning in my future math classroom. For example, students could pick a product that is already sold, figure out how to advertise it better, and calculate the statistics on its optimal production/distribution. If students wanted, they could even send their ideas to the relative companies to see if the marketing departments might respond. While students are learning Mathematics, they would also be cooperating in groups and understanding how to use the internet wisely. Also, students might see how Mathematics can be applied to real world problems instead of just learning the material for no purpose. I could also find other example WebQuests online to diversify my activity or tweak my plan. The internet is a tool every student and teacher should know how to use by following safe guidelines such as website evaluation; therefore, a well-written WebQuest activity is useful for any classroom.

The Weather

Every morning when I wake up I wonder what the weather will be. After the past weekend of degrees in the 60's with sunny skies, every day I hope that this weather is what I wake up to; however, to my dismay, it is usually 30 outside. Most days I have class it is even snowing or raining. It seems like some sort of cosmic joke.

What is worse is that at Purdue, where my fiance goes to school, has had so much snow they had to cancel school for several days. He said that his roommate spent an hour yesterday trying to dig out his car. Snow has melted and refrozen so many times the white layers on the ground are like cement. Joseph can no longer ride his bike to class because there is so much ice/snow on the ground. His weather makes me feel as if I can handle 30 degree weather instead of 6 feet of snow, even though I pray for 60 again.

My Brother Coming Home

My brother, Nathan, is coming home from Holland on February 11! His wife and he have been there for a year while he was doing his post-doc. He got his PhD from Harvard Medical School in something I can't pronounce and went to work with his lab boss, Antoine, who is from Holland. They worked at the University of Groningen starting up a lab there. The reason he is coming home is because they are having a baby on April 11. Her name is Lucy Kate, and I am so excited to see her! When they get back next week, they will spend some time with my mom in Atlanta and then come here. I am planning to see them before they move to Boston where he will be working at the New England BioTech lab. I am excited to see all three of them!

Using Website Evaluation

The activity on website evaluation was helpful to me as a student and as a future teacher. When doing research for papers or classes, I can use the evaluation criteria to test whether a site could have accurate or false information. I want my work to be credible; therefore, I need to know I am using credible sources. The guide we used during this assignment taught me the important aspects of good website. During the activity, the site I found is www.thedogisland.com which is a site that advertises a vacation spot for dogs. Since it is an advertisement, I was careful about believing the information from the beginning. After seeing how many criteria of a credible site this one failed, I knew it was most likely a hoax. Then, by looking at the site more deeply, I found a disclaimer that the site was made in jest, and the company does not exist. My suspicions were obviously correct, and this is truly a fake site. Through this evaluation, I learned what to look for before using a site and how some sites can look extremely credible if you do not follow these criteria. 

Most hoax websites are not as obviously fake or have a disclaimer like this site; therefore, as teachers, we should realize the importance of educating our students on using credible sites. You can give a quick tutorial on evaluation or give an activity such as the one we did in class. They use the web to get information for classes, homework, and entertainment, so students need to know how to evaluate a site in order to ensure their knowledge is credible. Also, if we do a web search activity in class, we should check the sites before hand to know that students are looking at appropriate and correct information. With all the information on the web, our computers at school should also have some sort of censoring device to make sure students cannot even access inappropriate information. However, some sites will fall through, thus as teachers, we must monitor their work and check each site cited/used for research.

My Educational Website Evaluation

This is a website I found to help children and others evaluate the websites they use: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/usingweb/g6-8.html

After looking at this site, I see that it is a beneficial site because of its ease of use. The site directs you to a little presentation in a step by step format to finding a site and then lists questions to ask yourself before using the site for research. The facts on this site are reliable because it is a children's education site and contains correct information. Also, I liked this site because it is written in a simple way that children or any new user to the web could understand and see how to find an accurate site for what they need. The site explains why you do each step and what each part of the web means. This information is important for new users because they can learn about the web as they use it. On the last slide of the presentation, it tells you how to bookmark a site so that you can come back and revisit. Bookmarking is necessary for any person doing web research since he will need to have the address of the site for correct citations and quotations. Overall, this site has accurate information and ease of use; therefore, it is a beneficial resource when learning how to evaluate websites.

Reflecting on Wiki

I have been very impressed with all of the tools Wiki has. It seems like something that would be very beneficial to my classroom such as communicating with parents. I could give parents permission to see the site, then we could discuss classroom activities and get more involvement from them since they could collaborate without having to leave home or work. Parents could also use the Wiki as a forum to work out sign ups for volunteering and fundraisers like bake sales. Also, I have an idea to hold group quizzes on the Wiki by creating different pages that only a set group of students could see. The students could go on the Wiki and collaborate on answers to the questions while only being allowed to see only their group's page. Then, I would go on and grade their answers. It might be a fun way for students to get involved with their classmates and make their learning more interactive.

I have found using Wikis are not that complicated; however, I worry that parents and students might have a difficult time on their own. We have been able to use one another and our professor as a source of aid; however, they will not have such an opportunity. Therefore, I would set up some sort of tutorial or instructional video online for them to watch so that Wikis will be more accessible. The only trouble I seemed to have using the Wiki is getting started. Once I learned the tricks and how to organize all the tools, working with a Wiki was quite simple.

In the beginning...

As I look forward at the plans for this course, I feel apprehension and nervousness. I am worried that I will be able to handle the tools needed to accomplish each assignment and remember to complete each one. Also, the calendar looks fairly demanding; therefore, I am worried that I will be able to complete each assignment in the required time to the best of my ability. Because this course is so important to my future classrooms, I want to be able to take as much away with me as possible.

The course does seem exciting because I understand the importance of technology in today's classrooms. I hope to implement many of the tools we use throughout the semester such as blogs and wikis in my teaching. Hence, I will need to learn how to use each application through the assignments to be able to retain as much knowledge about classroom technology as possible. Also, I want to get a more well-rounded education on computers and different techniques in order to be as successful as I can be in my future career/education. The tools we learn throughout this course will not only be useful in our individual classrooms, but we can also educate fellow colleagues and use new techniques in our own classes here at UT. I expect to end this course with a whole new pedagogy of technical tools to use in my continuing education and career even with my beginning apprehensions.

Biography

My name is Katy Tanner. I am from Knoxville, TN and have lived in Knoxville my whole life. I went to Farragut schools primary through high and graduated from a class of 550. I took all honors/AP classes and graduated with a 4.25 GPA. Since I worked so hard in high school, I came to UT with over 30 hours of credit. Therefore, I will be able to graduate from the 5 year Masters program here (in Secondary Math) in 4 years. It was easy to work hard for this goal because I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. Education is something that is very important to me, and I feel that a teacher can change the world.

I am planning to get married in May 2012 and move to California with my new husband, Joseph. He will be working with Boeing and going to UCSB or Stanford while I am teaching. We met in fourth grade and finally began dating our senior year of high school. I am really excited to begin my life in California as a new teacher and wife.

We enjoy doing outdoor activities such as trail running, hiking, and kayaking. He has recently picked up fishing which consumes most of his free time; however, since he is in undergraduate school right now at Purdue, his fishing opportunities are limited. Fishing is something we both have come to love especially when we can catch huge bass. I also enjoy baking and shopping with my girl friends. I am looking forward to incorporating all of these hobbies into math lessons as I begin teaching.