Three Lesson Plans

Here are the links to my lesson plans:

Content:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcmp3j9b_2dcbpggfn

Literacy:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcmp3j9b_0f6bfjwdm

Math:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcmp3j9b_1f85b48gr

Week 10: What I learned

From watching these three videos I really learned a lot. Before watching, I thought technology integration into a classroom was something that would be hard to do since most of the resources we have looked at have been presentation based, or programs children would need to have spent several lessons learning how to use before they could create a product successfully. But through these videos i learned that technology integration can be, and is most of the time very simple. Children don't have to be exploring the galaxies to be learning about technology, lessons can be as simple as having kids draw their pictures in kid pix, rather than on paper. The other thing I realized through watching these videos is that there is a lot to know about technology, and really there is no excuse not to use it in our classrooms today since most children are fairly familiar with it.

The one thing I really liked was when one of the videos mentioned that we shouldn't be afraid to use technology, because children are brave and willing to try and experiment with it.

Technology in the classroom

I was pleasantly surprised as i walked into my classroom at how much technology was available in our classroom. There are cassette tape players, three computers with internet, a cd player, an overhead projector, a flex cam and a projector that can hook up to computers. There is also a TV available for checkout from the school if needed. I was happy to see that so much technology is used by the children as well as the teacher. It surely is a huge increase since i was in school. I think all the technology around is definitely enhancing student learning.

I have also finished the first two parts of this assignment (the mid-course survey and the informed consent.)

Moon and Earth Exploration

Science Lesson

For my activity i will be teaching my students the earth and moon are both spherical. To do this i am going to use the technology called worldwind. First of all i will talk to the kids and find out what they know about the earth and moon, and then let them use the technology to explore the earth and moon. I will have them note any similarities or differences that they see between the two planets on a worksheet. After they have done this, I will have questions to help guide their learning so they can discover what they need to learn through this lesson. I will ask them to measure the earth and moon and see what one is larger, noting what the measurement line looks like (curved line means the planets are not flat). I will also have them use the time lapse to look at how the sun affects the two planets, and ask them to zoom in and note any differences or similarities between the two planets. After they have done these three things they can play around with any of the settings, explore the atmosphere, and also look at the different planets that are included in this application.

The technology will enhance the lesson because the students will actually be exploring the planets rather than just looking at pictures and being told the facts about each one. I'm really excited to do this lesson and figure it all out!

Virtual Tour

Here is my virtual tour!

Also, here is the link to my google site: http://sites.google.com/site/myvirtualtoursite/virtual-tour

The three tours i watched were:

Malorie Walton
Alyssa Young and
Ashley Daley

I think all three of them did an excellent job and i really enjoyed watching their tours!!

For my virtual tour i am exploring different landmarks to learn measurements.

The content curriculum is in 2nd grade mathematics standard 3 objective two which states : Identify and use units of measure, repeat that unit, and compare the number of iterations to the item being measured. The indicators for this objective specifically talk about using different units of measure to measure the same object. I chose to do a virtual tour on this curriculum because it can easily integrate history as well into the lesson, however i will only be focusing on making sure the children learn about measures.

The pedagogy i am using is to have children go to these different places and explore how large or small certain landmarks are. I will have them view something close to home that they know about, and then compare that to the other objects that we look at (in class discussion).

The technology i am using will be a google maps tour. This is a good fit with the content because it is a fun way to measure items. Measuring everything with rulers, pencils, and other classroom objects is fun, but after doing it for so long it can get old and boring. Using the computer to measure landmarks is a great way for children to see how big things in the world around them really are.

Location	Activity Description	Google Earth Content
1. Mount Vesuvius	Measure the mouth of Mount vesuvius.Record the distance in feet and miles across at its widest point	Go to mount vesuvius where the students will see a real picture of the volcano. ruler tool
2. Geneva Elementary School	Measure the length of our school creating a path. Measure in both inches and feet.	Geneva Elementary school, ruler tool.
3.Egyptian Pyramids.	Measure how tall the middle pyramid is in both yards and meters.	Great pyramids
4.Worlds Largest Basket	Measure this basket from the bottom to the top of the handles in inches and one measurement unit of your choice.	Image Overlay, Longerberger Basket headquarters Newark, OH