Learning Environment Portfolio

The purpose of our (Jovanna Ebanks and Nakia Quarles) Learning Portfoio Environment is to demonstrate our personal growth and knowledge of implementing technology while teaching Mathematics and Language Arts. This portfolio was designed for Professor Anne Davis' Technology for Teachers course (IT 3210) at Georgia State University. It demonstrates our competence and implementation of technology in our lessons to produce an effective and proper learning environment.

Link to: LEP

Thoughts on Weblogs

I think weblogs are really good to post information about school activities and to get students writing their own ideas and sharing thoughts. For this class it was good that we were introduced to blogging and ways to produce effective ways to use it in the classroom. I will definitely use weblogs in my future classroom. I can use them to communicate to parents, teachers, and the community. Students can also use them to demonstrate their writing skills and learn new ideas from other students.

Final Reflection

After taking this course, I feel much more confident with using technology in my future classroom. I have gained more skills on applications I have used in the past, like making web pages and Microsoft PowerPoint. I have also learned some new applications that I have never heard of like Microsoft Access and Inspiration. I feel as though I can implement technology in the classroom, for student use and my use as a teacher, in an effective way. Actually making personal projects with the many different applications discussed in this course have helped me to understand how I will use them in the classroom setting and what to do and not to do.
The level of technology resources available in a future school I will be employed will have a slight impact on my teaching. Not every school system will have new computers and computer projectors for the classroom. But it is my duty to figure what the school does have and to use that equipment to the best of my knowledge. I feel technology should never take the place of books, but it is a great supplement to teaching and providing vast information to students. It does in fact help teaching and learning. Using technology can make things more convenient for teachers as far as grading and record keeping. It is also convenient for students, in that it provides information in seconds.
Technology and teaching are similar in the fact that things are always changing. In technology, new software and hardware is always being made available to consumers. It is important as a teacher to understand that taking periodic courses to refresh and learn some new ideas in technology is a must. Just as with teaching, I will continue to recertify myself and learn new teaching techniques and theories. Learning is a life long process, with teaching and technology.

Software and Website I viewed

The website that I viewed was www.education-world.com

This site had some really great lesson plans on it and there was a bulletin board where teachers could share ideas but this site was created by www.Edmin.com. Edmin claims to be the leading provider of learning management solutions, and they could possible be pushing their products on the website, because there were not other links to other sites except pop ups.

The software I reviewed was Study Works! Teaching Pro: Math and Science New Edition 2004

By providing educational games and activities this software boosts students' confidence level, because what they first thought was impossible to do, they now can do it while having an exciting learning adventure. I would recommend this software to anyone (even teachers) because it is very fun and informative. It was even interesting for me. It helped me to brush up on some of the skills that I haven't used in a while.

Digital Divide Network Article

I read the article titled: When Kids Make Content: A Q & A With 'Blogevangelist' Will Richardson. I really agreed with what Will Richardson had to say. He believes that blog usage in classrooms is a great tool for students to increase literary skills. With in the interview, there were a couple of important questions that were presented and I believe Mr. Richardson had some great answers. For the question: "What's the biggest obstacle you face in organizing teachers and administrators to incorporate blogging in the classroom?" Mr. Richardson answered:

I think by and large, the transparency of blogs is very difficult for
educators to get used to. This is a disruptive technology in so many ways, and
along with letting the outside world in, it’s forcing us to rethink the way we
deliver curriculum and for all intents who owns all that content in the first
place. I think instinctively, educators feel the potential of what blogs can and
will do, but it’s a risk that I think many would rather not take.

I think blogs are great for teachers and students but we must moniter heavily and model psoitive usage for students.

Database Documentation

Project Name: Classroom Library Database

Description of Learning Goals and Standards: Students will reflect on reading using descriptive language and personal ideas. Also students will learn how to input information and perform a query within Microsoft Access Database.

QCCs: Standard 43: Writes about self selected topics, Standard 48: Uses descriptive words and phrases , Standard 50: Uses available technology to assist in writing,

Rationale for Technology: Building and using a database for this project will allow students to see what others think about selected reading materials and also put all the books in an organized manner. This can also help the teacher to see what books are checked out of the classroom library.

Description of Lesson Implementation: The teacher will build a database for the classroom library. The database will include basic book information and a space for students to input a short personal review of what they thought of the book. Students will be required to read at least three books from the classroom library and perform one review for each of the books during the school year. In the students review they must tell of a part in the story that they really liked/disliked and why. I will have the students write out the review on paper and hand it in to be graded. The review should be at least three paragraphs. I will then allow the students to write a few sentences from their review for other students to read to see if they might be interested in reading that particular book. I will tell students not to give the book’s ending away in the database.

Assessment: Written Review (check for comprehension of book/punctuation)

What I Learned and What I would Improve it Next Time: I would have to designate a specific time when the students can input their reviews; I would probably have it during writing time.

Spreadsheet Documentation

Project Name: Polygons Everywhere-4th grade- Math.

Description of Learning Goals and Standards: Students will be able to identify different polygons and also learn how to collect data and use a graph using Microsoft Excel. Students will be able to understand these shapes in real situations around them. Some QCCs for 4th grade are: Standard 8- identifies and distinguishes among planes and solid figures such as triangles, circles, rectangular prisms. Standard 25 – collects, reads interprets and compares data from charts, tables and graphs.

Rationale for Technology: Using Excel for this project allows the student to gather the information and input the data in an organized manner.

Description of Lesson Implementation: After having a lesson on polygons, this activity will be done just to reinforce what the shapes and names are and where they are in the students’ everyday life. I will have students work individually. They will investigate five locations (bulletin board, inside desk, inside bookbag, on bookbag, and on clothes) to tally up how many of the six polygons they find. This will be done a sheet of paper. After they are finished, we will go to the computer lab and they will enter in their results. I will have a pre made spreadsheet for them to use. When they are finished, I will instruct them on how to make a graph and pass out a fact sheet on how to do it. They will be required to make two different graphs, with one showing the total data and one which just highlights one particular polygon found in their data.

Assessment : Matching quiz of polygons
Other Places to Use this Solution: Spreadsheets can be used in a variety of ways and subjects. In science they are great for plotting data from experiments. They are also helpful for the teacher to plot attendance and grades.

What I Learned and What I would Improve it Next Time: I think this could be used for older students and I could not plug in the formulas but have them do it. Or have the students calculate to see if their totals match that of the spreadsheet.

References/Resources Used
http://www.mathleague.com/help/geometry/polygons.htm

Microsoft Publisher (Brochure) Documentation

Project Name: Science Concepts in the Home – 6th Grade

Description of Learning Goals and Standards: Students will understand science concepts that have been discussed over the school year and understand how they are used in everyday life. Also students will learn how to make a brochure using Microsoft Publisher.

QCCs: Topic 20- Energy and its transformation: Electricity, Topic 22 – Energy and it transformation: Sound, Standard 20.4 – describes, stretches, and lists applications for a series and a parallel circuit, Standard 16 – Contrasts electromagnetic waves

Rationale for Technology: Microsoft Publisher has many templates that students and teachers can use to help show information in a different and creative way. Making a brochure can help the students review and they can also exchange them to see what others in the class have done.

Description of Lesson Implementation: I will show the students some basic ways to use Microsoft Publisher and also hand out a directions sheet on how to work with the brochure section of Publisher. I will have all students use one template that I have pre chosen. This project can be done alone or with a partner. The students will use their notes from class and other science books for information for their brochure. I will have them to write out what they want in the brochure before they type it on the computer. The students will need to pick three science concepts that we have covered in class and include them in the brochure. I will have the students use clipart and images from the internet, but only from pre approved sites that I will give to them. The children will get on the computer in intervals to make their brochures according to how long it takes each of them to gather their information and finish their hard copies. After making their brochures, they will share them with fellow students and also make a short multiple choice quiz that coincides with their brochure that another student will complete.

Assessment: Brochure

What I Learned and What I would Improve it Next Time: I assume that this project will take about a week. I hope that I am right.

Information in Bloom

Knowledge: List 3 authors that have won the Caldecott Award.

Comprehension: Discuss how electromagnetic waves are in your everyday life.

Application: Experiment with series and parallel circuits.

Analysis: Explain how sound travels in the air.

Synthesis: Design a brochure showing how science is used in the home.

Evaluation: Recommend a book to class mate that has won a literary award.

Power Point Documentation

Project Name: Caldecott Award Activity (Power Point) – 6th Grade – Language Arts/Art


Description of Learning Goals and Standards: Students will learn about the Caldecott Award. They will also learn about some authors who have won the award. They will be able to read award winning books. After reading selected, works they will study techniques used in illustrations of work. Some QCCs are: Standard 29 – Responds creatively to literature, Standard 9 – Critical analysis of an artwork

Rationale for Technology: The power point presentation will present the information as an alternative way other than a lecture. It will also be great for the students who learn better from visual aids. The links within the presentation will direct students to pre-approved sites by the teacher.

Description of Lesson Implementation: I will present the Caldecott Award power point to the students. Then I will have the students count off by fives. This will set up the five groups. Each number will have a pre chosen author who the students will read the award winning book from. The students will also be able to get on the internet to check the links within the power point presentation for biography information and award criteria. The students will decide after reading and studying the book why that book won the Caldecott award. They will describe what types of techniques the author used. Each group will hand in a small 2-3 page report of their findings.

Assessment: Formal: Group report Informal: Observation of groups

Other Places to Use this Solution: Power point presentations can be used by the teachers as well as the students in every subject!

What I Learned and What I would Improve it Next Time: After doing this project I learned that hyperlinks can be used in power points. It seems as if hyperlinks can be used in every computer application. What I would improve for next time is to try not to use so many words for one bullet. I want to put in so much information, but I don’t want to lost people’s attention at the same time. So I could put a few words in the slides and just elaborate more during the lecture.

References/Resources Used
http://www.ala.org/ALSCTemplate.cfm?Section=ALSC
http://www.bpib.com/lathrop.htm
http://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/keats/biography.html
http://www.bpib.com/l&dillon.htm
http://www.carolhurst.com/authors/alobel.html
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/trophies/author/g3young.html
http://www.ils.unc.edu/award/chome.html

Visual Literacy Activity

After viewing Eduscapes.com, I learned that there are alot of great ways to use visual literacy in the classroom. The activity I chose has to do with making an activity for students to retell, identify, describe, explain, or critique a photo or illustration.

I went to the website www.adflip.com. Here I viewed an old Coke ad from 1941 . The questions I would ask would be: What do you feel when you look at this ad? Why do you think the man in the ad is wearing a suit? Do you think this is a good ad, why or why not?