EDT+650+Assignments

// This is where I will add my EDT 650 Assignments. //

Here are links and descriptors to the blogs I found (added on 9/16/13). This information can also be found on the page titled "Blog examples" : This blog was created by one of my colleagues at Kimberly High School. He created this blog help teachers at our school begin to include more technology into daily lessons. Throughout the school year, the blogger would post a "tech-tip" of a specific digital tool that could be incorporated into daily instruction. This blog is useful because it is includes many resources all in one location that I can quickly access when I want to incorporate technology into my instruction.
 * Technology Toolbox: ** []

This is the description from the intro on the author's blog: // " // //Look for fully developed math investigations, math challenges, Problems of the Day and standardized test practice both for SATs and Common Core assessments. The emphasis will always be on developing conceptual understanding in mathematics. There will also be dialogue on issues in mathematics education with a focus on standards, assessment, and pedagogy primarily at the 4-12 level through AP Calculus."// I have many students who ask me for help when preparing for the ACT or SAT exams, so this will be a great resource for me when I look for example problems to help those students out.
 * MathNotations: ** []

**Continuous Everywhere but Differentiable Nowhere:** [] The author of this blog uses the information he posts to connect with peers by sharing his daily experiences. He also shares a few math projects that he gives his students. I'm particularly interested in discovering new projects to give my students and I look forward to implementing some of his ideas.

BLOG! Click here to check out my blog, which contains links to resources for students to get help on math concepts.

The following are two great Web 2.0 resources to use in the classroom:


 * Edmodo:** ([]) My colleagues often refer to Edmodo as "Facebook for education." Edmodo can be applied in any classroom, at any grade level. Teachers can use the site to post assignments, post quizzes, post reading assignments/articles, create a class blog, create a poll, post video clips, keep a calendar of events or assignments, post pictures, and import class lists to use as another form of a gradebook. Students have access to individual class pages and can turn in assignments, comment on a discussion item, view upcoming assignments that have been posted, and receive instant feedback from their teacher or peer. Parents also have access to Edmodo and can view their child's class page in order to monitor upcoming assignments, assessments, and other items posted to the calendar of events. Edmodo is available through any Internet connection and also through a mobile device application (for Android and iOS).

Review: Edmodo is visually appealing because its layout is very similar to Facebook, and I think students will enjoy using the site because of its familiar resemblance to Facebook.. The site is very user friendly and students will find it very easy to navigate through different teacher's class pages. One issue that could be a hold up is the amount of time a teacher may need to become fluent with the site. However, it appears that once the class page is set up, it is very easy to create assignments, polls, quizzes, and calendars, and that there doesn't require a lot of time each day to keep the site updated. I think it will be a great collaboration tool for students and a great way to communicate with parents about what is going on in their child's classroom. The accounts for teachers, students, and parents are free, which allows everyone the capability to access to the site.

I found this link during a Google search that refers to multiple ways teachers are using Edmodo in their classroom.


 * Khan Academy:** ([]) Khan Academy is a website that offers thousands of free video tutorials teaching concepts of virtually every math subject that is taught in high school. Teachers, students, and parents are able to search for a topic or concept and watch a short video tutorial of Salman Khan working through sample problems digitally (the viewer only hears his voice and only the digital ink of Salman working through the problem is visible). The website also has Java-based problem sets that follow some of the videos so students can apply what they learned through the tutorials. A comment blog is available under each video so anyone can comment or ask a question if they need further assistance. Staff at Khan Academy have access to the blog to respond, or the public can also respond to questions posted to the blog. This website allows students to access a credible resource when they need assistance outside of school or when they are working on problems on their own without a teacher or peer.

Review: The website available to the public is very user friendly. The search bar at the top of the screen works like Google, with instantaneous results appearing as the user types (so finding a video is very intuitive for any age level). The Khan Academy curriculum (currently in a pilot stage) represents the modern "flipped classroom" where students watch videos of lessons at home and come to school to work on problem sets while the teacher navigates around the room answering individual questions (basically the students do the traditional homework at school and learn the material at home through the videos). That curriculum is a major pedagogy shift and requires a lot of buy-in from the community. However, I think I could use the videos to differentiate my instruction and help students who are struggling to understand concepts that I am teaching them in class. I could have them watch a short video tutorial so they see and hear the teaching of the concept a different way. I also plan to post links to specific videos on my blog for students who need helpful hints or quick reminders of review concepts from the past.

Here is a link to the TED talk that Salman Khan presented in 2011, explaining how the Khan Academy was created.

The majority of the games I found apply to math students and teachers. Here are a few that I have used, plan to utilize in the future, or found interesting:
 * Educational & Interactive Games:**


 * Isometric Drawing Tool** @http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=125 This is the description from the website: //"Use this interactive tool to create dynamic drawings on isometric dot paper. Draw figures using edges, faces, or cubes. You can shift, rotate, color, decompose, and view in 2-D or 3-D."// This is a great tool that allows students to interact with the SMARTBoard (or their own computer in a lab) and visualize the math taking place. It gives the students a more hands-on approach to the isometric drawing concept.

**Tower of Hanoi** @http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=40 This is a very old logic puzzle where the goal is to move all the discs from the left peg to the right peg in the smallest amount of moves, with the stack increasing in size from largest to smallest. The goal of this activity is to get students thinking logically to solve the problem as efficiently as possible. It is a great introduction to logic and proof.

**Math Play** [] This is the description from the website: //"Are you looking for free online math games? At Math Play you can find a wide variety of fun games that you can play online. Most games are suitable for elementary and middle grades. They are organized by grade level, content, and game type."// I found many of these games to be very useful as a resource for reviewing concepts. Once a concept has been taught and practiced, these games seemed to apply the concepts in a fun way, which would keep student's interest.

**Jeopardy** (specifically Quadratic Jeopardy) [] Jeopardy is a very well known quiz game that airs on network tv every night. Many teachers have created their own version of the game with powerpoints specific to their content to use while reviewing concepts or introducing new material. The goal is to have students work together to answer the questions correctly. This brings collaboration and problem solving practices into the classroom.

**Knowledge Adventure** @http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/ This is a resource for younger grade levels. The description from the website states, //"These games help kids learn many of the skills needed through their early childhood education. ...they can help build confidence while enhancing the skills needed for success in school."// I think students who use this resource will have fun while they learn, which can encourage them to keep learning and hopefully apply skills from one class to another.   

**Lessons that incorporate technology:**
 
 * Google Sketchup Design Project:** [] This lesson uses the free program Google Sketchup to design a 3D model of room, emphasizing the correct use of architectural design components.


 * Trout Pond:** [] This lesson is from NCTM's Illuminations. It is an activity spread out over 4 lessons where students model and analyze a changing fish population. Graphing calculators, Excel spreadsheets, and a Java recurrence plotter (used to graphically investigate the effects of different parameters) are all used throughout this lesson.


 * Algebra Tiles:** [] This lesson is from the SMART Exchange resources. It provides an interactive SMART Board activity that allows students the chance to manipulate algebra tiles to model polynomial expressions and equations.

 
 * Voki creation - Math Patterns:** [] This lesson is focused with the lower grade-levels, but I thought it was an interesting way for students to present what they learned/discovered about patterns. A Voki is an educational tool that allows students to create their own talking avatar. I might be able to incorporate Vokis with my high school students when they need to present their findings on a research project.

  **My Technology Lesson Plan:** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">**My Professional Planning Guide:**