Instructions for Math Apprentice Podcast

I used the app GarageBand for my podcast.  It is available for $4.99 in the iTunes app store, but many say it is worth the investment. The great thing about GarageBand is that it does much more than just podcasts- you can acutally create your own songs using it.  There are different instruments to choose from and you can do voiceovers if you wanted to.  There are also different options for playback of your song- there's a robot voice, a chipmunk voice, and even a "dreamy" voice that I was going to try, but I didn't want any of you cuddled up next to your computers all night listening to my 2 minute podcast over and over.It was pretty simple to use. I put mine on automatic, but you can set how many bars you want to record, and it clicks to keep tempo.  Feel free to play around with it!

Internet in My Classroom

As our textbook states on page 281, "As with all techonology tools, it is not the tool itself that enhances teaching and learning, it is how the tool is used by the creative professional educator who is wielding it. The web is a marvel of limitless resources.  But your students need you, their teacher, to help make the web truly meaningful in their attempt to achieve their academic potential."  (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2010).

I believe it is important to teach students how to use the internet in a safe and productive way.  Bringing the internet into my classroom is the easiest way for me to do this.  Although there are days when I struggle with class management due to having 25 students on an iPad, I know that I am in the process of showing them what a useful learning tool the web can be.  I've always been a believer in "inquiry learning", and having the internet in the palm of my students' hands (literally) is an efficient way to really make my lessons meaningful.  The ability for students to ask questions and immediately get the answers has never been so easy.

Take, for example, a middle school math teacher attempting to teach a geometry unit on angles.  A loud, somewhat obnoxious sixth grader blurts out, "This is so dumb! We're never going to need to know this!"  BOOM! Time for a "teachable moment".  The lesson is now focused on finding ways that we use geometry in our daily lives, and why it's important to understand angles.  Every student grabs their iPad, opens Safari, and starts researching angles.  I'm imagining groups of students discussing landing airplanes, building bridges, famous athletes performing in sports, and these are just a few of the many possibilities for learning to take place.  Click here for more examples!

To assess understanding, they could use their iPads to take pictures of how they use geometry in their daily lives- it could be a student in a wheelchair going up a ramp (what are the requirements  of the measure of incline for handicap accessible ramps?) Perhaps another student has a picture of a classmate shooting a basketball at recess (what angles are involved in making a shot/using the backboard?) The next day we can project these pictures on our board and use protractors to measure the angles.  Or we could compare the inclines on staircases from the homes of our classmates.  Who is more likely to fall- a student with a staircase incline of 30 degrees or one with an incline of 45 degrees?

How do these lessons become meaningful? It's about giving students the opportunities to be responsible for their learning, and requiring them to be active instead of passive.

References:
Chapman, L. (2011). How to use geometry in every day life. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_4421171_use-geometry-everyday-life.html

Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. B. (2010). Teaching and learning with technology. (Fourth ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

B-L-O-G

Why blog? 

Blogging is a special form of writing. Every writer must first consider their audience when they begin the process of expressing their thoughts on paper (or computer). A blog allows writers to publish their work for others to see, which is a significant difference between blogging and other forms of writing. Most forms of writing are one-way streets; newspapers, magazines, and books are published for an audience to interpret and make sense of what they've read. Blogs, on the other hand, can be shared by people all over the world, who are able to comment and interact with the author via the internet. 

Why use blogger?

Blogger, like many of the Google sites, is user-friendly.  Once signed into your Google account, you are able to access your documents, email, and blog all without memorizing new usernames and passwords.  The auto-save after editing is a must-have.  I can remember many times where I have typed up pages and pages of documents only to lose what had taken me hours to write.  There is nothing more frustrating! Being able to view the number of visits is a nice feature. Blogger keeps it simple- there aren't as many choices as other blogging sites (fonts, layouts, etc.) but it focuses on what is most important- the words the author is sharing.  

How is blogging used?

Blogging can best be used in my profession to interact with students (and parents) outside of school.   Sharing blogs allows for students to be learning 24/7, and creates opportunities for discussion, higher level thinking, and clarification when they leave the classroom.  Instead of having to cut lecture short when the bell rings, teachers are able to assign students to "blog" about it when they get home.  This gives them a chance to do more research and provides time for internalization.  

Blogging can also be used as a resource for other teachers.  My coworkers look up to me as a "tech guru", and are interested in what is happening in my classroom.  Providing a blog, where I put examples of tech tools and possible lesson plans, helps them to see what is out there and provides ideas for them to try. They can access the site at any time, any place, and be learning from me!  So far, this has been my only use of blogging. I, like most others, blog about what I am most passionate about. For me, this is teaching! 

UPDATE 3/10/15:

Perhaps I've missed what I would consider the most important reason to blog, and that is for PERSONAL GROWTH & REFLECTION.  There is nothing better than looking back at where you've come from and the new lessons you've learned along the way.  Keeping a blog allows us to reflect on our professional and personal growth.  I challenge all of you to begin blogging and start reaping the benefits!

Voki QR Code

Flipped Classroom Survey

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Animoto Slide Show

Plinko Probability

How to Access LPN

Voice Recorder >>

Value Of Podcasting

Welcome to the 21st Century, where no longer do students have to sit through boring lectures in a filled classroom! Instead, they can go home and listen to boring lectures using podcasts. I'm kidding!


I believe that podcasts could be very valuable learning tools.  First, imagine yourself as a special ed student in a classroom of middle school students.  The teacher is up front and expects you to take notes while listening to him/her go on about the importance of photosynthesis.  You struggle to keep up with jotting down the main points, let alone trying to figure out what photosynthesis even is!  Luckily, you can go home, or anywhere for that matter, download a podcast of the lecture, and you're ready to take it all in- at your own pace!  That is the beauty of podcasting; you can rewind and listen to it as many times as needed to understand the concept.


Now what would be even better is if that teacher was using vodcasts!  These would appeal not only to audio learners, but also to visual learners.  It's quite difficult and even uncomfortable interrupting a teacher in the middle of a lecture to ask them to slow down or answer a question you may have.  Having these lectures online to rewind and replay as much as needed would be helpful, and gives you the chance to reflect on what has been taught and write down any questions that you might have.  (I am assuming there is follow-up of some sort from the instructor, along with practice, and assessment.)


To take learning even further, having students create their own podcast (as our assignment requires us to) makes the tool even more valuable. I like the idea mentioned in our textbook, Web 2.0, on page 57.  "The students plan and produce full podcasts covering class news, movie reviews, fashion, sports, and more."  What a great way to introduce the power of research, writing, and preparation!


In the article, Using Podcasts in the Classroom, the author says, "Making their work public motivates students to do their best work–their most creative, planned, and precise work." I believe this could be used for almost any subject area, and students would put forth more effort to make sure that what they are doing is high-quality work.  Not to mention, it would be fun for them!


My only concern with podcasts would be the time commitment.  In a 45-minute period, how do you get podcasts researched, written, and created for groups of students?  I suppose what I'm doing with the instructional videos would be considered a vodcast, and even these take a lot of preparation and extra time on my part.  Something to think about I guess.


Stay tuned for my podcast used with 6th grade Math Students!

Lesson Plan- KSP 667

ASSURE Lesson Plan
 

Teacher’s Name: Tara Boogerd                  Class Size: 23 students
Subject: Mathematics                                    Grade: 6^th Grade (11-12 years old)

About the Students: This class is mostly high-ability students. They are considered my “Advanced” math class.  Their basic math computation skills are average to high and their problem-solving skills are average to high.

Lesson Plan Topic/Brief Description:  This lesson is designed to introduce students to Unit Rates.  Students will watch a video while actively taking notes outside of class using a link set up on my school website.  They will bring their notes, examples, and any questions they have to class the following day.  This lesson will teach students how to find unit rate when given a variety of real-life situations.  They will apply this knowledge to respond to questions on how to find missing quantities and unit cost when given only group pricing.  The students will practice their understanding of rates by completing a textbook assignment in class. They will use this practice to prepare for a summative assessment at the end of the chapter.

Analyze Learners:  This lesson is created for 6^th grade Math class.  The class consists of twenty-three students, including 13 females and 10 males.  One student out of the 23 is NOT white.  There is also one Special Ed student.  The students participated in the online MCA III Mathematics test in Spring 2011.  Results showed 48% (11 students) Exceeded Standards, 48% (11 students) Met Standards, and 4% (1 Student) Partially Met Standards. No students failed to meet standards.

State Standards:
6.1.2.3  Students will determine the rate for ratios of quantities with different units.

6.1.2.4 Students will use reasoning about multiplication and division to solve ratio and rate problems.

Select Strategies, Technology, Media, and Materials:

§  A class set of Pearson Prentice Hall Mathematics Course 2 Textbooks

§  A computer with internet capabilities and downloading capabilities

§  Teacher computer with ActivBoard for class viewing

Utilize Technology, Media, and Materials:
Computer access in the school library is available for anyone who does not have internet capabilities at home.  Students each have a hard-copy textbook, along with a username and password to access the online textbook.  The teacher will use the ActivBoard software to create a series of short videos demonstrating how to find unit rates and apply them to various situations.  Students have been instructed on how to view the videos at home, and what to do in case there are any technical issues.  Students may use a calculator, but it is not required.

Require Learner Participation:

Students will prepare notes with examples from the videos to show the teacher.  Students will practice the skills using examples from the textbook. Students are seated in “pods”, therefore are able to ask one another for help, or ask the teacher.  Self-correcting is required by using the answer keys available.  Students must go back and correct any mistakes on the assignment before getting it checked off by the teacher.  All students are required to receive 100% on the daily homework assignments, using as many attempts as needed to accomplish this goal. The class also has a review day before the formal assessment, and then mastery checks periodically to ensure retention.

Evaluate and Revise:

Students will be evaluated using series of formative assessments in class (individual whiteboards, clickers, exit slips, etc.)  After reviewing, students will be given a summative assessment for the chapter.  Feedback will be given through communication between the teacher and student on how well they think they did, which parts they had “forgotten” and what they knew they had mastered going into the test.  The teacher will reflect on individual and class results, and revise the lesson as needed, allowing time for re-teaching if/when necessary.