Probeware and Smart

What Do I Need for Data Collection?
I decided to build my own Probeware Package for my school.
For my curriculum I would like to offer the children a variety of subjects since I have unlimited funds.  If I could only chose two, I would chose Real World Math and one of the inquiry sciences.

• Agricultural Science
• Biology
• Inquiry Biology
• Chemistry
• Inquiry Chemistry
• Earth Science
• Elementary Science
• Environmental Science
• Real World Math
• Physical Science
• Water Quality

One Classroom Set (One Shared Set of Equipment)
* I decided I would like to build one set of equipment that can be used to teach my curriculum.  Then I would like to place two orders of the same thing, just in case there is enough room in the building for two multipurpose laboratories.  This seems more practice and efficient than having a different piece of equipment for each subject area.

I chose 10 lab stations.  With two sets, I will be able to set up 20 lab stations in total.  A station can be used by 2-4 students.  Since, I am ordering 2 packages of 10, a total of 80 students could work on the same curriculum at the same time in one very large room, or two or more smaller rooms.

The Interface I chose was The Vernier LabQuest 2.   I thought this was the best choice because it is the most versatile. It can be used with computers or as a standalone device.  The key features are:

• Stand-alone or connected to Windows or Mac computer
• 100,000 samples per second
• Use with over 70 Vernier sensors
• 5 sensor ports
• Wi-Fi enabled
• Built-in GPS, accelerometer, ambient temperature sensor, and microphone
• Touch screen
• Hand held

SpectroVis Plus Spectrophotometer
It is portable.  It shows absorbance and wavelength spectrum. 

Expanded Equipment
21 sensors for 304 experiments:  I chose this one because I wanted offer my students quality experiments instead of quantity.
$2,365 per lab station

Accessories:  I chose these accessories, because I thought they would be useful and fun, however, I don’t want to be burdened down with too much equipment. 

40   Scout Pro 0.01 g Balance (400 g)
40   Wide-Range Temperature Probe
  2    Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus Wireless Weather Station
40   Microphone
40    Force Plate
40    Motion Detector

Software:

Logger Pro 3:  Helps students visualize science with graphs, video analysis, and powerful analysis functions. Collect data directly on a Mac or Windows computer or import data collected remotely from the Vernier LabQuest 2 or TI calculators.  Also includes one copy of Logger Pro includes a site license that includes every computer in a school, including the students' home computers.

Subtotal $62,783.00

SMART helps teachers bring more collaboration and interactivity into the classroom increasing student engagement.  I would use the smart board in many ways in my classroom.  I would use it to encourage children to learn through play as the smart board increases student participation.  I think the smart board would be very useful in engaging English language learners. An example of this would be providing new sentence walls and word walls on the smart board for students to look at when needed.  It would also satisfy a veriety of learning styles.  I feel that using the smart board would bring the world to the classroom and can be easily teacher or student directed.

 

 

Blog #5 Podcast

Blog #5

I enjoyed creating my podcast.  I had never tried it before.  I was a little confused at first and needed some help getting started.  I am not experienced using a Mac.  After creating one, its many uses became apparent.  I liked not only being able to record voice and music, but I thought the ability to include pictures was beneficial as most children are visual learners.   I would like to try creating one using a program I could use on my own computer.

Podcasts can be wonderful tools for the classroom.  Teachers can use them to record and reinforce lessons.  Teachers may use them in a work shop so that children can hear instructions individually.   When a child misses school a podcast may benefit the student by helping them catch up. 

Podcasts are also an excellent way to introduce children to technology.  They can practice many skills when creating their own podcasts.  They will learn to develop an idea, collect and organize information and manage their time.  Students can use a podcast to write a speech and present it.  By creating a podcast students will learn how to integrate self-expression with technology.

Many teachers are using podcasts in school.  There are many educational podcasts available online. Creating a podcast meets technology standards in many states.  Since there are so many components to creating a podcast, it is easy to integrate many subject areas and standards while using them.  A site I found useful is: 

Podcasting in the Classroom:  http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~nshelley/index.html

National Geographic also has many podcasts available for the curious young researcher at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mobile/ 

Blog 4: Google Earth Lesson Plan

Social Studies

Elementary School Geography Lesson Plan Using Google Earth
In this unit, grouped student will explore the geography of the United States. Students will create travel journals (or logs/blogs) supported with Google Earth location to discuss the five US places visited, including comparing and contrasting the physical characteristics of each region.

Learning Objectives: The student will be able to:

* Identify and discuss the major geographic regions of the United States;

* Identify key features and vocabulary for each major geographic region of the United States;

* Present and compare group findings to determine if the class has similar definitions for each
      region.

Lesson Plan:

1.      Have the students brainstorm ideas of places around the United States they’ve visited or   would like to visit.  

2.   Display a Map of North America in front of the class and ask the students to group the locations according to geographic region.

3.      The teacher will use Google Earth to introduce the five major geographic regions that students should be expected to identify as part of their project.

4.      Encourage students to brainstorm questions about the five regions.

5.      Split the children into five groups. Name each of the five groups one of the regions. Tell them to record all the information presented to the class on that particular region.

6.      Have the students choose five places they would like to travel to, one in each region.  Have them locate the region on Google Earth and tell about the characteristics of each region.

7.      Have students use the Measure Tool to measure the distances between their regions. 

8.      Have each group present their projects to the class.

9.      At the end of the unit, groups will create resource sheets about that region for the class for future reference.

I think that this lesson would could take a week to complete with fourth graders in order to allow them ample time to create their journal, identify regions and present.  This depends on how many computers and their availability to students. 
Students will learn about specific regions in the United States using Google Earth. By allowing children to use Google Earth instead of a book will allow them to explore the regions in a realistic and hands on approach.  As when using all technology children should be supervised and precautions should be taken to keep children on task and away from inappropriate sites they may find on the Internet.

This lesson was adapted and simplified from Discovery Education Unitedstreaming
http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/services.google.com/en/us/educators/learning_materials/Earth_Lesson_ElementarySchool.pdf

Blog #3 Photography

Students can use photography to enhance, demonstrate or explain their knowledge in a variety of subject areas. Students can use photography to explore real world applications in subjects such as math and science. Photography can enhance projects such as blogs and the school newspaper.  Advocacy for subjects such as diversity, culture or community can be visualized with the use of photographs.  Photography can be used as prompts to write papers or poems.  Students may also use photography to demonstrate their understanding or interpretations of subjects.  Photography has potential to be a wonderful introduction for students to explore technology, since most everyone has a camera or one may be provided in class.

I am pretty comfortable with taking photos, downloading and organizing photos.  I can modify and enhance pictures fairly easily with the programs I already use.  As for exporting and uploading photos, it is relatively new to me, however, I think I understand it fairly well. 

Response Blog #3

Maggie's ED 421: Blog #1: Technology as a tool in the classroom can be both exciting and intimidating to teachers, new and old. It is certainly intriguing for student...

I’d like to respond to Maggie’s Blog who researched PhotoPeach.  I think that her idea of being able to use this technology to enable students to easily create quizzes to help teach their peers or their parents brilliant. I strongly agree that a student who can teach what they know will not only enhance others knowledge, but their own as well.  I also liked how she mentioned quizzing the parents because it would be an excellent way to keep them involved in the school.  I think that this program would be useful for teachers as well as students if there were an affordable way to obtain it.  However, if I personally loved the program it might be worth the purchase.  

It is important to encourage the use of technology in the classroom and it would be awesome to let children be able to use the program themselves. If the presentations and quizzes are as useful as they seem to be, then I agree maybe one teacher account could be used for the whole class.  I wonder if there is a free version available if you allow advertisements. 

Blog #2

        The website I chose from BigHugeLabs to look at was bubbl.us.  Bubbl.us is a simple program that teachers and students can use to create brain maps and organize information.  The site is useful as it easily categorizes, clarifies and connects ideas visually. This program provides students the ability to invite their teachers to view their work, share ideas with their friends, and work simultaneously on group projects.  Images from bubbl.us can easily be printed, emailed, embedded or saved.  This program would be ideal for students who need to brainstorm, write papers, organize their thoughts, make visual connections, or collaborate with their peers. 

Blog #1

Blog #1:  In what ways do you think that technology can enhance students' learning?
Might the effects be great, or just minor?
Are there any dark sides?

Technology can enhance students' learning by helping teachers assist students with different learning styles.  Technology may enhance students' learning by providing visual aids as well as allowing children to explore their studies through games and or other research.  Technology is important to use in the classroom so that children can become familiar with it and later learn how to use it.  Because technology is so important in todays world, students should become familiar with it.  By using technology we can allow our students to explore subjects in depth outside of their immediate surroundings.  By using technology teachers can have access to lesson plans and new ideas that may benefit the students.

I believe that the effects of using technology in the classroom will be great.  There is so much we can offer our students if we as teachers know how to use the technology available to us.  I believe the more we know, the more we can share with our students.  I believe by using technology we can bring the world to the classroom and allow children the opportunity to explore things that would otherwise be challenging to explore.

Yes, there is always a dark side to technology if it is misused.  It might distract the students.  Some sights may be inappropriate.  If relied on to heavily without an alternative or backup, the sole reliance on technology may cause problems if the technology not working correctly.  However, I believe that there are more benefits for the students by incorporating technology in the classroom.