Spreadsheets

This is a review of a 2nd grade spreadsheet integration presentation titled "Do larger pumpkins have more seeds?"
http://edtech.boisestate.edu/elearn/newbridges/cds/Oliverpumpkins/pumpkinstitlepage.htm

Students listen to directions and weigh their pumkins, then predict which group's pumpkin will have the most seeds. After looking at , smelling, and feeling their pumpkin, students remove seeds and begin counting. One student suggested counting by groups of 10 to make counting easier. The pumpkins are all different sizes and shapes. After collecting their data, the groups enter their information into spreadsheets. The teacher, Mr. Oliver, is helping them keep track of their data and enter it correctly. They had four questions: 1)predict the weight, 2) how much did it weigh, 3) predict the number of seeds, 4) how many seeds were there?

Groups were able to talk with each other to figure out how different numbers were found. Mr. Oliver talked them through each part of their graphs to make sure they understand every element. Their conclusion is that this was a neat experiment and that although the biggest pumpkins don't always have the most seeds, but they did in this case.

This experiment was fun to watch, and would be engaging for students. By providing them a spreadsheet, they can focus on entering their numbers and seeing the results.

I am interested in teaching second grade, and this would be a fun project to do around November. This lesson includes social studies, math, English, science, and spelling, and is a great cross-curricular activity. Students need to learn computer skills at school, and this is an entertaining way for them to learn about more than just the internet. Some students will have more knowledge about computers, and those students should be used as a tool to help the other students so the responsibility isn't totally on the teacher. If this was for a higher grade, students could learn about making their own spreadsheets, then work on creating projects for the other students to complete. I am a firm believer in students contributing to the education process, and by having them create lessons for each other they will have a deeper understanding of their topic and of Excel as well.

4th Grade Classroom Netiquette

COMMON COURTESY

1.    Be considerate of others

    Remember that you are writing to another person.  All you have to communicate is words, no facial expressions or hand gestures.  Make sure the other person understands the emotions behind your words.

2.    Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life

    Is it unethical or illegal?  Would you do it to someone face to face?  If the answer is no, don't do it online.

3.    Know where you are in cyberspace

    Different domains have different standards of what is acceptable.  Explore the site before you participate.

4.    Make yourself look good

    You will be judged on the quality of your writing, so run spell check and make sure what you are emailing or posting is appropriate for the intended viewer.

5.    Respect other people's privacy
    Looking through someone else's files is like going through their physical belongings. 

6.    Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

    Everyone has to start out sometime, and beginners on the internet are likely to make mistakes.  If you feel that correcting the mistake, in a respectful manner, will help that person become a better net user, then you may do so in a polite, private way. 

SAFETY

1.    Never give out personal information or agree to meet someone you met without asking a teacher or parent for permission.

2.    If someone makes you feel uncomfortable with text or pictures, don't respond to the person and tell an adult.
3.    Keep your password a secret. Don't tell anyone!

4.    Remember it might be fun to meet someone you've been talking with online, but people might not be who they claim to be. 

Jigsaw Cooperative Learning

I have read and been told many times that the best way for students to learn is by working together. This helps their speaking, listening, and cooperating skills. The Jigsaw method seems to be an ideal way to incorporate all three of these things.

By dividing students in to groups of 5-6 and assigning them each a different aspect of the day's lesson, students get the chance to be an expert in their area and be the teacher. If a classroom had only five computers for research, the computers would become a research station. Students would all have the same topic at the computer station, so they could help each other with research. The benefit of taking daily anecdotal records is that I could make sure each student had a chance to research on the computers in future lessons. Other stations could be a stack of books, videos, a trip to the library, or (if it was history) parent/family interviews.

This method has many advantages. Students learn to help each other create knowledge in a natural way. They learn to work with all of their classmates and help with the learning process, rather than competing to see who is the best. By providing a quiz at the end of the lesson, students know that they have to do a thorough job of presenting their information to the group so they don't let the other members down. Each student has a chance to become an expert in their area, so they will be well informed to present to the others. This also creates respect for the other students in the group because they will realize everyone has an important part to play.

Some disadvantages are different types of students, including dominant, slow, bright, and competitive. The nature of this grouping system tends to resolve these issues as students get to know the process. Dominant students learn that the group gets more done and they learn more if everyone gets the chance to share their ideas equally. Slow students are encouraged by their expert group, and they pick up more than they did on their own. Bright students have the potential to get bored with the task, but if they realize they are in the role of the teacher the task becomes challenging. There will always be competitive students, but they must learn that it is only through group cooperation that everyone can learn and do well, themselves included.

The Jigsaw Method sounds exciting to me, and I am looking forward to implementing it in my classroom.

Google for Educators

After reading through the tools available on Google for Educators, I was most interested in Doodle 4 Google, Google Squared, and Google Earth.

With an interest in art myself, I would love to give my students the chance to enter Doodle 4 Google's contest to get a design on their home page. This year's theme was "What I Wish for the World," which could have been integrated with a language arts/writing lesson or an American or World History lesson. Creatively expressing oneself through art is seldom included in lessons, and I think the students would enjoy it.

Google Earth is an application I have used to plan hiking trips. I would enjoy using it to bring geography lessons to life. Students could give presentations on different regions and create a tour with Google Earth to illustrate their projects. This can also be used as a stationary map for reference when giving a lesson on a certain area.

My favorite new tool is Google Squared. It is a great starting place for any sort of research. Google Squared automatically collects facts from across the internet on any category. Additional categories can be added by choosing from suggestions or typing your own category, and Google Squared will find more information. The source of each entry is provided so that further research can be conducted.

Google Sets is also worth exploring. By entering up to five items, Google Sets will create a large set or a small set of related items. This can be useful to find terms or information that wouldn't normally come to mind right away.

Google Docs is an interesting program for group projects. It enables users to upload or create files and invite others to view or edit the doc. Submitting assignments for the teacher to view and grade would also be easier and more environmentally friendly. It has many useful feature such as creating shared spreadsheets to track missing work and using rubrics to create and grade student tests.

IDEA, ATA, ADA

Dear parents, families, and students,

Welcome back!  I am looking forward to meeting all of you and spending a wonderful year with my new students.  I respect and value the qualities and strengths each and every student brings to my classroom.  Each year is full of successes and challenges, and I find that I learn as much from my students as they learn from me.

I will be sending out monthly newsletters to familiarize you with what is happening in our classroom.  This month's will be focused on several pieces of legislature that may affect your children or your children's friends.  There are three acts dealing with Special Education, and I would like to share some information my fellow teachers and I have collected.  

The first act is IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Act.  IDEA guarantees the right to a free and appropriate education to students with disabilities.  The goal of IDEA is to prepare students with disabilities for employment and independent living.  To receive an IEP, Individualized Education Program, students must be evaluated.  The IEP is a program made specifically for the benefit of one student and may involve special classroom considerations and time in a resource room.  Please refer to my blog http://iblog-christie.blogspot.com/, "IDEA Legislation," for more info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualized_Education_Program
http://www.agbell.org/docs/agreatidea.pdf
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home

The second act is the Assistive Technology Act.  This act affirms the federal role of promoting access to assistive technology devices and services for individuals with disabilities.  It guarantees funding for states to be spent on technology, which is important because the ability to use technology in business, government, communication, commerce, and education impacts every person in America.  By using assisstive technology, students with disabilities will be able to live independently, live full lives, and participate in all aspects of society.  Please see my colleague Dawn Marie Rupp's blog http://aboutmeedtech202.blogspot.com/ for more information.

http://www.abledata.com/

http://www.ataporg.org/atap/legislative?id=act1998

The last act is the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act.  The ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, and also ensures them equal opportunity for employment. If an employee can perform the tasks needed for the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, then the employer is required to make the changes unless it poses unreasonable expenses or is extremely difficult to make.  For more information please visit Tiffany Bailey's blog at http://tiffanyannbailey.blogspot.com/

www.ada.gov

http://www.eeoc.gov/types/ada.html

After assessing my students this month, I will be deciding on what aspects of these three legislative acts will most directly affect our classroom.  I will share any technological developments with you in next month's newsletter.  This is a lot if information on this topic, however I feel that the more we know the more understanding we will be.  If you have any questions regarding this letter or anything else in the classroom, please feel free to contact me.  Thank you!

Christie Nichols

Campus School

http://iblog-christie.blogspot.com/

IDEA legislation

IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, guarantees the right to a free and appropriate education to students with disabilities. The goal of IDEA is to prepare students with disabilities for employment and independent living. To receive an IEP, Individualized Education Program, the potential student must be evaluated. This evaluation includes all areas where the student may have a disability, including hearing, vision, communication, emotional well being, and general intelligence. The evaluation must be in the child's native language and is free to parents.

If the evaluation determines the child is eligable for an IEP, a group meets to discuss the student's plan. The group can include the general educator, special educator, parents, any qualified professionals like speech therapists or psychologists, and a school administrator who is familiar with special education procedures. The IEP determines the least restrictive environment for the student, annual goals with short term objectives, measurement of progress, participation with non-disabled students, and participation in state and district assessments.

While general education classrooms are tailored to fit the whole class, an IEP is designed specifically for one student. The availability of programs in an area are not considerations when designing an IEP, it is based entirely on the student's needs. The student may receive specially designed instruction, classroom accommodations, and supplementary aids. Each year the IEP team meets to determine the student's progress and goals for the next year.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualized_Education_Program
http://www.agbell.org/docs/agreatidea.pdf
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home

About me

My name is Christie and I finally committed to getting my second degree. I grew up in Nampa and came to BSU right after high school. I loved my art classes, so I pursued a B.F.A. in art metals and sculpture. Everything was great, my classes were amazing, and I enjoyed the whole experience. I graduated in December 2005, went to Hawaii for a week in January, and came back to the exact same life I had before my degree. I got into a show here and there, but I wasn't really interested in a career as an artist. I liked the process of making art more than the task of finding and entering shows to make a name for myself in the art community. After I realized that, I needed a new goal so I committed myself to earning enough money to go to Australia for four months with my roommate. I focused my attention on that goal and I achieved it. Australia was amazing, but when I returned I was in the same position as before-a degree in hand but no real direction.

During my first degree I had given thought to changing my major to elementary art education, but jobs as art teachers are few and far between and it seems to be one of the first places funding is cut. I started thinking about teaching again last year because I always end up being the trainer wherever I work. I easily understand what is expected of me and I'm able to communicate that to new people in a clear and direct way. I love helping people succeed and seeing that "aha" moment in them, so why not do it for a career?

I spent time last semester in a first grade classroom and in a fifth grade classroom. I would love to focus on the younger grades because reading is such an important element of their education. I love to read and I think the process of teaching kids to read is fascinating. They get such enjoyment and pride out of being able to read things for themselves. My first couple years in elementary I had fantastic teachers who encouraged and inspired me to want to read well. Reading is a very important part of life, and I would like to pass that on to my students.

As for some background information, I am a stressed out disaster. I got married in May in Hawaii, which was relaxing and wonderful. I have a reception soon which I still have to plan for, I'm taking four summer classes, and I'm working about 30 hours a week. I still love to have fun and be outdoors when at all possible. I enjoy hiking, camping, rock climbing, knitting, sewing, and relaxing. I plan on doing all of these things in the two weeks between the end of my summer classes and the beginning of fall classes. I will graduate in May 2010 and have three months of glorious freedom before returning to my current state of a stressed out disaster as a first year teacher.