Assignment #8: Multimedia

Subject: Science

Grade: 1

Topic: Colour

URL: http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/tlfmc/index.html?launch=true

Learning Object:

This learning object is an interactive website where students can mix two or more colours in order to create new colours. They must also match the colours they create to the colours given. Then they are able to colour pictures using their personal colours.

Integration and Planning:

After having a few introductory lessons on the colour unit, including primary colours, secondary colours, how secondary colours are used, etc. I would use this multimedia object to further enhance the students’ understanding of creating colours. I have already planned for this lesson by doing the activities on the site myself. They were lots of fun and kept me engaged so I think they would keep grade 1 students engaged as well. They will be learning and reinforcing what they know while having fun.

Specific Learner Expectations for Grade 1 Science:

Compare and contrast colours, using terms such as lighter than, darker than, more blue, brighter than.

Predict and describe changes in colour that result from the mixing of primary colours and from mixing a primary colour with white or with black.

Create a colour that matches a given sample, by mixing the appropriate amounts of two primary colours.

Specific Learner Expectaions for ICT Division 1:

Access and retrieve appropriate information from electronic sources for a specific inquiry.

Perform basic computer operations, which may vary by environment, including powering up, inserting disks, moving the cursor, clicking on an icon, using pull-down menus, executing programs, saving files, retrieving files, printing, ejecting disks and powering down.

Internet Safety

The internet is a wonderful resource. Students can find very valuable information in almost no time, with just a few clicks of a mouse. However, there are many dangers lurking on the internet and teachers and parents must inform students about these to help ensure that they remain safe on the internet. Some of the dangers include:

It can be very easy to come across sites which are inappropriate for children

Pornography
Violence/death
Illegal and dangerous information (ex. How to make a bomb, or how to commit suicide)

Children can be easily persuaded to reveal personal information such as their name, gender, age, school, phone number or address, which could put them in danger

Another danger is that anyone can post their opinions on the internet, so there may be a lot of false information that students stumble across

The best way to protect students from these dangers is to inform them. Teach children about the possible dangers of the internet and why it is not a good idea to give out personal information. When properly educated students will be able to use logical thinking and make decisions that will keep them safe and make the most of their internet experiences.

Assignment #5: Discussion Boards

When used wisely discussion boards can be great tools for enhancing education. There are many ways discussion boards can be used in (and out) of the classroom lesson. However, there are also some cons related to discussion boards.

Pros:

• Helps create sense of community and cohesion for students in both online instruction and face to face classrooms

• Makes communication among group members easy

• Can be used to supplement class discussions

• Can be accessed anywhere, anytime

• Promotes student interaction

• Enhances face-to-face educational activities

• Allows for sharing information

• Encourages peer review and tutoring

• Allows time to think, reflect and write

Cons:

• Privacy issues, students need to understand the importance of privacy

• Some students may not have computers or internet access at home, making it difficult to participate in discussions

• Some students may not participate, maybe because of shyness or lack of confidence

• Discussions could get out of hand or off topic if the mediator is not monitoring closely

• Discussion may be lacking, students don’t know what to say

Five ways to enhance classroom interactions using discussion boards:

1. Discussion boards allow students to ask questions and receive help from their peers when they are struggling with a concept or studying for a test. This is helpful for the entire class because the student asking the question gets an answer, the student answering the question reinforces what they know by explaining it to others, and the rest of the class gets exposed to the information so it is also reinforced for them.
2. Students who are away can keep up on homework and classroom activities through discussion boards. Again, they can use this medium to receive further explanations from students who attended class.
3. Discussion boards give students time to think about a topic, and determine their response. This will result in deeper, more thought full discussions.
4. Some students dislike speaking in class. Discussion boards allow these students to express themselves and their opinions, which may otherwise never be heard by the rest of the class.
5. The use of discussion boards can create a sense of community in the classroom. They allow students to participate and interact with one another more than in the classroom. So the classroom becomes a learning community instead of a group of students being instructed by a teacher.

Assignment #4: Concept Mapping Using Inpiration

Topic A in grade one science is called creating colour. Students learn about the different types of colours (primary, secondary, and tertiary), and that by mixing colors you can create other colours. Two of the specific outcomes from this unit are to:

• identify colours in a variety of natural and manufactured objects, and
• predict and describe changes in colour that result form the mixing of primary colours

At the end of the colour topic it would be effective to have students create a concept map about colours to demonstrate their knowledge. Students could be instructed to include the primary and secondary colours and how these two types of colours are connected, and to use descriptions or pictures of objects to give examples of each colour. This concept map would demonstrate whether or not a student meets the specific outcomes listed above.

The general and specific outcomes from division one of the ICT program of studies, which relate best to this project include:

F6 Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of the operating skills required in a variety of technologies.

1.1 Perform basic computer operations, including powering up, inserting disks, moving the cursor, clicking on an icon, using pull-down menus, executing programs, saving files, retrieving files, printing, ejecting disks and powering down.

P3 Students will communicate through multimedia

1.1 Access images, such as clip art, to support communication

P4 Students will integrate various applications

1.1 Integrate text and graphics to form a meaningful message

1.2 Balance text and graphics for visual effect

Assignment #3: Incorporating Technology into a Lesson

My grade five class is learning about weather in science. Today we are going to learn about clouds in an activity titled “All about Clouds.” First students will have to search two web sites (http://www.weatherwizkids.com/cloud.htm and http://www.eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cloudhome.html) for information, such as, how clouds are formed, and the different types of clouds. They will record their answers on a worksheet that I give them before they begin their research. After the students researched clouds I will have them present the information they learned. I'll allow them to choose how to display this information. They may decide to make a poster or brochure, write a poem about clouds, make a power point, draw a picture, etc. to demonstrate what they have learned.

The general and specific learner expectations, from the grade five science curriculum, that would apply to this activity are:

General learner expectation:

Students will observe, describe and interpret weather phenomena; and relate weather to the heating and cooling of the earth’s surface.

Specific learner expectation:

Identify some common types of clouds, and relate them to weather patterns.

The general and specific outcomes from division two of the ICT curriculum, which would best be met by this activity are:

General Outcome:

C.1 - Students will access, use and communicate information from a variety of technologies.

Specific Outcomes:

2.1 access and retrieve appropriate information from the Internet by using a specific search path or from given uniform resource locations (URLs)

2.2 organize information gathered from the Internet, or an electronic source, by selecting and recording the data in logical files or categories; and by communicating effectively, through appropriate forms, such as speeches, reports and multimedia presentations, applying information technologies that serve particular audiences and purposes

By incorporating technology into this lesson it would allow the students to take more control of, and be more responsible for their learning. As the teacher I could have the students sit quietly in their desks and listen while I taught a lesson on clouds. I feel however, that using computers and the internet would be more engaging to the students. There are many colourful, illustrative pictures and games about clouds on these pages which provide students with multiple ways of learning the information, making this lesson more suitable for many learning styles.

References

UCAR, Web Weather for Kids. Retrieved Septemper 29, 2007, from Clouds Web site: http://www.eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cloudhome.html

Wicker, Crystal Weather Wiz Kids. Retrieved September 29, 2007, from Clouds Web site: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/cloud.htm

Assignment #2: Technology Integration

Technology integration in education is the use of technology in the classroom to facilitate teaching and learning. More and more teachers are using technology to present information to students; a classic example is a power point presentation. Presenting information or curriculum using technology, such as power point,

adds another dimension to the typical lecture where a teacher writes on the board or uses overheads. Technology can make learning new material more interesting simply by adding some color and design to it to help grasp and hold the students’ attention. However, teachers must be careful not to use too much color or visual effects or students will be overloaded and unable to focus on the information being presented.

Technology is so important is society and every child should have access to and be educated in using it. Students can use computers to write papers, create presentations, organize information, research topics and much more. The world wide web is a great tool for students. As the first article suggested the internet can be used to connect students and their immediate surroundings to the rest of their city, province or country and even to the rest of the world. The web can be a very affective tool for broadening students’ understanding of a concept or topic.

Teachers should use technology not only to teach but also to learn. Along with broadening their students’ knowledge they can broaden their own knowledge, which may help them to be more effective teachers. Educational web sites can be great places for teachers to get new ideas on how to present information, or to find useful activities for their students.

There seems to be no end to the ways technology can be integrated into the classroom. However, it can be difficult for teachers to use technology in class because there are not always computers in every classroom. Many schools have one computer room which is shared by the entire school so students do not get much time to work with computers.

Assignment #1: Intro to Blogging in Education

Wow, my first blog, how exciting.

As you should know by now my name is Kory Parker. I was born and raised in the great city of Calgary, Alberta with my two older sisters. Some of my favorite things include bright sunny days, being outside, spending time with friends and family, and listening to music anytime, anywhere.

I can remember thinking I wanted to be a teacher in grade 5 because of my teacher Mr. Lemon. Early on I wasn’t interested in school or learning, but when I got to Mr. Lemon’s class that changed pretty quickly. He was the type of teacher who makes a good lasting impression on many of his students. He encouraged me to try harder, he challenged me like no one had ever done, and he made learning fun. Mr. Lemon saw potential in me that had previously gone unnoticed and he helped me to realize my abilities. I am so thankful to have had such a wonderful teacher because without him I don’t know if I would have ever gone to college or university, and I’m not sure if I would be here in PS1 today. I am very excited to be part of the faculty of Education and am greatly looking forward to teaching in the future.

Blogging in Education:

Before last week I had never seen a blog and had very little idea what one entailed. Now that I have read-up on the subject I am amazed. I had no clue that blogs could be used in so many productive ways, not just in education, but in general.

As a math major my first impression of blogs in education was: “These blog things are interesting and I see how they would be useful in an English or Social Studies course, but I want to be a math teacher, I’ll never use them.” After reading more however, I began to realize that any teacher, no matter the subject or grade, could put this tool to good use in the classroom. I can absolutely see myself using a blog to post homework assignments, test dates, and other important information for my students and their parents. This seems like such an obvious and practical application of technology in education, yet I probably would never have thought of it. I think using a blog in this way would be a great method of keeping even the busiest parent involved in their child’s education, and it would also be helpful to students who have many classes and may have a hard time remembering which assignments are due when. Of course, there are dangers involved in blogging and students must be taught proper safety procedures for internet use like, no full names. Overall I’m quite impressed with what I’ve learned about blogging in education and I think blogs could be extremely useful to teachers, students, and parents.