Exploring Technologies (week4)

After looking at the different math and technology programs were online my two favorites were Celestia and the Virtual Pond Dip.  The Celestia program was very informative and allows students to look at each planet as well as the entire solar system as a whole.  I think this would be a good tool to use in the classroom if we ever have a unit on the solar system.  The second science tool that I thought was so cool, was the Virtual Pond Dip.  I wish that I had this when I was in school, I thought it was so cool how you can see the different microorganisms that are in the pond.  You can click on different links and it will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the different living creatures in the pond.  I used this tool for my science/math challenge for the following week and I am excited to use this activity in my future classroom

TPACK AMOR...

Learning more about TPACK and the different tools that are involved with that, was very interesting.    I thought that it seemed a little confusing at first, but remember that there are three main concepts at the core that break off the make more sections.  The way that the website gave examples of each part of TPACK was so helpful and it I was better able to understand the bigger picture.  The overall concept of integration was something that I was familiar with, from a previous class.  But I had never thought about integrating technology to the classroom and how helpful and beneficial it is.  I think that this model will help me in the near future and it will make it a little easier to organize my lesson plans while maintaining an objective throughout the entire lesson.

Science at it's Best

*The students will also be looking at real pond water after they experience the virtual pond activities!
http://www.microscope-microscope.org/basic/buyers-guide.htm

*This is a caption from the virtual pond website that goes through each microorganism by group.  It also has a picture of what it would look like, along with a brief explanation of the characteristics they have.
* These three pictures are captions that were taken from the virtual pond website.  The students are able to see each microorganism that lives in the pond.  They can also click on each type and read more information about the individual microorganisms!

* The pretty pond caption is just an example of what a pond looks like in real life.  It would be good for kids to see this along with the online activities.  The students will even take a trip to a nearby pond if time and budgets allow for that type of activity.

http://www.dinternursery.ca/PondProducts.htm

 Teacher Savvy:

As a teacher in the increasingly tech savvy world we have created a way for students in the 6^th grade classroom to explore different microorganisms through the use of digital microscopes and an interactive Internet website. We believe that through the use of these aids this lesson will be more meaningful for the students.

The objective that we are focusing on for our science lesson is to observe and summarize information about microorganisms. For this lesson we are going to introduce the students to the concept of microorganisms. We will discuss a few different types of microorganisms that surround us in our environment. After we have sparked the interest of this new concept we will then explore the website  HYPERLINK "http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html" http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html. This link will take you to Virtual Pond Dip and it is an interactive activity for students. It allows you to see the physical form of various microorganisms. In the pond, each component is a link and has specific information concerning each individual microorganism. The virtual pond will allow students to explore various microorganisms and their information.

After this activity of exploring microorganisms in the pond water, we will then introduce the students to the digital microscope. We plan on using small sample of pond water for the students to view through the microscope. Only a small drop is required under a digital microscope and it allows students to see these small organisms up close.

As students have opportunities to explore microorganisms online, they will be able to clearly see and identify the differences between the various organisms. Using the Virtual Pond website students are able to easily view and classify microorganisms. This easily enhances their ability to pick out the microorganisms and identify the various components involved with each. As students learn about each microorganism they are not only viewing the physical characteristics, but also the make-up and movement of each. This provides the perfect introduction into classifying microorganisms before students view real life microorganisms from a nearby pond. Students are able to truly learn the differences between each microorganism, making time spent looking through the microscope more useful. Students will be able to truly learn the differences without feeling burdened and overwhelmed with staring through a microscope for many hours. This technological feature also makes the distinctions between the microorganisms more clear, enhancing their ability to classify, identify and observe microorganisms. Using this technology not only saves time in the classroom, it also develops studentʼs use of the internet and observing abilities. Students learn skills in many areas as they learn about the microorganism from the Virtual Pond website.

A Whole New World

During this past week, I have learned more about the internet and how to use it than I thought was possible.  I was amazed at how the RSS worked and how easy it was to access.  Another thing that surprised me, was how many people were involved in the goodreads and delicious programs that are available online.  I think that once I am a teacher these different programs will be very beneficial for my teaching career.  I love that people can voice their opinions about different books and then I will be able to find books that have good reviews by fellow teachers.  I am enjoying learning about the different ways I will be able to enhance my classroom and be a more prepared teacher for my students!

Photo Love :)

Technology Experience

Growing up, there was always a computer that was available in my house where I was able to learn the basic functions of computers.  However, this was the extent of my learning.  I feel very confident with email and the basic internet functions.  After being in this class for one day; I realized that I know very little about technology in general and even less about technology within the classroom.  I feel like my experience with technology is at a very superficial level.  I am excited to expand my knowledge of technology and I am looking forward to using it in my future classrooms.