Technology Inventory Reflection

During my classroom technology inventory I learned a lot about the technology my school has. In my classroom there is only one computer, which is only used by the teacher. There is,,however, a technology stand for the second grade which has a computer, projector, cd player, dvd player, etc. It is a great tool if you want to bring technology into the classroom. For the most part thought technology is not used much in the classroom.

My school has two fully loaded computer labs. There are 30 PC's with several different programs on them. Some programs are Microsoft office, phonics, ELL programs, and type writing programs. Students go to the computer lab once a week, where the school technology specialist teaches them. Teachers can book the computer labs at other times jsut by signing up in the office. The technology specialist is there to help teachers with any technology questions or needs.

My teacher utilizes the technology often. This week we are having the students create books about animals on the computer. She believes that technology is very useful for students learning.

Revolutionary War Battles Google Earth

Here is the link

TPACK Virtual Tour

• What is the content you’ll be using in your lesson

The content I will be teaching is Social Studies, Fifth Grade, Standard 2, Objective 2a. Plot a time line of the key events of the Revolutionary War

• What is the pedagogy you’ll be using and why is it a good fit with the content?

Students will observe, record, and make predictions. This ties in perfectly with the content because they will observe Revolutionary War sites, record what occurred at each location, and predict how it affected the war so they can create a time line.

• What is the technology you’ll be using and why is it a good fit with the content and pedagogy?

THe technology I will use is Google Earth to make a virtual tour. This is a great tool to use to teach the students about the Revolutionary War because they can observe where the key events took place, see what happened at each place so they can record it, and predict how it affected the war so they can create time lines.

Social Constructivism

Social Constructivism

I can use cognitive apprenticeship in my 2-D geometry lesson plan. I will be the expert and guide my students toward gaining knowledge about the different geometry symbols. Students will first observe me using my body to demonstrate the different geometry symbols. We will then do it together and I will coach, provide feedback, and give reminders about the different symbols we are demonstrating through our body movements. I will use scaffolding while teaching by gradually modeling less and having students create the movements on their own. I then give them more responsibility in the Geometry says activity, and lastly I have them go search for the symbols around the room on their own. I will ask questions throughout the activity where students have to address what they are doing because of what they learned. Have students talk about what they have been learning and how their movements have improved throughout the lesson. Ill ask what movements we did together and where they took them from there. They then have to explore new ways to apply what they are learning. They have to create movements on their own. They then get to play Geometry says, where they have to be creative and come up with movements on their own. They then have to go around the room and find examples of the shapes, angles, and lines that they had been creating movements for. This will make them think deeper and make other connections. Some tools I will use is putting pictures of the symbols up on the board, for the students to see. When they use their bodies to create the symbol that is also a tool. I will make sure to know each and every one of my students so that when I am teaching I will be know how to reach all of their zones of proximal development. I will have prepared them with the material needed before this activity beforehand. After teaching the lesson I will refer back to this lesson many times, so the material learned will be maintained.

Virtual Tour

Location	Activity	Google Earth Content
1. Battle at Lexington and Concord	Read the poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and then have students create a poem of their own about Paul Revere or the Battle	Arlington,MA (Middlesex county) Picture
2. Battle of Ticonderoga	Do a play where they take over the fort with no shots fired	Ticonderoga, New York Picture
3. Battle of Saratoga	Have students create a diorama or poster depicting their favorite part of the Battle at Saratoga	Saratoga, New York Picture
4.Battle at Valley Forge	Debate between George Washington and his troops. Washington wanted to keep fighting and the troops wanted to head home	Cache-Control: max-age

Virtual Tour Challenge

Social Studies, Fifth Grade, Standard 2, Objective 2a. Plot a time line of the key events of the Revolutionary War

Developmetnal Cognitivism

Developmental Cognitivism

Stage Based Learning

According to Piaget the students I am teaching (third grade) this lesson to are in the concrete-operational stage. This stage encourages a lot of “hands on” thinking. Students can realize that elements can be changed or transformed and still conserve many of their original characteristics. My lesson incorporates a variety of different ways to symbolize the geometry terms. For example, I have them show the symbols with their bodies, I then have them play Geometry says, and then have them look for the symbols around the room. The children are able to realize that even though each symbol is a different, size, shape, color, or medium that it still represents the same thing. This lesson is all hands on, it is the students and I working with lines, shapes, and angles in a variety of different interactive ways.

Uniqueness of Individual Learning:

This lesson allows for a lot of children variability and creativity. When representing the symbols by using their bodies they have the freedom to go as far as their mind will take them, or as simple as is comprehendible for them. When they walk around the room to observe the different symbols they can observe the most basic aspects or the most abstract aspects. By providing a variety of activities to teach about the geometry terms it is more likely that all of the students needs will be met in one way or another.

Experience that Involves Action

The entire lesson is full of action. They get up and move around to experience shapes, lines, and angles through the use of their body. This will help them to make connections with the terms and how they use their bodies to represent them. They get to play Geometry says where they move around have freedom. They then get to walk around the room and observe the geometry symbols all around them. By having these action activities students are able to make connections with their actions and the terms.

Necessity of Social Interaction

Throughout the lesson the students will have the chance to interact with one another. When they use their body to show the symbols they will all be in the same vicinity, where they can feed of each other’s ideas and energy. It will be great for them to even work together to create the symbols. When playing Geometry says it will be similar to the environment of the body activity. They will get to help and inspire creativity in one another. When making observations around the room they can work with each other and give each other ideas as well. Social interaction is crucial for student learning at their young age.

Adaption

In the 2-D geometry lesson assimilation and accommodation can be utilized by students to help learn the material. They use assimilation by connecting the new information into old schemes. An example of this is if any of the students have ever danced before they can make a connection between the movements they use in dance and the geometry terms. Another example would be to take what they know about different objects in the room and connect the geometry term to it. For example, they look at the white board and see 4 right angles. They are connectin g new information with schemes they already have. When students accommodate they create new schemes or adjust old ones in response to new information. An example of this is when they play Geometry says. Their prior knowledge of Simon Says is adjusted to be Geometry says. The rules then change in their minds because they have to show shapes, lines, and angles.

Disequilibrium/cognitive dissonance

At first when students are asked to use their body to show examples of terms that they barely know they will experience disequilibrium. The students will realize they do not fully understand so they will use assimilation and accommodation to learn the material. It is during this disequilibrium that students will learn the most.

Schemas

Throughout the lesson I will try and appeal to the student’s different schemas. I will help them create schemas by having them do different behaviors (actions). When they do the motions with their bodies, bplay geometry says, and record different objects around the room they will use different behaviors to create a schema. I also will appeal to their symbolic schemas by showing the symbols for everything on the board, having them use their bodies to show the symbols, and making connections to things around the room.

Discovery learning

Students will learn through their own discoveries. I will not tell them exactly what body part to use to make the shapes. They will have the chance to be creative and discover all the different ways to use their bodies to make the symbols. They also will go around the room and discover for themselves these objects.

Classification

I will group the terms into different categories so that the students will be able to classify the different groups and symbols within. For example we will first go over different lines. Then we will go over different angles. Lastly, we will go over different shapes. Students will be able to make these classifications. The more advanced they get on the terms they will then be able to make the connection that some of the classes fit into each other.