Collaboration

Collaboration is teachers working together to create lessons and instruction that is better and that meets student needs more effectively than if it we planned alone. When teachers collaborate with other teachers, specialists, and administration it keeps everybody on the same page and moving in the same direction for student success. While there is usually only one teacher in the classroom during the actual instruction, I think that collaboration and the idea that two heads are better than one is necessary in effective instruction. The special education teacher needs to know what’s going on in the classroom. The classroom teacher needs to know what the English Language Acquisition teacher is doing during pull out. We can’t all be doing our own thing or we would be doing a disservice to our students. Teachers need to be collaborating. Many schools I have seen allow for grade level common planning time at least once a week. I have a formal grade level plan time on Fridays, and I talk to my team about what we are teaching many times a day. Collaboration is crucial to a fluid and cohesive learning environment.

Collaboration is multiple teachers purposefully meeting regularly to align their curricula in order to bridge the gap between different content areas and allow students to more easily make deep and authentic connections. Collaboration occurs any time when two people are putting their heads together on one topic. This might be between teachers of the same grade level and subject meeting weekly and discussing how to best teach a specific shared unit. This might also be teachers of different grade levels and subjects aligning their curricula so that they are teaching similar units at the same time. Teachers can collaborate with administration or master teachers to improve their teaching practices and get expert advice. Or teachers can collaborate with specialists to discuss the students they both work with in order to best meet those students’ needs. Two heads are always better than one and collaboration proves that.

Enhancing Graphing Lesson with Technology

Bar Graphing

Standards Addressed:

Content Area: Mathematics

1. Visual displays are used to describe data

Standard 3: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability

a.    Represent and interpret data. (CCSS: 3.MD)

                         i.         Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. (CCSS: 3.MD.3)

Learning Objective: Can I create a bar graph using my math dictionary?

Materials:

Magic Number pocket chart

Loose-leaf paper

8 Student iPads

Whiteboard iPad app

1 Teacher iPad with Apple TV

Students’ math dictionaries

Pencils

Dry erase markers, erasers, and small whiteboards

Computer, document camera, and projector

Anticipatory Set:

Warm-up board work to get students’ brains in math mode.

1.     Magic Number

-Projected on the whiteboard is a 4 digit number along with a number of prompts. Students must answer the prompts with help from their neighbors about the number on a half piece of paper to be turned in for me to check when they are finished.

Example: 6742

a.     Write in standard form

b.     Write in expanded form

c.      Write in word form

d.     Round to the nearest 10

e.     Round to the nearest 100

f.      Round to the nearest 1000

g.     Add 427

h.     Subtract from 10,000

i.       Multiply by 3

j.       Multiply by 7

k.     Divide by 4

l.       Divide by 9

Lesson:

2.     60 Second Question: What are all the parts of a graph you can think of? Students will write on small whiteboards at their desks.

3.     Ask students to provide the learning objective for the lesson based on the 60 second question.

4.     Using the iPad app Whiteboard and the Apple TV I will project blank graph paper up on the board. The students will pass the stylus pen and iPad around and several of them will place the necessary parts onto the graph. All students will be following along and creating the graph on their own small whiteboards.

a.     These are the parts that need to be included:

                                                        i.     Axis

                                                       ii.     Title

                                                     iii.     Labels

                                                     iv.     Scale

                                                       v.     Data (bars)

5.     I will use the iMac Desktop Computer, the Document camera, and the ceiling mounted projector to project my math dictionary on the whiteboard. I will draw a simple graph with all the pieces labeled for the students to copy into their math dictionaries.

a.     All the students and I keep a math dictionary, which is a composition notebook where we keep notes about every topic we learn about. I do not grade these. They are strictly for the students’ reference.

b.     I also post the pages I write in my math dictionary online on my website so if students are struggling with their homework they can consult my lesson notes to help them.

6.     Introduce graphing project.

a.     I will place the students in similar ability groups of 3 students. The students need to work together to come up with what question they want to graph and what age group they want to survey to get that information.

b.     We will have a class discussion of the project and the students will decide what the rubric should be for grading the final product.

c.      They will then use the iPads to type their question and possible answer choices and email it to a teacher of their choice. That teacher will then poll their class and email the results back.

d.     Students need to take that data and create a tally chart on the iPads in the Whiteboard app.

e.     From the tally chart they will create a bar graph in the Whiteboard app and save it.

f.      When they are done with their graph they need to write a paragraph summary of their data analysis to include the following information:

                                                        i.     Is the data what you expected it to be? Why or why not?  

                                                       ii.     Which bar is the biggest? What does that mean?

                                                     iii.     Which bar is the smallest? What does that mean? 

                                                     iv.     Do you think the data would be different if we asked Kindergarteners? Why or why not?

                                                       v.     Do you think the data would be different if we asked only boys? Why or why not?

                                                     vi.     Do you think the data would be different if we asked teachers?  Why or why not?

7.     I will project the student’s graphs on the whiteboard using the Apple TV while the students present their findings and read their analysis summaries to the class.

Formative Assessment:

8.     I will be grading their magic number papers to assess their number sense and understating.

9.     I will be taking anecdotal notes and circulating to monitor student groups as they work on their graphing project.

Summative Assessment:

10. Their final project will be graded using the rubric the class created.

11. I will also give the students a grade for their oral presentation skills.

Closure:

12. We close the class by discussing how we use math in real life. When outside of school would we need to use a bar graph? What jobs need to know how to use bar graphs? We write our ideas on a piece of paper on our math corkboard.

Enhancing Astronomy Lesson with Technology

Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids

Standards Addressed:

Content Area: Science

Standard 3: Earth Systems Science

1. Earth is part of the solar system, which includes the Sun, Moon, and other bodies that orbit the Sun in predictable patterns that lead to observable paths of objects in the sky as seen from Earth.

a.     Gather, analyze, and interpret data about components of the solar system (DOK 1-2)  

Learning Objective: Can I explain the difference between comets, meteors, and asteroids using an iPad?

Materials:  

            -Blank paper 

            -5 Student iPads

            -1 Teacher iPad with Apple TV and Class Dojo app

            -Document camera/ projector

            -Assessment clickers

            -Various resources for student group projects

Anticipatory Set:

1) Have students activate their background knowledge by doing a 60 second write about what they already know about comets, meteors, and asteroids. They need to be writing for 60 seconds and they cannot talk. When the 60 seconds are up students will share with a shoulder partner and add to their list. We will then discuss this as a class.

2) Using the teacher iPad and Apple TV, play the Brain Pop video on Asteroids.

Lesson:

            3) Explain the learning objective for the lesson.

4) Put students into small mixed ability groups.

5) Pass out blank paper and have students create a graphic organizer about as much asteroid, comet, and meteor information as possible using their background knowledge and information from the Brain Pop video.  Their organizer can look however they want it to, as long as it conveys the information in a clear manner that makes sense to them.

6) Brainstorm as a class what kinds of information might be helpful to look for and put on the graphic organizer so that students have a jumping off point.

7) Model how to find good information on the Internet using the teacher iPad. Have students research the Internet on their iPads for important information to add to their graphic organizer.

8) Students should also draw pictures of an asteroid, a comet, and a meteor on their graphic organizer.  

9) Using the Apple TV and Teacher iPad, play the music video What is a      Shooting Star? by They Might Be Giants. Have students add pertinent information to graphic organizer.

10) Show examples of exceptional student work on the document camera.

 11) As students are working, I will monitor their behavior using the iPad app Class Dojo.

12) Possibly a second class session: Have a whole group discussion about possible projects that students could do to show understanding of the material. Group students based on what projects they would like to work on.

13) Guide students in creating rubrics to grade their own work before they begin. The rubrics will be specific to the project each group has chosen.

14) Give students time and resources to work on their projects. Teacher will circulate through the room monitoring student progress, taking anecdotal notes, and asking guiding questions.

Formative Assessment:

15) Take anecdotal notes on student progress and effort.

16) Use clickers to have students answer 5 multiple choice questions about asteroids, meteors, and comets. This is a formative assessment that gives me a good idea of which students have mastered the content.  

Summative Assessment:

17) Have students present their projects as well as complete a self evaluation form dictating how they think they did working on the project, what grade they think they should receive, and why.

Closure:

18) Address the learning objective and ask students to self assess if they have met the objective or not.  

19) Recognize the highest Class Dojo point holder by awarding them with a mechanical pencil.

             

Integrating Technology in Projects

Reflections based on this classroom: http://www.netc.org/classrooms@work/index.html

I chose to take a closer look at the Travel USA Project. Something I immediately want to know more about is the computer software Network Assistant. I love that it allows the teacher to see all the computer screens of their students at one time and it allows teachers to send pop up messages to the student computers. I want to know what other capabilities it has and if it is available for use on iPads, since that is the main technology I have access to. 

    This research project makes me think of our 3^rd grade biography project. Each student studies a notable person from history. There are a lot of ways I can enhance a project that I currently teach to better incorporate technology. I would love to use the Daily Effort Journal. It really teaches self-accountability.

    This project is a successful learning experience because of the required independent student work. They get so much say in what they work on and are held accountable by themselves and their group members. This project also does an exceptional job of integrating many different content areas, such as reading, writing, researching, social studies, and art. This is much more than just studying a state. 

    By using technology in my instruction I want to emphasize the importance of responsibility and accountability in my students. I want to be able to assign them something, and have them get to work on it independently without me having to worry if they are just surfing the Internet.  I also want to teach my students that technology is a very effective tool that will help them in their every day lives now and when they grow up.

    I could use many of the pieces of this project in my classroom. We do a biography research project in third grade. I could have the students work in groups. I could set aside block periods to allow them to work. Half could use technology at a time and then they could switch. I also LOVE the daily effort diary for keeping them accountable.

    This school is very different from my school. We have a very low percent of free and reduced lunch students and a high population of Caucasian students. We also have a lot more technology in my building. Their school has one computer lab with nine computers. We have two computer labs with 30 computers each and every classroom has 4 iPads for student use. We also switch classes for each subject starting in first grade, which would make block schedules for work time difficult.


    I will definitely be exploring this website further in general because I love what a complete picture they give you. We see videos and student work samples and complete explanations of what they are doing and why. It is so thorough, which I find to be extremely helpful.  

    Technology is definitely supporting student learning in this classroom. They are learning technology and research skills very organically and meaningfully. This project does not feel forced. Technology has become a tool to get information, and she is no longer teaching how to use the tool of technology. In my classroom I use technology to enhance my students learning. I have a projector and document camera, which allows me to show student work and model what I want students to do easily. I also have iPads in the classroom to allow for independent practice that does not need to be teacher directed.

    This teacher uses technology authentically to enhance her students’ learning and allows them to create work that they can be proud of. I aspire to always be using technology in such a manner. By making this a project with several different culminating activities she caters to students with different learning styles. They have to do a written report, a bibliography, a visual presentation, and an oral presentation. Students are bound to shine in at least one of those assessments. She also does formative assessment throughout in conferencing and the daily effort diary.