More Tools in my Bag of Tricks

Well, I have to say, Math 6003 added even more tools to my bag of technology "tricks".  I learned how to use InspireData, Graph Club, and Geometer's SketchPad. I discovered so many wonderful websites, lesson plans,, and activities to support math curriculum, and new ways to apply software that his commonplace in schools: Microsoft Excel.  As a result of this class, I am looking forward to sharing my new knowledge with colleagues both formally and informally. Although this class has been one of the most challenging with regard to the number and depth of the assignments, I can honestly say that I am glad that I chose it. I know that I am much more aware of the Math Process and Content standards, and potential supports for students and teachers in relation to those standards. I am looking forward to sharing the tips, tricks, and tools.!

Bread Mold Continued

I have been so wrapped up in my ecology class that I forgot to blog last week. We are in the final 2 weeks and I continue to be grateful for this valuable ecological experience. Last week we threw away our bread experiment after weeks of gathering data on mold growth. If you caught my blog a few weeks back you know that I was watching to see if changing the pH on top of the slice would keep the mold at bay.I am still watching for mold growth on my slices with vinegar, ammonia, honey and my plain control piece. No mold at all on those pieces. I had to get rid of my pieces dipped in milk and baking soda. The milk bread was so riddled with mold you couldn't tell that it was once bread. Some of the colors and patterns were intriguing. The baking soda piece was covered in a completely different form of mold evidenced by the difference in color and pattern. Sounds disgusting but remember this is where we got penicillin. The results of my bread trials provided evidence that substances with a higher alkalinity or higher acidity are indeed deterrents to mold.

The Final Project

It is coming down to the final stretch for me.  I have a ton of work still to do, but only 2 more weeks to do it! I have a final project that I am working on right now.  I am creating a workshop that will incorporate technology into the Math Content Standards in a K-2 class setting. I am thinking about how to integrate the technology tools and skills that I have learned into activities that will promote the academic goals. Since I am not a teacher and I don't have experience developing curriculum, I have to work a little harder to understand how it all fits together.  However, with the many resources and structured learning activities that I can rely on, I know that I will be successful.  It might just take me a little longer than someone with curriculum experience.  It is a challenge, but it will be worth the hard work.  I plan to present it to my colleagues during a staff development day this spring.

Key Assignments

This past week I completed my Key Assignment for class. Although it is a lot of effort and research I love how each Key Assignment for each class has the same effort level but the assignment is approached with thought and creativity. The Key Assignment I just completed for my class was excellent. We had to research a new Web 2.0 tool and then make a lesson plan according to this tool. I love to learn about new educational resources and to find new ways to incorporate it into the classroom. I decided to pick Gliffy.com and focused my lesson on graphic organizers and literary reviews and class discussion. I love that we get to see our classmates lessons and ideas as well as share what we have created and researched. I am continuing to love this program, the dedication of the professors and the creativity of the assignments.

Immigrant Activity

You wouldn't guess that by the title of my post, that this assignment was for "Using Technology to Integrate Math Across the Curriculum"!  We have been using a software program called InspireData to investigate real information from rosters of ships that brought immigrants to the US.  This particular activity involved creating a story about a family that we adopted from the boat, journaling about their experiences, and creating a budget for income and expenses.  It was absorbing!  The math aspect of the task was more than just the budget, we used the software to compare the occupants of the boat by age, occupation, family, etc.  By the end of the assignment I had a much deeper appreciation for what it might have been like to immigrate, as well as how to navigate within the software.  Carolyn