Non-traditional student

Hello, It is hard to believe, but I am have finished my first week of my last Lesley TIE class.  I have learned so much since I started in this program.  I am not a teacher, I am an occupational therapist with a background in Assistive Technology.  One of my goals in achieving my Masters in the TIE program was to understand more about the integration of technology into the regular education curriculum.  Through the very practical and carefully designed assignments/learning experiences, I have developed much greater insights and understandings.

If you do not have a teaching background, you too may be a bit nervous as to whether this program is a good match for you.  I would encourage you to blog with us and ask the questions that you may have.  I also found it really helpful to talk to the staff in the TIE program.  They know the courses and can help with advising you.
Carolyn

January 12th, Post one

I was thinking about what I wanted to share on this blog. I think the biggest thing that I have learned and want to share is the amount of resources and information I have gained in the past six months. From learning how to incorporate a variety of new programs from the internet to using the Web 2.0 tools to teach I have an abundance of sources. My classroom is unique and although a lot of the topics and resources we cover do not apply to my classroom setting I have already found ways to modify and adjust these sites for my students. Through my last class in the TIE program I am implementing a Diigo site for the 16 teachers in my school to share websites and information on one page. Sure enough once I presented that I am technology inclined I have been the point to person in any computer, copier and internet question. While I love the way technology has made its way into the educational world I would like to see the improvement of technology in the lives of students with special needs. So far I am happy with the program and excited for more to come!

Ecology Rocks!

I have to admit that I danced around the room when I received my kit for Ecology: Organisms, Nutrients and Environment. It is this course in Lesley's Science in Education program that I have had the greatest anticipation for. The best item in the kit: a handheld microscope. WOW! This beats a hand lens any day when looking at ROT on the move as we have done this past week. Our first assignment was to get outside and look for signs of decomposition and to post our thoughts on factors involved in the process. I already feel like I've gained a lot of knowledge about the subject.
Our leader, Suzanne Flynn has made great efforts to personalize the experience by touching base with each of us and posting right along beside us. My classmates are from all over the US as well Guatemala and Germany. They bring a wide variety of experience and knowledge to the course. This nine weeks is going to be a fantastic learning experience. Next week's session looks to be even more intriguing. We will be setting up a composting investigation and observing the decomposition of bread. I am currently exposing a loaf of bread to the air to encourage the growth of mold. We'll be putting that good old microscope to use again. (Contented sigh)....the wonders of ROT.

Science is Magnetic!

Who knew that electromagnets could be so much fun?

This week in physics we were challenged to create a simple motor using wire, soap, paper clips, and batteries. The soap was important for placing the paper clips in the correct positions. The electric current made a motor by causing the wire loops to spin. There were many simple and quick Youtube videos that we explored in order to gain a deeper understanding. The physics text really helped us understnad electromagnets and how they are created and what they are used for. Magnets are all around us!

This week really sparked my curiosity for electric motors. My group members and I are all wondering what really makes an electric motor work efficiently and how many types of motors are there?

An Electrifying Week!

We have been challenged this week in the Physics 2 course to understand the answers to these fascinating questions through hands-on inquiry:

How does a battery work?
What does voltage have to do with a circuit?
How do you make a circuit?
What common household objects act as conductors and insulators?

Our first task was to visit a local electronics retail store to pick up low cost items to create simple circuits. I was eager to begin and found that it was fascinating to build different circuit pathways. I found success each time that the figurative light bulb literally lit up! It was fascinating reading other students' posts about the circuits that they were able to create. That is one of the many perks to an online learning community, you can share ideas and help each other reform your scientific thinking.

Our next task was to explore a circuit simulator to learn how voltage affects electron flow in a circuit. The simulator was very student friendly and easy to manipulate. It was a great demonstration of what happens in a circuit when the power source is high voltage.

Did you know that the metal top of a yellow number two pencil can act as a conductor? The last task for the week was to explore insulators and conductors at home. We were able to use a simple circuit to find household conductors and insulators. As a group we explored everything from lemons to cheese graters and we were truly intrigued by our results.

“Are we going to do something fun in math today?”

I just completed the online course in Probability and am looking forward to my next course which is Statistics. I gain a depth of understanding that I did not previously have with every course that I take in this program. In each class I learn strategies for teaching and how students learn best which helps me to become a more effective teacher. In the Probability course I learned the importance of addressing both theoretical and experimental probability. A simple but powerful way to do this is by allowing students to play games of probability. How many times have students greeted you with the question “Are we going to do something fun in math today?” I have been asked this question countless times and now, when we are beginning a unit on probability, I can finally answer “Yes!” As students play a game, you can assess their understanding of probability by asking them the simple question “Is this game fair?” When they attempt to answer this question, one can ask them to explain how they know whether or not the game is fair. One can easily extend this activity by asking students to design a fair game. This hands-on experience helps students to learn about and understand experimental and theoretical probability.
In this course we had the opportunity to design a game that we could use in our classrooms to help students understand experimental and theoretical probability. We were asked to play this game with some children over the summer and report on our findings. I played the game I designed with children from the ages of 5 to 16 and saw the benefits and learning that occurred for children of all ages. One of my favorite memories this summer is playing the probability game on the beach with a daughter of one of my friends. The game was very engaging and the young lady did not realize she was part of a mathematical experiment. When I asked this child to tell me about her favorite part of the game, she simply stated “I liked that we could play this game on the beach and it was FUN!” I learned a great deal from this activity and plan to incorporate the “Fair Game” activity into my lesson plans next year as it is a powerful learning tool.

“Is it a Square?”

In each on-line class that I have taken at Lesley, I have been given investigations and problems that I can use immediately in my classroom. Every week, I anxiously wait to see what problems I will be given to investigate. I am able to select one or more of these problems and give them to my students to explore and solve. I often give one of the problems as a challenge problem. Some of my students have become hooked on these problems and are disappointed if I do not have one for the week. I have been amazed to find some of my students who are not motivated to finish other assignments tackle the challenge problems with enthusiasm. Their passion is contagious. They often want to discuss their progress with me and other students become interested. Soon more students ask for challenge problems to try.
While taking Geometry 1, I was working on a problem for my class. I typically do not give my students a problem until after I have solved it. A copy of the problem was on my desk and another teacher saw it and asked about it. Students overheard our discussion and asked for a copy of the problem so they could try to solve it. I warned them that I had not yet completed the problem, but their curiosity was peaked. It is not often that eighth grade students plead with me to give them a math problem, so how could I say no? I agreed to make copies of the problem during my preparation time. While making copies, two other teachers saw the problem and asked for a copy as well. The problem was simple. There was a diagram of a shape that looked like a square and the question simply was “Is it a square?” It was made up of smaller squares and some additional information was given. Students were also asked to explain their answer. I could see that this was going to be the problem of the day at our school so I solved it during my preparation time. I watched amazed at how engaged students were in trying to figure out this problem. They worked collaboratively and were very creative in their many different approaches. They celebrated when they came up with a solution and were able to prove their answer. They wanted to share their solutions with me and give the problem to their classmates who had not yet seen it. At the end of the day, one of the teachers who had asked for the problem earlier came to my classroom door and simply said, “Is it a square?” I replied, “What do you think?” Our answers matched. I then told him about a student who had solved it in about three minutes which was the record for the day! He shook his head in amazement as he walked away. I am grateful to have a new source of rich problems for my students. These problems bring math alive and help my students practice true problem solving skills. After one of my students solved a challenge problem I was rewarded with her final comment which was, “I think that is the coolest thing I have ever seen in math!”