Ecology Ends

The chemistry between the students and professor was tremendous in my Ecology course. In our discussion forum there was a constant flurry of comments from us all on what we were learning, what we were seeing in our observations and any conclusions we were making. The atmosphere was such that you felt comfortable asking questions. There absolutely were no "stupid questions". Several classmates as well as our instructor shared global connections that helped to extend our learning and help us to apply what we had learned to the world outside our Lesley class. One of our final assignments was to complete the exact same thought experiment we had completed in the first week. We were asked not to refer back to what we had written originally but to infuse all the knowledge we had gained in 8 weeks into the new version of the assignment. We were all floored at the major gains we had made since the beginning. I am moving into my first week of my next class, Biology. I already get the sense that this class is going to be as eye-opening as the last one. As my former classmate Linda would say........
"Science ROCKS!"

Ecomp 6202 Week 5

This week we worked with online assessments. Many in my class chose one site, I and a few others tried Quizstar. I really liked this one (mostly because many of its aspects are again free). I was able to add PDF documents to the questions which would allow someone to read and refer back to text or diagrams in order to answer a question. A definite plus! The site has many other great features.

I also completed my paper on computer-based testing and submitted it. My schedule has been rather hectic, but I pulled off getting everything completed. With the flexibility of working online getting things done around my schedule is so much easier than trying to drive somewhere to attend a class.

Week 4- Ecomp 6202

We worked collaboratively on a project last week. Each person in a partner group had to create an assessment, use it to score the same collection of responses, and then compare their results to their partners scores. As an educator, I found the experience to be reassuring. It helped to justify how I examine students' responses and score them. My partner and I scored similarly 80% of the time. Our differences were mainly  due to the construction of our different assessment pieces.

Personally, this term is moving smoothly. I am only taking one course and find that with the end of the school year, I made a good choice to slow down a bit with the course work. When I take a course or courses each semester, I always wonder whether or not I will be able to utilize it in my current position. So far, I have not been disappointed, much of the course work is flexible and pertinent to the different age groups. I teach in an elementary school setting and I have been able to adapt the content I have learned towards our school curriculum and share it with co-workers.

Week 2 of Ecomp 6202

I have been in the online masters program since September 2010. I should have all classes completed by December 2011. I am really enjoying the classes and have begun to integrate much of what I am learning (Despite what Bill Gates says of teachers' graduate work!). I am excited to learn more.
The class I am presently taking Ecomp 6202(Online Teaching: Assessment and Evaluation), is one of four classes that focus specifically on teaching a course online. I felt that it would be foolish to not take the opportunity to take all four. I have already taken Ecomp 6201(Online Teaching: An Introduction for K-12 Educators) with Lisa McBride and would highly recommend others to enroll in her course.

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.