This is an online math dictionary:
http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com/
It is FANTASTIC. I listed this as one of the "good" sites for our project this week.
When I was in high school, I had a friend who was a total bookworm and very into philosophy. I, on the other hand, love my math. We had a two-day discussion about infinity. I was taking calculus at that point, and held firm the notion that infinity can be positive or negative. He, on the other hand, insisted that infinity is merely a concept in our imaginations and can't be positive or negative. Turns out, we were both right. I realized that he was correct in the common notion of the word infinity. However, I asked my calc teacher, "Do mathematicians have their own dictionaries?" Turns out, they do. My definition of infinity was correct mathematically. Relatively speaking, then, we were both right. Things like this happen all the time in math. Absolute, prime, factor and infinity mean different things in everyday life (and in the English dictionary) than they do to mathematicians. Hence the need for a math dictionary.
I like this online site in lieu of a book because it is interactive. It is colourful, easy to get around, and has pictures. Click on "abacus Chinese" and you can learn about what it is in addition to actually playing with an online abacus. You can't do that with a book! You'd have to go find an abacus in someone's attic to learn how to work it.
This is a great resource for students to use all the time, be they in the classroom or at home.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Week IV, Post I: Countdown
Well, we're nearly half-way through the course so far! Being my first experience with an online class, I was a little worried. But it's been pretty painless up to this point. I've been learning a lot and am actually enjoying things so far (didn't think I would...)
This week's first entry comes from Loyola University, Chicago:
http://countdown.luc.edu/
Countdown is a public television show about math, where viewers call in and learn new concepts or refresh their skills. The site offers Quicktime clips of the show, all neatly organized into categories like Numbers & Operations, Data Analysis, Algebra, Connections, etc. (Sounds like NCTM Principals and Standars, which is a biiiig plus. See http://nctm.org/standards/default.aspx?id=58)
Users can watch the clips to learn something new or brush up on something they struggle with. This is a GREAT remediation website. Clips are short (five or so minutes, from what I've seen so far) so it'd be easy to send several students to the computer in one period to work.
I'm excited...The two most recent clips come from The Number Devil, a math book I've been dying to buy. It's great to see other people using that book as well.
This week's first entry comes from Loyola University, Chicago:
http://countdown.luc.edu/
Countdown is a public television show about math, where viewers call in and learn new concepts or refresh their skills. The site offers Quicktime clips of the show, all neatly organized into categories like Numbers & Operations, Data Analysis, Algebra, Connections, etc. (Sounds like NCTM Principals and Standars, which is a biiiig plus. See http://nctm.org/standards/default.aspx?id=58)
Users can watch the clips to learn something new or brush up on something they struggle with. This is a GREAT remediation website. Clips are short (five or so minutes, from what I've seen so far) so it'd be easy to send several students to the computer in one period to work.
I'm excited...The two most recent clips come from The Number Devil, a math book I've been dying to buy. It's great to see other people using that book as well.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Week III, Post III: Funding
Today I chose to write about something that isn't exactly a type of educational technology to use in the classroom. I've been curious since this class started about funding. Technology is expensive! I wanted to know where schools get money for things like laptops for all their students, graphing calculators, etc. The first site I came across is from last summer:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=6442
It hints that the government might be cutting the funding for the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program. This is the main source of ed tech monies for schools. Given that it's an old article, I then did a search for "EETT program cuts." Here's what I found:
http://www.edtechactionnetwork.org/pdf/eett_link.pdf
The government didn't just cut the funding for technology, they completely got rid of it! DOE asked for over $272 billion, and the House decided they deserve NONE of that money. I couldn't believe it.
"This move is particularly interesting because the Administration has continued to justify its EETT cuts by stating that schools could make use of Title IIA funding, which the House bill would now cut. " (from the website.)
The EETT program has been a great source of funding in the past. How are we teachers supposed to increase the use of technology in our classes (as the government recognizes is important and should be done) when we have no funding?!
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by all this, however. It is pretty typical for the system to ask us to do certain things without providing the means for us. Guess that's just part of being a teacher.
So now the question is, what next? Where are teachers to turn for their funding now that their greatest source is gone? Have any of you, group members, had experience with this yet?
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=6442
It hints that the government might be cutting the funding for the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program. This is the main source of ed tech monies for schools. Given that it's an old article, I then did a search for "EETT program cuts." Here's what I found:
http://www.edtechactionnetwork.org/pdf/eett_link.pdf
The government didn't just cut the funding for technology, they completely got rid of it! DOE asked for over $272 billion, and the House decided they deserve NONE of that money. I couldn't believe it.
"This move is particularly interesting because the Administration has continued to justify its EETT cuts by stating that schools could make use of Title IIA funding, which the House bill would now cut. " (from the website.)
The EETT program has been a great source of funding in the past. How are we teachers supposed to increase the use of technology in our classes (as the government recognizes is important and should be done) when we have no funding?!
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by all this, however. It is pretty typical for the system to ask us to do certain things without providing the means for us. Guess that's just part of being a teacher.
So now the question is, what next? Where are teachers to turn for their funding now that their greatest source is gone? Have any of you, group members, had experience with this yet?
Friday, March 23, 2007
Week III, Post II: Applets
Today, I'm learning a little more about applets. I'm not sure of the definition of these, but from what I can tell, they're kind of like online manipulatives (at least when it comes to mathematical applets.) Each one is focused on one topic, say, perimeter, and students use the applet to explore the topic, ponder questions, and check if their answer is correct. My first exposure to these was in a math methods course, where we actually had to select a few applets as part of a larger lesson plan. This site has an extensive list of differing applets, mostly focused on geometry.
http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/m2t2/appletslist.html
Applets don't seem like the world's most exciting thing when it comes to technology. However, they are easy to use ("Johnny, go visit such-and-such site, then write in your math journal about what you learned.") They might be fun for those few students who always finish early and need additional activities. It would be especially useful to have two or three computers in class so you can monitor the students' progress while others complete their assignment a little more slowly. Or, they could be used with the entire class as an introduction to a lesson.
As with Webquests, however, I don't think they should be used too often. Students would tire of them quickly. Using them every once in a while, as a treat (again, students LOVE being on the computer) would probably be the most beneficial use for applets.
http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/m2t2/appletslist.html
Applets don't seem like the world's most exciting thing when it comes to technology. However, they are easy to use ("Johnny, go visit such-and-such site, then write in your math journal about what you learned.") They might be fun for those few students who always finish early and need additional activities. It would be especially useful to have two or three computers in class so you can monitor the students' progress while others complete their assignment a little more slowly. Or, they could be used with the entire class as an introduction to a lesson.
As with Webquests, however, I don't think they should be used too often. Students would tire of them quickly. Using them every once in a while, as a treat (again, students LOVE being on the computer) would probably be the most beneficial use for applets.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Week III, Post I: Follow-up on robotics
The next site I've found is related, again, to robotics.
http://www.trecc.org/newslink/0407robotssummer.php
I'm actually not a huge fan of advanced robotics. I've seen one too many versions of I, Robot and get a little scared of human-like robots. However, it's a reality that can't be escaped. Besides, the kids LOVE robots and remote-controlled toys.
This site is from the University of Illinois. Every summer, they host summer school for students who have fallen behind in their math and science classes. All the math the students learn is through hands-on activities. Not all of it is related to technology, either, but much of it is. For example, students can program robots using Euclidean Geometry algorithms. What a great way to get students to better understand (and appreciate) geometry. They also use graphing calculators hooked up to distance sensors to learn about the relationship between time and distance.
The neat thing about this program is it is geared for students who are already struggling in mathematics. Normally, gifted students are the ones that get to do fun experiments with expensive technologies (I know...I was one of them.) Those students do need a sense of motivation, but in a different way. They need to be challenged beyond the normal scope. Struggling students, however, need to excitement. They need to knwo "Where this is useful." They need to see what a beautiful, fun thing mathematics can be.
I'd like to get ahold of their lesson plans. The site mentions another site for the Office of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE). This is the organization that runs the program. Apparently their website has great resources for teachers....topic for my next post.
http://www.trecc.org/newslink/0407robotssummer.php
I'm actually not a huge fan of advanced robotics. I've seen one too many versions of I, Robot and get a little scared of human-like robots. However, it's a reality that can't be escaped. Besides, the kids LOVE robots and remote-controlled toys.
This site is from the University of Illinois. Every summer, they host summer school for students who have fallen behind in their math and science classes. All the math the students learn is through hands-on activities. Not all of it is related to technology, either, but much of it is. For example, students can program robots using Euclidean Geometry algorithms. What a great way to get students to better understand (and appreciate) geometry. They also use graphing calculators hooked up to distance sensors to learn about the relationship between time and distance.
The neat thing about this program is it is geared for students who are already struggling in mathematics. Normally, gifted students are the ones that get to do fun experiments with expensive technologies (I know...I was one of them.) Those students do need a sense of motivation, but in a different way. They need to be challenged beyond the normal scope. Struggling students, however, need to excitement. They need to knwo "Where this is useful." They need to see what a beautiful, fun thing mathematics can be.
I'd like to get ahold of their lesson plans. The site mentions another site for the Office of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE). This is the organization that runs the program. Apparently their website has great resources for teachers....topic for my next post.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Week II, Post III: Robots!!
This is one of the most interesting ideas I’ve seen thus far for integrating technology into education: robots! See the article available at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06222/712431-298.stm.
Apparently, LEGO, along with The Robotics Academy (part of Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute) has created simple robots out of LEGOs, which students assemble themselves in class. The robots can be programmed to move and retrieve items, talk, measure rooms, and even take on a personality! They don’t cost much – a mere $200. I’m not sure how much these robots can actually teach the students (perhaps an interesting topic for me to pursue more next week) but the article gives the impression that they are more for motivating students. The biggest challenge I face as an educator is motivating students and showing them how math can be useful to them. This is something that not only accomplishes that but is interesting, as well! Telling a student, “Trigonometry is used heavily in engineering,” often falls on deaf ears. Showing them a robot, however, that they can program and put together and interact with, and telling them that none of it would be possible without mathematics, well that’s another story! I think technology is definitely useful as a means of increasing learning, but we must first make the student willing to participate. Without the participation, there is no learning. These robots will certainly get students hooked, making the educational processes that much easier.
Apparently, LEGO, along with The Robotics Academy (part of Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute) has created simple robots out of LEGOs, which students assemble themselves in class. The robots can be programmed to move and retrieve items, talk, measure rooms, and even take on a personality! They don’t cost much – a mere $200. I’m not sure how much these robots can actually teach the students (perhaps an interesting topic for me to pursue more next week) but the article gives the impression that they are more for motivating students. The biggest challenge I face as an educator is motivating students and showing them how math can be useful to them. This is something that not only accomplishes that but is interesting, as well! Telling a student, “Trigonometry is used heavily in engineering,” often falls on deaf ears. Showing them a robot, however, that they can program and put together and interact with, and telling them that none of it would be possible without mathematics, well that’s another story! I think technology is definitely useful as a means of increasing learning, but we must first make the student willing to participate. Without the participation, there is no learning. These robots will certainly get students hooked, making the educational processes that much easier.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Ideas, anyone?
Is there a way to subscribe to only my group members' blogs? I know Dr. F. has an aggregator, but I found it a little (okay, a lot) cumbersome to pick through everyone in the class to find my group members. I'm new to aggregators and don't really know how set something similar up. Perhaps blogger.com has one of their own (like livejournal does)?? Thanks.
Week 2, Post 2: Wireless laptops in education
My next source for this week comes from
http://etc.usf.edu/plans/lessons/lp/lp0099.htm.
This is a very simple site containing a lesson plan for integrating wireless laptops into the classroom. It is hosted by the Educational Technology Clearinghouse at USF. See http://etc.usf.edu/ and http://etc.usf.edu/plans/default.htm for more ideas and subjects.
This lesson is designed for a class where all students have access to laptops and wireless internet. The basic idea here is to use the graphing program on iBook to help students visualize how slope changes a line, and how slopes of parallel lines and perpendicular lines are related. Students make a guess about the rules, graph a few lines, and then see if they are correct. Of course, this sounds like an activity that could be done with graphing calculators, which is true. There are a few reasons, however, that the computer is better. First of all, students can save all of their work! They can take notes and store them for later, as well as save equations. Also, students can take the laptops home, do their homework, and submit it online! It greatly reduces paperwork and probably makes it easier for the teacher to grade. Additionally, the screens on computers are much nicer than those on graphing calculators – they are much larger and several lines can be graphed at a time and in different colors. Another reason I like this assignment is because computers make it very quick to graph. When one is doing a discovery lesson about slope, you don’t want the kids to spend half their time simply graphing the line. The assumption here is that they already know how to do that. Time is saved by having the computer do the graph instead, and students can focus on how slope effects the lines rather than whether or not they graphed it correctly.
I chose this lesson because it is a great way to use computers in a math class. It’s not an activity that will take all period (or several) as some of the Webquests I posted about earlier do. It’s simple, easy, and students can see results right away. The graphing program helps them to visualize the line, which is something so high school students struggle with. I wonder, however: what kind of school has funding to provide every single student with laptops?! At my school, we hardly have funding for books. I had to fight this year for whiteboards, much less laptops! Aside from that, however, it is a great way to get students motivated and familiar with working on the computer. It increases understanding of math concepts as well as builds computer literacy – both very important skills for tomorrow’s leaders.
It was fun to read about one way to introduce the concept of slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines. I just covered this topic a few weeks ago, and the students struggled to remember which rule goes with which types of lines. This may really have helped them to remember. Now if only I could get my hands on 55 laptops...
The main link for this website came from http://etc.usf.edu/plans/lessons/math4.htm, where there are plenty of other math-related laptop activities. I would like to write about several of these, as they are all fantastic ideas, but I’m not sure it would be fair to count lesson plans linked off the same site as separate sources. It’d make me feel like I was cheating. However, take a look at this site in addition to the specific one about graphing – there are several fantastic ideas.
http://etc.usf.edu/plans/lessons/lp/lp0099.htm.
This is a very simple site containing a lesson plan for integrating wireless laptops into the classroom. It is hosted by the Educational Technology Clearinghouse at USF. See http://etc.usf.edu/ and http://etc.usf.edu/plans/default.htm for more ideas and subjects.
This lesson is designed for a class where all students have access to laptops and wireless internet. The basic idea here is to use the graphing program on iBook to help students visualize how slope changes a line, and how slopes of parallel lines and perpendicular lines are related. Students make a guess about the rules, graph a few lines, and then see if they are correct. Of course, this sounds like an activity that could be done with graphing calculators, which is true. There are a few reasons, however, that the computer is better. First of all, students can save all of their work! They can take notes and store them for later, as well as save equations. Also, students can take the laptops home, do their homework, and submit it online! It greatly reduces paperwork and probably makes it easier for the teacher to grade. Additionally, the screens on computers are much nicer than those on graphing calculators – they are much larger and several lines can be graphed at a time and in different colors. Another reason I like this assignment is because computers make it very quick to graph. When one is doing a discovery lesson about slope, you don’t want the kids to spend half their time simply graphing the line. The assumption here is that they already know how to do that. Time is saved by having the computer do the graph instead, and students can focus on how slope effects the lines rather than whether or not they graphed it correctly.
I chose this lesson because it is a great way to use computers in a math class. It’s not an activity that will take all period (or several) as some of the Webquests I posted about earlier do. It’s simple, easy, and students can see results right away. The graphing program helps them to visualize the line, which is something so high school students struggle with. I wonder, however: what kind of school has funding to provide every single student with laptops?! At my school, we hardly have funding for books. I had to fight this year for whiteboards, much less laptops! Aside from that, however, it is a great way to get students motivated and familiar with working on the computer. It increases understanding of math concepts as well as builds computer literacy – both very important skills for tomorrow’s leaders.
It was fun to read about one way to introduce the concept of slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines. I just covered this topic a few weeks ago, and the students struggled to remember which rule goes with which types of lines. This may really have helped them to remember. Now if only I could get my hands on 55 laptops...
The main link for this website came from http://etc.usf.edu/plans/lessons/math4.htm, where there are plenty of other math-related laptop activities. I would like to write about several of these, as they are all fantastic ideas, but I’m not sure it would be fair to count lesson plans linked off the same site as separate sources. It’d make me feel like I was cheating. However, take a look at this site in addition to the specific one about graphing – there are several fantastic ideas.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Week II, Post I: Webquests
Being new to the world of instructional technology, I was a little unsure of where to begin my quest for something related to mathematics. Obviously, there is material available, but I’ve had a bit of a hard time narrowing down my searches enough to find anything useful.
However, Jimmy must have “known” I was having a hard time and sent me a link about webquests – lucky me. He seemed really excited about them and so I was eager to research them. I had no idea what a webquest was, but now I understand why Jimmy loves them!
First of all, the link for the math Webquests is:
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/matrix/9-12-Mat.htm
This page contains links to about 30 computer-based activities, all related to math. At first I thought I might pick a few and use them as separate sources, but as I combed through them, I realized all the webquests, while about different topics, are essentially the same. Each contains a brief introduction. The introduction not only offers a summary, but also tries to get the student excited in the topic. They are written directly to the student (e.g. “You will be doing research on the internet about cars.”) Next the overall task is described, followed by the process and resources needed (web links, et cetera.) A general rubric is provided in the “evaluations” section, and finally, a conclusion, which summarizes the activities and things learned from the webquest. Many require students to present what they’ve learned to their classmates as well. All the teacher has to do is provide the link, the time (some require several class periods,) any materials listed and a little supervision! These webquests will certainly give the teacher a well-deserved break :)
I really like webquests for several reasons. First of all, they relate math skills to real life. There is one quest about learning to buy a car and what to expect. It would be a super activity following a lesson on percents and interest rates. It applies what the kids have learned, answering the age-old question of, “Why is this useful?!?!” Secondly, they are engaging. Students love computers and being online. Many of the webquests require extensive research to be done online, which will keep them interested and busy. Not only that, they will also have to learn to use search modules and narrow their search criteria to find something useful. Thirdly, every webquest I saw contained interdisciplinary aspects. For example, there was one about Egyptian pyramids. What a great history lesson, in addition to math! They also all require reading. As a math teacher, I have a hard time incorporating reading practice into my curriculum, and this is a great way to do it! My principal would certainly be excited to hear about students reading in my class.
Overall, I really hope I get the opportunity to use webquests. The most difficult part would be getting access to not only computers, but the Internet as well. I teach several remedial math classes, and they’d love this, but they have a lot of behavior issues. It’s hard to fit all my students in the computer lab and keep an eye on them at the same time. Instead of having the whole class working at once, this might be something fun to use as a reward for hard work. I could send a few students to the lab once or twice a week, and rotates who goes. That way, everyone has access but we don’t have the mayhem that is bound to occur from trying to move my entire class clear across campus to the computer lab.
Thanks for the tip, Jimmy. I love it :)
However, Jimmy must have “known” I was having a hard time and sent me a link about webquests – lucky me. He seemed really excited about them and so I was eager to research them. I had no idea what a webquest was, but now I understand why Jimmy loves them!
First of all, the link for the math Webquests is:
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/matrix/9-12-Mat.htm
This page contains links to about 30 computer-based activities, all related to math. At first I thought I might pick a few and use them as separate sources, but as I combed through them, I realized all the webquests, while about different topics, are essentially the same. Each contains a brief introduction. The introduction not only offers a summary, but also tries to get the student excited in the topic. They are written directly to the student (e.g. “You will be doing research on the internet about cars.”) Next the overall task is described, followed by the process and resources needed (web links, et cetera.) A general rubric is provided in the “evaluations” section, and finally, a conclusion, which summarizes the activities and things learned from the webquest. Many require students to present what they’ve learned to their classmates as well. All the teacher has to do is provide the link, the time (some require several class periods,) any materials listed and a little supervision! These webquests will certainly give the teacher a well-deserved break :)
I really like webquests for several reasons. First of all, they relate math skills to real life. There is one quest about learning to buy a car and what to expect. It would be a super activity following a lesson on percents and interest rates. It applies what the kids have learned, answering the age-old question of, “Why is this useful?!?!” Secondly, they are engaging. Students love computers and being online. Many of the webquests require extensive research to be done online, which will keep them interested and busy. Not only that, they will also have to learn to use search modules and narrow their search criteria to find something useful. Thirdly, every webquest I saw contained interdisciplinary aspects. For example, there was one about Egyptian pyramids. What a great history lesson, in addition to math! They also all require reading. As a math teacher, I have a hard time incorporating reading practice into my curriculum, and this is a great way to do it! My principal would certainly be excited to hear about students reading in my class.
Overall, I really hope I get the opportunity to use webquests. The most difficult part would be getting access to not only computers, but the Internet as well. I teach several remedial math classes, and they’d love this, but they have a lot of behavior issues. It’s hard to fit all my students in the computer lab and keep an eye on them at the same time. Instead of having the whole class working at once, this might be something fun to use as a reward for hard work. I could send a few students to the lab once or twice a week, and rotates who goes. That way, everyone has access but we don’t have the mayhem that is bound to occur from trying to move my entire class clear across campus to the computer lab.
Thanks for the tip, Jimmy. I love it :)
Saturday, March 10, 2007
An introduction
Welcome to my blog!
I am not new to the world of blogging. I have had five over the last few years: two that my friends read frequently (on Myspace and Livejournal), one that serves as a diary for all teaching related things (cute anecdotes, frustrations from being a first year teacher, etc.), one that no one knows is me (on diaryland.com) and one that I started in high school that is now defunct. Diaryland is my favourite place for blogging. It's easy to use, especially for those who don't know computers well, but there is also a lot of freedom to explore things on your own as well. I've learned very useful HTML coding and the like from keeping that blog. However, I've never used blogger so I'm excited to see what this site has to offer.
As mentioned in my introduction to the class, I am a high school math teacher. I'm finishing up my M.Ed. in mathematics education. With all the ed courses I've taken, however, I've never had a real ed tech course. I did take one a few years ago that was supposed to be an introduction to educational technology, but the class was at a community college and most of the students were clueless when it came to computers. We literally had to go through things like how to turn the computer on and what a mouse is. It was an "easy 'A'" but completely useless to me. It seems like this course is going to be much, much better, given that we'll actually get to specialize in something.
Speaking of which, I suppose I should mention my topic of specialization. While I am very comfortable on computers and know how to do things like make PowerPoint presentations, edit simple photos and write basic HTML code, I do not how to integrate these things into the classroom. I also have no idea about the other options out there for teachers when it comes to technology. As such, I'm starting this "specialization" very broadly, just researching what types of things are available to high school math teachers. Once I get a good idea of those things, I will narrow my search a little more and pick something specific to focus on for the last few weeks (and for my paper.) Thanks to Dr. F. for letting me start broad so I get a chance to learn about all sorts of neat activities!
I also wanted to mention (though some may have already noticed) I never use names on my blogs. Too many strange people have access to the internet, and I don't want them tracking me (or anyone I write about) through one of my posts. Plus there's the fact that I have students who are very computer savvy. I won't post anything purposely inappropriate, but people misunderstand many things.. I don't want a student coming across anything I've written, only to use it against me. Hopefully those of you in my class will be able to figure out who I am based on my initials. If not, leave a comment and we'll go from there.
Hope you enjoy reading about this journey I'm about to take. Have a great semester!
I am not new to the world of blogging. I have had five over the last few years: two that my friends read frequently (on Myspace and Livejournal), one that serves as a diary for all teaching related things (cute anecdotes, frustrations from being a first year teacher, etc.), one that no one knows is me (on diaryland.com) and one that I started in high school that is now defunct. Diaryland is my favourite place for blogging. It's easy to use, especially for those who don't know computers well, but there is also a lot of freedom to explore things on your own as well. I've learned very useful HTML coding and the like from keeping that blog. However, I've never used blogger so I'm excited to see what this site has to offer.
As mentioned in my introduction to the class, I am a high school math teacher. I'm finishing up my M.Ed. in mathematics education. With all the ed courses I've taken, however, I've never had a real ed tech course. I did take one a few years ago that was supposed to be an introduction to educational technology, but the class was at a community college and most of the students were clueless when it came to computers. We literally had to go through things like how to turn the computer on and what a mouse is. It was an "easy 'A'" but completely useless to me. It seems like this course is going to be much, much better, given that we'll actually get to specialize in something.
Speaking of which, I suppose I should mention my topic of specialization. While I am very comfortable on computers and know how to do things like make PowerPoint presentations, edit simple photos and write basic HTML code, I do not how to integrate these things into the classroom. I also have no idea about the other options out there for teachers when it comes to technology. As such, I'm starting this "specialization" very broadly, just researching what types of things are available to high school math teachers. Once I get a good idea of those things, I will narrow my search a little more and pick something specific to focus on for the last few weeks (and for my paper.) Thanks to Dr. F. for letting me start broad so I get a chance to learn about all sorts of neat activities!
I also wanted to mention (though some may have already noticed) I never use names on my blogs. Too many strange people have access to the internet, and I don't want them tracking me (or anyone I write about) through one of my posts. Plus there's the fact that I have students who are very computer savvy. I won't post anything purposely inappropriate, but people misunderstand many things.. I don't want a student coming across anything I've written, only to use it against me. Hopefully those of you in my class will be able to figure out who I am based on my initials. If not, leave a comment and we'll go from there.
Hope you enjoy reading about this journey I'm about to take. Have a great semester!
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