The cafeteria in Elda Elementary is getting a make-over! Mrs. Kerr (Art teacher at Elda) had the idea to paint a mural on the stage wall to brighten up the space. The new wall will have silhouettes of children in action poses painted in different colors. Each pose is different and gives the feelings of fun and enjoyment. The project is underway and will be finished shortly. I have been working with Mrs. Kerr to get the silhouettes outlined and painted. Here is how we are making it happen:
First, she used a digital camera to take action shots of students as they were shooting basketballs, running and any other fun movements the they could come up with. Once we had all the pictures we looked through them and choose 5 that went well together and gave the feeling of movement as they progressed. From there, we used the document camera (similar to an Elmo) and projector to blow up the images bigger then life size on the stage wall. We traced the outlines of each child to create the 5 silhouettes across the wall. The last step will be painting. Mrs. Kerr has chosen cool colors for the project. Each silhouette will be a different color.
This has been a fun project to work on and is looking great already! If you are at Elda, feel free to sneak a peak in the cafeteria to check out the progress!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Blogs in the Classroom-Popularity on the Rise!
Blogging has become very popular these past few years and isn't just for socializing! Popularity for classroom blogs is on the rise in Ross. We have several educators throughout the district that have already 'taken the plunge' into blogging. Just to name a few, our Superintendent, Mr. Todd Yohey has a weekly blog and our own Music teacher, Ms. Stacy Strawser (Elda) has one too! Check out my "Blog List" in the left column to read their updates!
Blogs can add value to classroom education in many ways! Here are a few examples:
If you are interested in starting your own blog feel free to contact me with questions! I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Blogs can add value to classroom education in many ways! Here are a few examples:
- Serve as a news center for general information, homework and project updates ("Monthly Newsletter", "What We Did Today")
- Give parents a place to stay connected by reading about what is going on with their children's school work
- Give students a place to practice writing:
- They could each set up their own blog to be used a a journal (any subject)
- Blogs can be used for homework: the teacher posts a question or reading selection, students are required to post answers/feedback, etc
- Expose students and parents to new technology
If you are interested in starting your own blog feel free to contact me with questions! I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Using an IRT (Infrared Thermometer)
For the last two weeks I have been visiting classrooms and working with teachers to provide a lesson using the Smart Board and an IRT. What is an IRT you ask? It is a digital, infrared thermometer. It is a hand held device that can take Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature readings in just a few seconds. The lesson varies depending on the ability of the students and the grade level. The basic set up goes something like this:
We begin the discussion with the introduction of the IRT, how it works and how it compares to other types of thermometers. We then create a table on the Smart Board to record the data we are about to collect. We choose objects from around the room to take readings from items like the furnace, projector, lights, people, windows, etc. I always try to bring in additional items such as a tray of ice and a cold can of pop. Students take turns with the IRT collecting data for Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures. Depending on the amount of time alloted for the lesson and what the teacher would like to focus on, we also use an interactive thermometer on the Smart Board. Students practice converting a digital reading to show the temperature on a scale. The students have to move the "mercury/alcohol" level up to show the temperature we just collected using the IRT.
Students are encouraged to use critical thinking skills and hypothesize for what temperatures will be for each object. We ask for answers to questions such as: "If we take into consideration that the outside temperature is 60 F and the inside is 73 F, what do you think the temperature will be on the inside of the window?", or "If our average internal body temperature is 98.6 F what do you think the temperature of the outside of our hand would be? What factors would effect the temperature?" When we use the ice and cold pop we talk about what the freezing point is. I let the students see the ice tray. It is usually partially melted by now. They start guessing what the actual temperature will be and explain why. I have heard some great reasons! We take the readings and record them into our data table. The next object we measure is the cold can of pop. Students get to feel how cold the pop is and have to determine if it will be warmer or colder then the melting ice and by how many degrees. It is a lot of fun to hear and see how their minds work!
We have the students come up with the average internal body temperature and explain how they came up with their hypothesis. We also have the students predict what the reading will be in Celsius once they know what the Fahrenheit temperature is. The lesson can be adapted for multiple grade levels by varying the amount of information provided, how much we focus on Celsius temperatures and what the discussion questions are. A great extension activity is to use the data we recorded to make a graph.
Students seem to really have fun with this lesson! It helps their understanding of thermometer use and understanding temperatures along with providing practice in data collection and critical thinking skills. It is an easy way to integrate technology into a lesson. The IRT is small and easily portable. I have borrowed the IRT from a colleague of mine outside the district. As long as she does not need it back, I am happy to work with any teacher to provide this lesson to a class!
If you are interested in purchasing an IRT, check out the link below. The IRT pictured is very similar to the one I am using. They vary in price depending on how accurate they are and seem to start around $40. I know there are several other companies who sell them. This is just one example!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96451
We begin the discussion with the introduction of the IRT, how it works and how it compares to other types of thermometers. We then create a table on the Smart Board to record the data we are about to collect. We choose objects from around the room to take readings from items like the furnace, projector, lights, people, windows, etc. I always try to bring in additional items such as a tray of ice and a cold can of pop. Students take turns with the IRT collecting data for Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures. Depending on the amount of time alloted for the lesson and what the teacher would like to focus on, we also use an interactive thermometer on the Smart Board. Students practice converting a digital reading to show the temperature on a scale. The students have to move the "mercury/alcohol" level up to show the temperature we just collected using the IRT.
Students are encouraged to use critical thinking skills and hypothesize for what temperatures will be for each object. We ask for answers to questions such as: "If we take into consideration that the outside temperature is 60 F and the inside is 73 F, what do you think the temperature will be on the inside of the window?", or "If our average internal body temperature is 98.6 F what do you think the temperature of the outside of our hand would be? What factors would effect the temperature?" When we use the ice and cold pop we talk about what the freezing point is. I let the students see the ice tray. It is usually partially melted by now. They start guessing what the actual temperature will be and explain why. I have heard some great reasons! We take the readings and record them into our data table. The next object we measure is the cold can of pop. Students get to feel how cold the pop is and have to determine if it will be warmer or colder then the melting ice and by how many degrees. It is a lot of fun to hear and see how their minds work!
We have the students come up with the average internal body temperature and explain how they came up with their hypothesis. We also have the students predict what the reading will be in Celsius once they know what the Fahrenheit temperature is. The lesson can be adapted for multiple grade levels by varying the amount of information provided, how much we focus on Celsius temperatures and what the discussion questions are. A great extension activity is to use the data we recorded to make a graph.
Students seem to really have fun with this lesson! It helps their understanding of thermometer use and understanding temperatures along with providing practice in data collection and critical thinking skills. It is an easy way to integrate technology into a lesson. The IRT is small and easily portable. I have borrowed the IRT from a colleague of mine outside the district. As long as she does not need it back, I am happy to work with any teacher to provide this lesson to a class!
If you are interested in purchasing an IRT, check out the link below. The IRT pictured is very similar to the one I am using. They vary in price depending on how accurate they are and seem to start around $40. I know there are several other companies who sell them. This is just one example!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96451
Friday, February 6, 2009
eTech Ohio Technology Conference
I attended the eTech Conference in Columbus, OH this week. It was great! It is always so helpful to hear what other educators and districts are doing across the state. I came across some completely new ideas plus some helpful tricks to incorporate into projects our district is already involved in. I was really fortunate to be able to go to the conference! Thanks, Ross Local Schools! I have listed a few of my favorite topics from the conference below.
Digital Backpacks-This seems to be a great idea for making technology portable, convenient and easily accessible. The idea is to load up backpacks (yes, actual backpacks) with all the tech equipment a class would need for specific projects. Then the teacher (or a student) would just pick it up when it was time for the project and have everything they need. We already have that concept with the traveling carts (Turning Point, laptops, etc). This would be the same idea but for smaller projects or projects outside of the regular classroom (fieldtrips). For example, if a class were going on a nature walk for science to exam a local stream, they might want to take the following items: digital camera or video camera to document findings, IRT (Infrared Thermometer) to take temperatures of different habitats (water, soil, etc), laptop to record data into tables and take notes. All of these items could easily fit into a back pack to be brought along. So much of our hardware and software are portable. Why not take it with them just like scientists do?!
Ohio on iTunes U-free educational resource through iTunes-You can download educational videos and content right from iTunes! If you are interested in checking it out, go to:
www.apple.com/itunes
Once in iTunes, go to the Apple iTunes Store. Search iTunes store for "Ohio on iTunes U". Under 'Institutions', select 'Ohio'.
Creating non-Linear Power Points- I always knew this was possible but didn't know how to do it until the conference. If you are wondering what I mean by "non-linear Power Point" don't feel bad. I didn't know either until I attended the session! The term refers to creating slides, then playing the slide show in a different order. If you have ever seen a Jeopardy game in Power Point then you have seen a non-linear presentation. Basically, you have one slide that links out to other slides in the presentation. You can jump around from the main slide to the other slides and back again. So, for example, when students pick "Congruent Shapes for $200" the presentation will jump directly to the slide with that question on it even if that isn't the next slide in the order of the presentation. The question slide is also linked to the main slide with all the subject choices on it. So, after the students answer the question you can jump back to the main slide.
Stay tuned for my future blog posts for more information about the conference topics below!
Digital Backpacks-This seems to be a great idea for making technology portable, convenient and easily accessible. The idea is to load up backpacks (yes, actual backpacks) with all the tech equipment a class would need for specific projects. Then the teacher (or a student) would just pick it up when it was time for the project and have everything they need. We already have that concept with the traveling carts (Turning Point, laptops, etc). This would be the same idea but for smaller projects or projects outside of the regular classroom (fieldtrips). For example, if a class were going on a nature walk for science to exam a local stream, they might want to take the following items: digital camera or video camera to document findings, IRT (Infrared Thermometer) to take temperatures of different habitats (water, soil, etc), laptop to record data into tables and take notes. All of these items could easily fit into a back pack to be brought along. So much of our hardware and software are portable. Why not take it with them just like scientists do?!
Ohio on iTunes U-free educational resource through iTunes-You can download educational videos and content right from iTunes! If you are interested in checking it out, go to:
www.apple.com/itunes
Once in iTunes, go to the Apple iTunes Store. Search iTunes store for "Ohio on iTunes U". Under 'Institutions', select 'Ohio'.
Creating non-Linear Power Points- I always knew this was possible but didn't know how to do it until the conference. If you are wondering what I mean by "non-linear Power Point" don't feel bad. I didn't know either until I attended the session! The term refers to creating slides, then playing the slide show in a different order. If you have ever seen a Jeopardy game in Power Point then you have seen a non-linear presentation. Basically, you have one slide that links out to other slides in the presentation. You can jump around from the main slide to the other slides and back again. So, for example, when students pick "Congruent Shapes for $200" the presentation will jump directly to the slide with that question on it even if that isn't the next slide in the order of the presentation. The question slide is also linked to the main slide with all the subject choices on it. So, after the students answer the question you can jump back to the main slide.
Stay tuned for my future blog posts for more information about the conference topics below!
- More examples for using blogs in classrooms
- Smart Board gallery items for Notebook 10
- Smart Board resources (on-line)
- More info on using iWeb
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