5/3/2010

TEACH21 PROJECT DOCUMENTATION BLOG

January 25-29, 2010

I introduced the Canada unit where students will study the history, environment, and modern day information on Canada. Students were organized in to groups and created power point presentations (insert power point rubric on to portal) where they summarized the basic information they learned about Canada this week. Students utilized the website www.cia.gov in order to find the basic information about Canada. The power points presentations took the better part of the week as well as the next part of the following week.

February 1-5, 2010

As students finished power point presentations summarizing the basic information on Canada, we began studying the history of Canada. We worked together also to discover information about the vast temperature differentiation between the different areas of Canada. The last part of this week was used to complete discovery learning activities on the history of Canada. They began organizing their information on the history of Canada in to scripts so that they could record their information on video cameras the following week!

February 8-12, 2010

Students continued creating their scripts on the history of Canada. The students have had a blast! Part of my teach21 project was to use the video cameras to help students record information, but it did not work out as well as I would have liked it! I will post one of the videos, however, it is not exactly how I wanted them to turn out. My project mainly focuses on the creation of websites and the WIKI. Anyway, the students had a blast even though the videos did not turn out as good as I would have liked for them to.

At the end of the week, students began picking their partners for the next part of our project. Students were told that they would be studying the environmental problems of Canada and then creating websites on them. They were also told that they would search for solutions for the problem to post on their websites. Students utilized a web quest (POST ON TO TEACH21 PORTAL) that I created for them where they researched the information on the environmental problems of Canada. Students worked in groups and were excited to create websites on Canada.

February 23-27, 2010

As students finished researching the environmental problems of Canada, I gave them the website to use in order to create their websites, www.weebly.com. It took many students all week to create their websites because some had never done this before, INCLUDING ME! What an adventure. It was like we were all learning together! What a blast! Students worked ferociously to tell “the world” about the environmental problems of Canada as well as find fabulous pictures to document their researched information. Students created different tabs on their websites, including a tab where they put their bibliography of where they found the information. Where some students were weak with technology, their partners worked with them to get the group to succeed. I had few behavior problems were someone appeared to be “off task,” if any at all!

MARCH 1-5, 2010

As students finished up their websites, I began to explain to them what a “WIKI” is. Students were curious about it and signed an agreement that said they would not share any information on the WIKI that was inappropriate.

Students were given their own usernames and passwords to access our classroom WIKI where they were to post certain information on the WIKI. Students worked in groups and began to figure out how to post their websites on the WIKI page, Environmental Weebly Pages. As soon as students posted their websites, they could go on and view their friend’s websites and learn about the Canadian environmental problems they did not research. They also could post their opinions (blog) about the websites once they were finished searching around.

Students also worked in groups to complete a chart with pictures about the general information on Canada. Students found pictures that backed up the information, and it seemed to help them understand the information better once they had a visual to go with the chart. Again, you cannot see the WIKI unless you come and see me present my project on Monday, May 10, 2010 between 5-7 p.m.

Posted at 8:39 AM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

COOK'S TEACH21 SPRING BLOG PART I

SPRING 2010 BLOG REFLECTIONS

January 5-8, 2010

This was the first week back from winter break. We utilized a chart from the internet to fill out information on Toussaint! The kids enjoy using graphic organizers to organize their thoughts.

January 11-15, 2010

Students took their OAS testing today. I REALLY do not like it when we have to do those on-line. It never works! The kids do not take it seriously also. We also used the Promethean board to create a classroom timeline. The kids tend to stay more organized when I use the Promethean board.

January 19-22, 2010

The students and I created multiple graphic organizers on the Latin American unit we were studying. The students enjoy the colors and organization of the organizers we created. They also enjoy when I give their timeline a classroom name. It creates ownership of the classroom!

Posted at 6:58 AM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

1/5/2010

Katherine Colston Cook - Fall Blog 2009 Part TWO - September - December

Fall 2009 – Part Two

September 28- October 2, 2009

I utilized the promethean board to show a graphic organizer they completed in their journal. The kids loved drawing “inside” the ship that displayed the Columbian Exchange.

October 5-9, 2009

The kids did not utilize the computers for the OAS benchmarks. They kept on freezing up. However, the students did utilize the promethean board and the highlighting feature to fill in some notes from the chapter.

October 12-16, 2009

I utilized BRAINPOP to see if students understood similes and metaphors. The kids loved taking the quiz together and figuring out what they understood from reading “Tuck.”

October 19-23, 2009

I utilized the promethean board for a graphic organizer explaining the WEST versus the EAST during the COLD WAR. The kids loved the “black curtain” that descended over the East. The metaphor really made sense to them. I was proud and happy that technology helped me to achieve this very broad idea. We also watched a BRAINPOP on the COLD WAR and took a brainpop quiz afterwards.

October 26-30, 2009

The class utilized the “CHERNOBYL” disaster video that detailed how horrid the nuclear power plant explosion was to the Ukraine. I used the “double-click” feature of the promethean pen to zoom in on the area that was affected and still is affected by the disaster.
In reading, we watched the movie Tuck Everlasting that coincided with the book we just read. The kids loved it.

November 2-6, 2009

Students utilized media technology to listen to a “vocabulary rap” provided by Pearson Education systems that helped to explain the many vocabulary terms for the unit in reading, IS CONFLICT ALWAYS BAD? The kids loved the rap and quickly wanted to create their own.

November 9-13, 2009

The students began computer rotations in reading for successmaker reading. I enjoyed watching the media features and technological aids which helped them score very high on their sessions. This is my first year teaching reading and I believe successmaker is a great technological practice for reading. It changes up the pace and adheres to a multitude of learning styles.

Students in social studies worked on the laptops for the first time and HAD A BLAST! What AMAZING and beautiful features these computers have. Students worked on Google Earth to find and create their own maps of Latin America. Students worked in groups and after watching Latin America modeled on Google Earth, students had to figure out how to put paper maps together of Latin America. It was like creating a puzzle from studying technology. I loved watching students apply their knowledge. There was a lot of higher level thinking going on! Cheers!

November 16-20, 2009

Students continued to learn about Latin America utilizing the laptops. This week, students were told to go on a website that described the indigenous peoples of Latin America. Students worked on this website and answered questions along the way. I worked with them on the promethean board to help them to understand how to navigate the website. One website was provided by the county and was way too hard for them. We worked on it together. This was not as successful. The other website was much more on their reading level and most kids worked in their groups well to finish the webquest.

November 30 – December 4, 2009

Students worked on a website and created their own, individual timelines that allowed them to fill in the most important six dates of the indigenous peoples of Latin America. Students LOVED CREATING THEIR OWN TIMELINES. Some kids worked together but many preferred to work alone. Students also began work on creating their own crossword puzzles utilizing puzzlemaker.com. This was very hard for them because they had to know the exact spelling and be perfect on the vocabulary definitions. It was tough but kids enjoyed it!

December 7-11, 2009

Students worked on an “economic indicator” worksheet from www.cia.gov that showed students what economic state many of the countries in Latin America are in. It was shocking to some what they learned!

December 14-18, 2009

Students worked on each other’s puzzles from the ones they created on the computer. We also went over the “Economic indicator” worksheet they completed from the week before.

Posted at 11:39 AM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

9/15/2009

FALL 09 - COOK BLOG REFLECTIONS

COOK – BLOG REFLECTIONS – FALL 2009

AUGUST 3-8

STUDENTS AND I REFLECTED ON “WHAT IS SOCIAL STUDIES?” USING THE INTERNET AND BOOK, THE STUDENTS RESEARCHED ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TERMS AND IDEAS THAT WENT ALONG WITH SOCIAL STUDIES. WHEN THEY WERE FINISHED, THE STUDENTS WERE PLACED INTO GROUPS AND MADE A CLASS DEFINITION OF SOCIAL STUDIES. THEY ENJOYED WORKING ON THE INTERNET.

AUGUST 17-21

I USED THE PROMETHEAN BOARD FOR SOCIAL STUDIE’S JOURNAL WARM-UPS THIS WEEK. KIDS WERE ABLE TO ADD IDEAS ABOUT TYPES OF GOVERNEMENTS AND WERE ENCOURAGED TO WRITE ON THE PROMTHEAN BOARD AND THEN IN THEIR JOURNALS. I WISH THERE WERE MINI-PROMETHEAN BOARDS FOR EVERY STUDENT TO USE IN THE CLASSROOM.

AUGUST 24-28

I USED AN IMAGE FROM THE INTERNET OF TIME ZONES AND REVIEWED TIME ZONES WITH THE KIDS. THE PROMETHEAN PEN HELPED THEM TO SEE HOW THE TIME ZONES WORKED. IT ALSO HELPED WHEN REVIEWING LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE. IT WOULD BE SO NICE TO HAVE A LAB SO THAT EVERY STUDENT COULD SEE IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR FACE.

AUGUST 31- SEP. 4

I INTRODUCED EUROPE THIS WEEK AND AS WE WORKED ON NOTES ON THE PROMTHEAN BOARD, I HIGHLIGHTED KEY VOCABULARY TERMS. STUDENTS KNEW TO HIGHLIGHT THEM IN THEIR NOTES WHILE I HIGHLIGHTED THEM ON THE PROMTHEAN BOARD. STUDENTS ALSO WORKED ON EUROPEAN MAPS – EVERY DAY, WE REVIEW THE MAPS WITH THE PROMETHEAN BOARD. STUDENTS ARE ACTIVELY WRITING THEIR GUESSES ON LOCATIONS OF POLITICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES – IT HELPS ACTIVATE THEIR BRAINS!

SEP. 7-11

I USED TONS OF BRAIN POP VIDEOS TO REVIEW THE BEGINNINGS OF GREEK AND ROMAN CIVILIZATION. THE KIDS LOVE SEEING THE DIGITAL IMAGES ON THE BOARD AND TAKING THE QUICK QUIZZES THAT BRAINPOP PROVIDES! I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE KIDS GET EXCITED ABOUT A QUIZ. THEY NEED THAT IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK!

SEP. 14-18

I USED THE PROMETHEAN BOARD AS A VISUAL WARM-UP FOR EXPLAINING THE MOVEMENT OF IDEAS OCCURRED AFTER THE DARK AGES AND INTO THE AGE OF EXPLORATION.

Posted at 3:29 PM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

SPRING '09 - TEACH 21 BLOG - LAST PART

SPRING 2009 – LAST HALF OF REFLECTIONS – KATHERINE COOK

APRIL 13-17, 2009

We used the promethean board and watched brain pops to review for the CRCT all week. Class would be so boring without my promethean board and ability to use the worksheets from the brainpops. I used the promethean board to review the brainpops that review key concepts of understanding.

APRIL 27- MAY 1, 2009

Students worked on the computer and investigated websites on a country of their choice. They had to go on the internet scavenger hunts that reviewed the key concepts we learned all year on the specific country of their choice.

MAY 4-8, 2009

Students continued to use the internet to create informational brochures on the country of their choice. The kids loved receiving a task and then being able to go on to the internet to figure it out! They were certainly actively engaged!

MAY 11-14, 2009

Students finished their brochures on the computer. They used the information from the internet scavenger hunt to create a power point presentation that summarized all of their findings.

MAY 17-21

Students presented their power point presentations on the promethean board. I was impressed at all of the “bells and whistles” the kids knew how to perform throughout their power point presentation.

MAY 24-28

STUDENTS DID INTERNET SCAVENGER HUNTS TO REVIEW 7^TH GRADE CONCEPTS, COMPLETED WORD SEARCHES ON THE INTERNET, AND PLAYED GAMES. IT WAS THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL.

Posted at 3:12 PM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

3/30/2009

SPRING 2009 BLOG T21

Teach 21 Weekly Blog Reflections SPRING SEMESTER 2009

January 5-9, 2009

Completed notes on the promethean board so students could see and follow along. Compare/contrast famous leaders on the promethean board.

January 12-16, 2009

Timeline, Notes, and map review of Latin America. Completed all on the promethean board.

January 19-23, 2009

Show video clip of PRODUCATION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION. Talk about resources and on the promethean board and take some notes.

January 26-30, 2009

Students had to search on a map on the internet to figure out where all of the natural resources of Canada lie; the Canadian Shield. Students needed a lot of prompting with this because the students were not used to being so actively engaged.

February 2-6, 2009

My students began an environmental web quest that is problem based. Students were grouped together and had to figure out the designated pollution problem they were told to research and find out specifics from it.

February 9-13, 2009

Students took a test today that was the first evidence of their knowledge gained from student centered, engaging activities. They did well. Computers seemed to help students get knowledge in their brain.

February 16-20, 2009

My students began a web quest studying the First Nation’s People of Canada. They are partnered in groups and seem to work well together. I can tell that some students would like to be moved out of the group they are in.

February 23-27, 2009

My students and I ventured on a course again of surviving utilizing the mobile lab for the lap tops. Some teachers are very upset because the kids have been flicking off the keys of the lap top. My students have seemed to enjoy typing on the computes and working on computer web quests where students find information about the First Nation’s People of Canada.

March 2-6, 2009

Students applied Inuit research on to project poster boards. Students displayed work around the school.

March 9-13, 2009

Students organized information on to an 11 * 17 piece of paper that explains the information about Multiculturalism. I also designed a power point that students and I navigated to figure out if questions were correct or incorrect.

March 16-20, 2009

Go over geographic map of Australia and show differences of map of Australia with political and physical maps. Use a timeline on the promethean board to review historical concepts of Australia.

March 23-27, 2009

Showed videos of Australian culture. Completed compare/contrast umbrella of past and present of Australia on the promethean board.

March 30-April 3, 2009

Watched “Night at the Museum” to help review concepts we learned about all year.

Posted at 10:34 AM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

1/20/2009

FALL 2008 TEACH 21 WEEKLY BLOG REFLECTIONS

WEEKLY TEACH 21 REFLECTION BLOG

KATHERINE COLSTON - JOHNSTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WEEK OF AUG 4-8, 2008

We were told do post our lesson plans on our “sharepoint” site from now on. This should be interesting but it wasn’t so hard once I figured it out!

WEEK OF AUGUST 11-15, 2008

I have been trying to implement technology in my classroom using my promethean board. The k ids get a regular laugh at me!

WEEK OF AUGUST 18-22, 2008

I have been working on my masters and it has been hard to “do it all.” My masters talks about how important technology is in my curriculum. We had a group lesson on sharepoint with Judith. It was a lot of information all at once but I got my webpage, lesson plan page, teach21 page, etc posted. Here’s to technology.

WEEK OF AUGUST 25-29, 2008

I used the video series “brain pop” to help activate my student’s thinking on the promethean board and also “zoomed in” to a map on the promethean board. The kids seem to know what is going on with the promethean board much more than me!

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2-5, 2008

I continued to allow the kids help me use the promethean pen with my lesson plans.

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 8-12, 2008

My students viewed many videos from “video/discovery streaming” on our unit of study. They seem very engaged.

WEEK SEPTEMBER 22-26, 2008

We had the COGAT test this week and it was hard to implement technology except when we did some notes on the promethean board

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 3, 2008

We brought up a map off of the internet on the promethean board and talked about the visual display. We also watched videos on Chernobyl, Ukraine and studied pictures on the promethean board of the disaster.

WEEK OF OCTOBER 6-10, 2008

I started another block of my master’s degree through Nova Southeastern University and we have to find an action research project to complete in my classroom. I utilized the promethean board and started a unit on learning about the Gulf Stream. I constantly use picture clips and “draw” on the clips to emphasize the concept I am trying to teach the children.

WEEK OF OC TOBER 13-17, 2008

I showed the movement of people, ideas, etc with a map of how the Roman Empire spread throughout Europe. Utilizing the promethean board and pen helped the students to understand the concepts.

WEEK OF OCTOBER 22-25, 2008

I have started using the promethean board to post the worksheets that the kids work on up on the promethean board so we can work through them together. No more overhead projectors!

WEEK OF OCTOBER 27-31, 2008

We utilized a map again on the promethean board to help the students understand a concept about where the explorers “explored” throughout the world. I cannot imagine not having my promethean board and pen in my classroom J

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 3-7, 2008

I used vocabulary as a warm-up on the promethean boar d and utilized the “line drawing” to attach the words with the definitions. The students are much more interested with doing vocabulary when it is on the promethean board.

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 10-14, 2008

We are studying geography closely this unit and are using the promethean board constantly to draw in physical features while the students do so at the same time at their desks!

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 17-21, 2008

Our classes watched a video of my Mexican vacation where I went on a “history tour” that discussed and showed the unique history of Mexico. This helped relate Mexican history and culture to real life so it made it more interesting to the children.

WEEK OF DECEMBER 1-5, 2008

I attended a virtual economics workshop this week and they supplied me a CD-ROM of a variety of activities that also included technology economic activites. I look forward to implementing the activities into my curriculum.

WEEK OF DECEMBER 8-12, 2008

I have been having my conference meetings with many of my student’s parents and have communicated with them mainly through email for scheduling and other types of communication. I used a picture of a boat on the promethean board to show the exchange between the continents of Europe and the Americas.

WEEK OF DECEMBER 15-19, 2008

I completed the rest of my Master’s paper for the term and strongly defended the use of technology in the classroom so that the students of today will be better citizens of tomorrow. I also completed a vocabulary review with my students on the promethean board. The students interact with basic vocabulary concepts and other things when I use the promethean board.

Posted at 9:26 AM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

11/10/2008

response: "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants"

I agree with many of the points expressed about the Digitial Natives and Digital Immigrants article that we read during my "Engaged Learning" teach21 class. The article explains how adults from their 20's and older are more "digital immigrants." They have had to get used to an entire new way of living their life - through COMPUTERS. For the Digital Natives, it is "original/native" for them to use computers. It is second nature - as easy as brushing their teeth.

THe article found that there are problems that these digital natives and immigrants have come into because reserach found their brains are literally WIRED differently just as if the immigrants were learning a second language. Just as a person learns a second language differently and it is stores in a separate part of the brain, the NATIVE'S brains are wired differnently than the Immigrants.

The article believes the immigrants are having a hard time adjusting to this technological world and the author is afraid we will lose this century's students. I can agree and disagree with that because these students CANNOT ONLY LEARN THROUGH TECHNOLOGY but through multiple ways. Not every student has to learn strictly from technology. Just as there are multiple learning styles, there are multiple ways people learn from technology.

I am so excited to be hard working "technology immigrant." I am determined to master my teach21 program so that I can keep up with these technology natives. Eventually, this generation gap will close, but we must continue to find ways to bridge the separation between these immigrants and natives. Teach21 is a WONDERFUL MIX of TECHNOLOGY and other classroom activities. IF we all just went total technology, this diservice would show up in student's lives later in the work world. Not EVERYTHING will be technology as they grow older, so why should EVERYTHING be technology in the classroom.

Katherine Colston

6th grade Social Studies

Johnston Elementary School

Posted at 2:45 PM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

response: "INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS" professional reading

I enjoyed reading the professional reading on the efficiency and effectiveness of the whiteboards in classrooms. The reading went on to describe how effective the white boards are and if they should be continued to be used during teaching time. The article found many positive view points, but when it came to negative viewpoints, there were not that many to be shared. THe ones that were shared showed that the persons/studnts were not used to the white board experience and that they just needed to get used to it.

I absolutely love my white board. I was just discussing with Jeff Pence down the hall from me how he and I could not imagine a classroom anymore without one. THe possibilities are endless - it is so esxciting to have students jumping on the edge of their seats DYING to help you out and draw/follow along on the board.

I will be using this article as proof in my Master's program ACTION RESEARCH project that the interactive white board proves as a great method to help kids stay organized in their work.

Posted at 2:35 PM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

10/22/2008

response: "Do they really think differently"

I am in the midst of completing the reading for "DO THEY REALLY THINK DIFFERENTLY" - the part II reading of DIGITAL NATIVES, DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS.

I am absolutely fascinated with the reading that reacts to the original digital native and digital immigrant reading.

I think it is very interesting that the brain actually goes through transformations throughout a persons entire life and that a person's thought patterns changes based on one's personal experiences. The author emphasized that research has NOT CONFIRMED that "digital native's " brains are wired differently, but it strongly suggests that they are.

THe MOST INTERESTING PORTION of this reading was the fact that people from different cultures "actually think differently" because of the input from where they live. If this is true - if the SAT's are a standardized test that works well with people of caucasion descent - this would prove that this standardized test would prove unfair to judge many other cultures around the world.

In conclusion, I found this reading absolutely fascinating EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT FINISHED YET. I had to blog quickly because I kept on writing on my paper and I thought I might as well blog about it if I am so fired up. If you read this - please excuse the grammar. I am rushing :)

Have a nice day

Katherine

Posted at 3:50 PM by Katherine Cook | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

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