Lesson Incorporating Technology

In the below lesson, I have taken a math lesson and incorporated a technology component to it, engaging students in the lesson through the use of technology. The original lesson was done with a worksheet and pencil and crayons. I took the drawn out bar graph worksheet and replaced it by creating the final bar graph on a word document through its charts and graphs option. I saw this done in one of my practicum classes before and it was very successful and the kids loved being able to use the laptops!

Here is a link to the actual lesson!

·         What do the students need to know prior to the lesson?

Prior to the lesson students should already be familiar with using Word to create a bar graph. This lesson is focused on teaching the elements of a bar graph and how to collect and input data. Creating the graph isn’t the main focus of the lesson. The students would have already created a bar graph and this will work as a review for creating graphs on the computer.

·         How will prior knowledge and experience be assessed?

Prior knowledge and experience will be assessed with the Thumbs Up – Thumbs Down technique as students are working through the lecture portion of the lesson. Students work on previous bar graphs made would be taken into consideration to gauge how well the students understand the tools necessary to create a bar graph on Microsoft Word. Students would have also briefly reviewed bar graphs and the different components of a bar graph. This is addressed during the lecture portion of the lesson.

·         How will you use this information in the planning process?

All of the above mentioned informal assessments of students’ prior knowledge with regards to technology and bar graphs will be taken into consideration when putting the lesson together. Students are working in pairs to complete the bar graph to help solidify their foundation with the technology aspect of it. An assignment in the future will have them working independently to see how well they can create graphs on their own.

·         Why should the content of this lesson be taught at this grade level?

The content of this lesson should be taught at this level because students would have already been introduced to graphs and inputting data. Also at this point, third grade students should have basic computer skills and the graphs created on Microsoft are simple to use and can be easily taught to students with a brief background in technology, which at the third grade level students should have.

·         How do the objectives you have align with the standards?

The objective aligns with the standards because if the objective is met students would have met each of the math standards and the technology standards being used. By creating the graph and correctly labeling it, they are showing mastery of creating a graph and engaging in collaborative discussions when they are doing partner work and collecting data. The technology standards are met with the students creating a bar graph with a laptop as opposed to drawing it out on a worksheet.

·         When will this lesson be taught in the course of the school year and why?

This lesson will be taught toward the middle of the school year, around January or February, so that the students would have had enough time in the computer lab learning basic computer skills and would have had the chance to create similar bar graphs in previous lesson.

·         Why are you using the instructional methods you have described?

I chose to use whole group and lecture for the beginning of the lesson to have students’ attention on the teacher and the SmartBoard to explain to students what the lesson will consist of. This method also allows the teacher to show the students exactly what they will be working on it gives the teacher the time she needs to teach the students the lesson before they start working on their own. I chose to use the formative assessment of Thumbs Up Thumbs Down since the lecture portion of the lesson is whole group, Thumbs Up Thumbs Down is an effective way to get a gauge on whether or not students are following the lesson. The students will also work in partners to complete the assignment. This will help students engage in dialogue about the topic and have them work partners, building communication skills.

·         How do the instructional methods align with what you know about best practices (think about your methods classes)?

The instructional methods chosen for this lesson align with what I know about best practices because they allow for different platforms of learning to include all students. There is a lecture portion for students who work better by listening to instructions and focusing on what is being taught. There is individual work for students who work better independently. Students also have the chance to get out of their seats to collect data. That works well for students who don’t like to be seated for a long time listening to lecture style teaching. Finally, there is partner work to help students feel more comfortable with the lesson and to get help from their peers. The instructional methods used in this class cater to a variety of learning styles.

·         How are you engaging students in creative and higher order thinking?

Students are engaging in creative thinking by creating their bar graphs and designing them. Students are engaging in higher order thinking by gathering data and analyzing that data and inputting it into a graph. This requires students to use several methods of thinking to decide what data to collect, how they will collect, how they will graph it and then analyze the data they collected.

·         How does the assessment align with the standards and objectives of this lesson?

The assessment aligns with the standards and objectives of this lesson because the assessment is collecting the students bar graphs. If the bar graph is completed correctly, all of the standards and objectives should have been met. By creating the graph students are showing mastery of the math standards of the lesson, by working with partners and also collecting data students are showing mastery of the ELA standards of effective communication and the objective of completing a graph with all of its essential components is being met by the students submitting a completed and labeled bar graph.

·         How does the assessment demonstrate that the students have been successful in learning the content?

The assessment demonstrates that the students have been successful in learning the content because a completed graph shows that the students know the different components of a graph, it shows that they can collect data and it shows that they can correctly input data to create the graph on their laptops showing their understanding of the use of technology.

·         How does the assessment demonstrate student engagement in higher order thinking?

The assessment is a demonstration of the students understanding of the lesson and the lesson requires higher order thinking. The assessment is the final product of the lesson, with all of its components.

·         How does the assessment demonstrate that the individual students’ needs were met?

The assessment demonstrates that the individual students’ needs were met because each student will be turning in a completed graph, demonstrating that they understand the concepts that were taught throughout the lesson.

·         How does your lesson meet each of the ISTE NET’s standards?

Each of the standards are met throughout the lesson because the students are utilizing technology to create bar graphs of the data collected. Anytime technology is utilized in the classroom the ISTE NET’s standards are being brought into the classroom to ensure that the students are appropriately using technology.

·         How does your lesson meet Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity?

The lesson meets Standard 1 because students are encouraged to work with their partners in creating their own bar graph. The color scheme can be changed and the style of the bars can be changed. It lets student get the work done, but add their own style to it. With students being technology driven, any chance they get to use the computers is a good lesson that inspires learning.

·         How does your lesson meet Standard 2: Provide Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessment?

This lesson meets Standard 2 because it involves the use of technology and students getting hands on experiences with technology. The assessment itself cannot be completed without the use of technology. The students would all need to turn in a completed bar graph as their assessment.

·         How does your lesson meet Standard 3: Model Digital Age Work and Learning?

Standard 3 is met in this lesson with students submitting a digital assignment as opposed to a paper and pencil assignment, helping students to become members of the digital age they currently live in. By practicing skills they’ve already learned, students are learning 

Global Digital Citizenship and Weebly!

 In my last post, I discussed the website, Weebly, and its uses in the classroom. After learning about Global Digital Citizenship these past few weeks in class, I will now discuss Global Digital Citizenship as it relates to Weebly. As future educators, it is important that we take the time to teach our students the importance of technology and how to properly use it and how to be safe while using it. We need to teach our students to be Global Citizens. Teaching students to be Digitally Responsible Global Citizens is extremely important. The next few questions will help guide the discussion.

In what learning environment would the technology resource I presented be appropriate?

Weebly would definitely be appropriate in the classroom and could be used as an electronic classroom or a classroom portable that could be made available for both parents and students. With Weebly you can create a classroom blog which allows parents to follow what their children are doing in school. With several different tabs that open up different sections of the blog, there could be a homework tab with the homework for that night posted for students to refer back to as needed. There could be a gallery where the teacher can post pictures of special things that are done in class, like science experiments, interactive math lessons, field trip pictures, or anything special that goes on in the classroom. Weebly would definitely be appropriate for any classroom, but depending on the age group of the class, student interaction on the webpage may be limited.





In what environment would my technology resource NOT be appropriate?



I don't think there is any environment where a Weebly account wouldn't be appropriate. To make Weebly more helpful for teachers and have pages with layouts that align with the different components that would be used in a classroom page, Weebly has a "Weebly Education" section that is for teachers. Weebly can be used for any sort of business; a personal business page, a large corporation page, anything really. Depending on what your use for Weebly will be, you can choose the appropriate settings for that area.




How might it be modified to be appropriate?



As I mentioned in the previous response, Weebly has several options for the web page designs that can cater to almost any business or group or corporation. Depending on what it is you're promoting, you can find  a Weebly layout that will work well with what you have in mind!





What do you now know that needs to be considered when using technology in the classroom?



After this week and learning about Global Digital Citizenship, I was refreshed on concepts I had already been aware of and introduced to new areas I hadn't thought of with regards to technology and the classroom. With Weebly and having older students, I now know that I will need to monitor their pages very closely and keep an eye out for inappropriate use of the comment section, the information put on their page and the privacy settings put on their pages and the classroom page I make. I now know to make it a priority to teach my students about proper technology usage and how to practice proper "netiquette" whole on the web. I can also create a tab for Global Digital Citizenship on our class website for students to refer to and for parents to look over and become aware of signs to look out for with regards to their children and technology usage at home. I can have resources there for parents who are interested in being active members in their child's "online life". I  have always known that online safety was important, but I had no idea of all fo the resources available out there to help teach global digital responsibility.