Answering Questions

What is the content you are focusing on in your science lesson?
I am focusing on teaching my third grade classroom about non-living and living organisms in an environment. This is objective 2, standard 1, but my post discusses how to build off of this lesson to cover standard 2 of objective 2 as well.
What is the pedagogy you are using and why is it a good fit with the content?
My pedagogy is a class discussion about the organisms showing images and allowing the students to ask questions about the pictures and organisms. I researched each organism before showing the picture so I would be able to answer their questions, and if I wasn’t able to answer their questions then I already knew where I could find the information from my prior research on the internet about the organisms. This is a good fit with the content because the students can ask me questions and inquire about the organisms and visually see the organisms and aquire information orally about organisms.
What is the technology you’ll be using and why is it a good fit with the content and pedagogy?
The technology I used was Virtual Pond Dip. It is a good fit with the content and pedagogy because I discussed living and non-living organisms and the pond dip allows students to use hands-on technology to explore what I had previously taught them about.

Overcoming the Overwhelmed Teacher

Tech Savvy Teacher

As a teacher, I find it difficult or overwhelming to always try to come up with creative or inspiring ways on my own for my students to learn about science and still meet the Utah core standards. When I use technology to teach, I implement a whole new facet of opportunities for my students to learn. Technology is a great resource, but its more than that, its more than just throwing my student in front of a computer with a program that should help them learn. It takes effort to build knowledge in a student’s mind, and technology is a tool that every teacher should use to build that knowledge, but it is necessary to develop background about the subject matter in order for the technology to be effective. You still have to teach efficiently for the technology to be a efficient teaching tool.

In my classroom I was reaching the time where I needed to teach my 3rd graders about living and non-living organisms existing in an environment.
Which is standard 2 in the Utah core curriculum: 
Students will understand that organisms depend on living and nonliving things within their environment. Objective 1: Classify living and nonliving things in an environment. I wanted my students to develop a real understanding of an environment, and then understand what a non-living thing is, as well as a living thing. From this unit of learning I wanted to go straight to objective 2 after teaching objective 1. Objective 2 is about the interactions between non-living and living things. Without knowing this would happen, the two actually integrated and I only ended up teaching it over a period of time as one lesson. Here is how I did it. I used Virtual Pond Dip as my technology help. (http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html)

First I introduced the subject, “Students we are going to learn about living and non-living organisms”. I needed to know how much they already knew. I needed to research and provide them with background information before Virtual Pond Dip was utilized. I needed to do this so they could get everything and more from Virtual Pond Dip. So they would already be interested in organisms, living or non-living. I put my computer on a projector screen so the whole class could be involved. I began discussing the environment of a pond, and then began discussing what is in a pond. These are things they came up with: Dirt-non-living, with living organisms residing in the dirt. Organisms-with complicated names that had specific roles in the environment they were in. Not knowing where they were but getting an understanding of what they knew helped me know what to talk about when I showed them several pictures of pond creatures; real pictures, not drawings. (Note: Remember these are just two of the pictures I used, in order to fully inform the students obtain numerous pictures of organisms that reside in ponds, you can find the name of those organisms from the Virtual Pond Dip website, then just google search the organism name to learn more about them and find pictures.)
This is a Copepod, or a Cyclops.
Here is another real microscope picture of the Cyclops.

This is the Virtual Pond Dip image of the Cyclops. When the students have previously been exposed to the Cyclops they will be able to realize that it exists in an environment with other living and non-living things from Virtual Pond Dip. Virtual Pond Dip is the technology resource I used after teaching about the organisms.


From these real pictures they became enthralled that life like this existed. So not only did they understand what a living organism was, but also non-living, and they were excited about it. After continuing the discussion and involving my students in a writing assignment about the pictures and life they had seen, I decided it was time for the students to discover Virtual Pond Dip. I scheduled our computer lab and had this screen already up for each student.
They could click on different organisms on their own to learn more specifically about the organisms.



They experienced a setting on their own and were able to explore and read about each organism on their own, after they had already learned about each organism with me verbally. This is a science activity that started small, but allowed my students to learn more about non-living, and living things than just the definitions. They could really relate and they wanted to know more, they wanted to inquire pond water, and see it under a microscope, they wanted to see the organisms moving and see what organisms ate other organisms, they wanted to know more about the dirt and why it was there, and what purpose it served. Being a Tech Savvy Teacher can create a classroom environment where inquiry is guaranteed and expected. I used VirtualEnjoy Virtual Pond Dip, and remember to create background knowledge and build from every technology tool you use.

Resources:
Virtual Pond Dip website: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html

1 and 2 Pictures used obtained from this informative website:http://jaffeweb.ucsd.edu/pages/celeste/Intro/

Exploring

I checked out various different resources in the list but my favorite was the virtual pond and the temperature probes. I actually went to class on Tuesday the 20th to catch up on some things and learn about TPACK from Nikki. So I got to try out the temperature probes. The pond was very exciting to me because when I was growing up I lived around numerous ponds, and I never actually got to study what was in pond water until I was in college. It is fascinating to me to put objects under a microscope that look like nothing and see all the miniscule details. I was thinking that for my lesson I could do pond water samples and check the temperature of them and record the results, and see what tempature has more life, more living things inside of it. Obviously this is just a thought right now and it could change but I loved the hands on of the temperature probes and the game of learning more about 'pond creatures'.

As I am interested in pond water and I'm sure students would be as well I found this video on google video about pond water as my additional resource. If I am not able to get actual pond water in my classroom this would be a great outside source to show my students. The sound is kinda creepy, but its good.
Video of Pond Water Title of Video is Pond Water Creatures

ALSO: To the right I have included a video bar you can view the pond one right on my blog, but it is powered by YouTube so on campus you wont get it, but if you are on campus and want to view the video click on the link above, it it is to Google Video, which you can view on campus.

TPACK

Technological pedagogical and content knowledge or TPACK seems kinda overwhelming at first. How am I as a teacher supposed to incorporate technology, good teaching, and the curriculum or content all in one lesson? How can I make sure that I do it right as well? As with everything I have found that through research and diligence things will begin to come naturally. I think that is the way it will most likely be with TPACK. I will be focused on making sure I am reaching each category at first, but then it will just happen because of experience and effort mixed with focused time.

I know that TPACK with strengthen my skills as a teacher, as well as strengthen my students' knowledge. If I apply TPACK to my curriculum, I cannot see a lesson failing. As I use the idea of TPACK I can also see my strengths increasing, by continually trying to improve my teaching.

Although it may seem nearly impossible to perfect TPACK as a teacher, I think it may begin to come naturally and be a part of how I structure my teaching with my diligence in improving as a teacher.

RSS and Web 2.0

I really enjoyed exchanging books on goodreads and setting up a delicious account. Even though I already had a goodreads account it was nice to add all of my group and see what they were reading and get their opinions on the books! Also delicious will be a good way to keep track of helpful websites. RSS really confused me at first but after watching tutorials and playing around with it I realized its benefits. I can go to my blog or google reader and see all my updates on all of the websites I visit that way I dont even have to check them all with my bookmarks, it just eliminates so much wasted time. I am glad I learned more about these tools as they will be beneficial to me when I am a teacher. I can use goodreads to check out books to read to my students or to purchase for my students and I can use delicious to keep all the websites that I can use as resources in one place. RSS will be a good way to stay updated with current happenings in the world and the teachers world. I could let my students set up all of these same accounts to help them have fun with the internet. I know as a student in grade school I would have loved to write little reviews about all my books and have my own profile and share book opinions with friends.

Goodreads and Delicious

Hey all! Add me as your friend on goodreads and delicious, my username is brittanyhhansen

What are some good RSS things to add to my blog? Things that could be useful?

My Background.

To avoid saying, "Here is my first post" Or, Hi my name is Brittany. I will just get right to the purpose of this post. The assignment was to create a blog, I did that, next assignment, post on the blog of your technology experience. Uh..my experience started when my parents got a huge computer with a small monitor that typed green letters, Im not sure if pac man came before or after that. I do remember spending hours on that green lettered computer and printing what I typed, I was fascinated. Since then I don't really know who taught me or how I learned how to use Word, Powerpoint, Blogger.com, or a computer in general. I'm not this huge expertise, but I do know a few things. The craziest thing about this class, is that the day before I was in a class (I will not mention which one or which individual stated this for privacy reasons) and a certain individual mentioned how she was going to be a teacher but did she REALLy need to know how to use the computer in order to be a good teacher? I wanted to respond, "No, but you are going to kill the poor children with boredome." Boredom with no E? I dont know. Anyway, I took numerous computer classes in high school, and can find that I can teach myself pretty much anything I need to know on a computer just by trial and error. Whoops that didn't work.....then I try a different method. I also work in an office and am on a computer all day. I have email on my phone, and I send 6,000 text messages a month. I have a Mac desktop in my room and an Ipod in my car. I have had over 10 different cell phones in the past 5 years. I guess I am familiar with technology. But who isn't that is my age?