What have I taken away from this course that will change the way I teach in my classroom?

I have gained so much information from this course.  I have learned about some excellent websites to use such as http://www.rubistar.4teachers.org/, http://www.teachertube.com/ , http://www.edmodo.com/, http://www.surveymonkey.com/, and even this one, http://www.blogger.com/.  I have also learned about various ways to use technology in the classroom like digital storytelling and skype.    At the beginning of this course I felt that my Smart Board was enough for my technology use but now I know there is so much more out there.  I really think this course is going to change me as a teacher.  This course has taught me the importance of engaging my students and ways to do it such as utilizing co-educators, service learning, and community involvement.  As Marzano says, "If students are not engaged, there is little, if any, chance they will learn what is being addressed in class".  Now I feel like I understand what it really means to engage my students.  I appreciate all of your wonderful ideas you have shared.  I am so excited to use them in my classroom this year.  "If you present a topic or assignment with enthusiasm, your students are likely to adopt this same attitude" (Marzano & Pickering, 2010, p. 6)  I think my students and I are in for a fun and engaging year! 

Instructional Unit Plan

Persuasive Letter
(Convincing the Community to Go Green)

Description of the Students:  I will be teaching this unit to my 21 4^th graders.  They have been taught persuasive writing in the past but I am going to incorporate a variety of technological components while involving the community as well.  I know that it is sometimes a struggle to get kids to write but I am hoping to make it very engaging by using technology and a real life connection with their audience. 

Summary of the Plan:  After watching a YouTube video of the book I Wanna Iguana to introduce persuasive letters, I will inform the students that they will be writing their own persuasive letter.  I will then show a Teacher Tube video ("Ways to Go Green"), and allow students to brainstorm ideas that someone can do to help the environment (recycling, conserving energy, stop polluting, etc...).  Using ideas from the video or their own, they will then choose one of these ways and also choose someone in the community (friend, parent, neighbor, etc...) to write a persuasive letter to convince them to do this if they are not already doing it.  They will use Twitter to interact with classmates for ideas as a Think/Pair/Share tool.  They will use an online graphic organizer to organize their introduction, reasons, and conclusion of their letter.  They will also use various search engines on the internet to research their topic along with books from the school and community library.  Once they have written and sent their letters, either by e-mail or mail, we will create a class video "Why to Go Green" that puts a perspective spin on the original Teacher Tube video we had watched ("Ways to Go Green").  We will invite the people in the community who the students had written the letter to, to come view the video and ask for their feedback about the letters and whether they were persuaded to make any changes.  Students will then reflect in their Writing journals about any difference this assignment had made in their life, if any.



 Standards:

·      Students will communicate a purpose through informing or persuading.

·      Students will describe how consumer actions (e.g., recycling) influence

the use of resources and impact the environment by: describing some community activities that promote healthy environments.

·      Students will create a variety of tasks using technology devices and systems to support authentic learning.

Specific Learning Outcomes:

·         Students will be able to write a persuasive letter that includes an introduction, 3 reasons, and a conclusion.

·         Students will be able to post their ideas on a Twitter account and give and receive feedback from other me and other students.

·         Students will be able to research information for their persuasive letters using various websites and books.

·         Students will be able to contribute to creating a video to share their persuasive letters with the class.

Measuring the Success of the Plan:

The success of the plan will be measured in many ways.  I will be using a rubric to score their persuasive letters, Twitter participation, research abilities, and video contribution.  I will also measure success by the feedback of the letter recipients.  Finally, I will measure success by their reflections in their Writing journals. 

Technology Involved:

• YouTube video that shows the story I Wanna Iguana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PgUqbBqYeI
• Teacher Tube video that discusses ways to help the environment:  http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=168436&title=Ways_to_go_Green__
• Twitter (for a Think/Pair/Share tool)  http://twitter.com/
• Online Graphic Organizer: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/persuasion_map/
• Various Research Websites:

http://www.awesomelibrary.org/

http://www.kidsclick.org/

http://www.factmonster.com/

• Microsoft Word (to type persuasive letter)

• Email (may be used by some students to send letter)
• Video Recorder (culminating class activity)

Partner with Co-Teachers Plan

Plan Elements

Co-Teacher #1: 

1)  a)  Name:  Hedi Scheidel

     b)  Position:  Children's Outreach Specialist at the Campbell County Library

     c)  Contact Information:  hscheidel@cc-pl.org

                                           859-781-6166  ext:  33

2)  Description of Plan: 

     a)  Our plan that we have developed will begin before the students are to write feature articles in Writing about animals and their adaptations.  This will also occur while the students are learning about animal adaptions in Science.  Hedi will come into the classroom to discuss how to use the library catalog and databases to research information in the most effective way possible.  She will also demonstrate the best way to search for resources on the internet and explain internet sites that are accurate vs. inaccurate and ways to tell the difference.  Hedi will use the Smart Board for the students to actually view her using these resources online and allow the students to come up to practice using them on their own.  Once the students have chosen the animal they are going to research, we will walk to the nearest library to allow the students to utilize these resources and choose 2 books to check out in order to research their animal.

     b)  Technology that will be used:  Smart Board and some of the following websites:

           www.cc-pl.org/

           http://www.kids.yahoo.com/

           http://www.factmonster.com/

          http://www.kids.nationalgeographic.com/

         www.kidsites.com/sites-edu/animals.htm

         www.goodsitesforkids.com/Animals.htm

3)  Standards that will be addressed:

• Students use reference tools such as dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias, and computer reference programs and research tools such as interviews and surveys to find the information they need to meet specific demands, explore interests, or solve specific problems.
• Students will  compare the different structures and functions of plants and animals that contribute to the growth, survival and reproduction of the organism
• Students will communicate a purpose through informing or persuading.

4)  How will the students be assessed?  Students will be assessed throughout the program.  They will be assessed on their research skills and their abiltiy to find accurate information that relates to their topic.  They will also be assessed on their feature article and the information they have chosen to include.

Co-Teacher # 2

1)  a)  Name:  Karen Venetian

     b)  Position:  Coordinator for Programs on Wheels at the Cincinnati Museum

     c)  Contact Information:  kvenetian@cincymuseum.org

                                           513-287-7000 ext:  7204

2) a) Description of Plan:  Programs on Wheels is a program that brings information in a hands-on approach from the museum to your classroom.  There are a variety of topics in various subjects.  Our topic will be Awesome Animal Adaptions to go along with our feature articles in Writing and the unit we will be studying in Science.  Once we have finished our feature articles, the Programs on Wheels will visit our school to give us even more information about this topic.  We will explore various habitats and adaptations, meet and touch live animals, and learn about their adaptations that allow them to survive in their habitat.  Various internet sites will be used to assist in explaining these adaptations and there will be interactive activities on the Smart Board.  Students will later create a powerpoint to present information they had learned from the program.  If possible, we will try to visit the museum at a later date to identify more animals and their adaptations. 

b)  Technology that will be used:  Smart Board, Power Point, and some of the following websites:

www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/gamesforkids.htm

.library.thinkquest.org/J001644F/

www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm

animals.pppst.com/adaptations.html

3)  Standards that will be addressed:

Students will  compare the different structures and functions of plants and animals that contribute to the growth, survival and reproduction of the organism

Students will communicate a purpose through informing or persuading.

4)  How will the students be assessed?  I will have the students take a pre-assessment about animal adaptations before the program and take another assessment after the program.  I will also assess the students based on their information in the powerpoints they have created about animal adaptations. 

 

Service Learning Project

Title of Project: Students Helping Soldiers

                 

Grade Level:  K-6th

Number of Students Participating: approximately 400 students

Contributed by:

            Teacher: Lisa Taylor

            School: Grandview Elementary

            District or County: Bellevue Independent

1)  Overview/Description of Project: Students will research ways to help soldiers and their families on the internet.  Students will  make posters to hang around the school and in the community advertising these ways that others can help, such as writing letters or donating items.  These items and letters will then be put together as care packages by the students and sent to the soldiers through a group called Operation Homefront.

2)  Who would be involved?: 

-teachers that are willing to let their class participate in the project (giving class time to research on the internet, create posters (by hand and using technology), writing letters to businesses to ask for posters to be hung, putting items together into care packages)

-local businesses that will allow posters to be hung in their place of business 

-Operation Homefront to take our donations and send them to the appropriate places

Operation Homefront Contact Information: 

http://www.operationhomefront.net/kentucky/

Operation Homefront of Kentucky and Tennessee

P.O. Box 2437

Fort Campbell, Kentucky  42223

Phone: 931-982-3207

Fax: 866-599-8934

Toll Free: 866-205-5766

3)  Standards:

• Students will write for a variety of authentic purposes and audiences
• Students will communicate a purpose through informing or persuading.
• Students will use technology to organize and develop creative solutions, ideas or products
• Students will incorporate persuasive techniques when appropriate (e.g. bandwagon, emotional appeal, testimonial, expert opinion)
• 
  

  Students will demonstrate awareness of the concept of responsibility to oneself and others
• 
  

  
  

  Students will express creativity both individually and collaboratively using technology

4)  How will the students benefit personally? 

Students will be doing something that will allow them to work together to help others.  Almost every student knows someone who is serving or who has served our country and they would like to feel as if they are contributing in some way.  It will help them develop an understanding of contributing to society while having fun in the process. 

5)  Timeline of Activities:

Step 1-Introduce the project to the students by  showing the following video and explaining what we will be doing to show our thanks to the soldiers. 

Step 2-Students will begin by researching ways they can help soldiers and their families. 

Some websites they may use:


http://www.kidsforourtroops.org/
http://anysoldier.com/WhatToSend.cfm
http://www.give2thetroops.org/
http://www.theahaconnection.com/2011/06/28/ways-children-can-honor-soldiers-this-4th-of-july/
http://www.ehow.com/how_5119289_become-penpal-soldier-overseas.html


Step 3-making posters asking for items to be donated and letters to be written. 

Step 4-Students will hang posters around the school.

Step 5-Students will be selected to write letters or call businesses asking for permission to hang student-made posters around community.

Step 6-Students will be selected to walk around the community to hang posters in the approved businesses.

Step 7-Once donations begin arriving, students will be organizing items/letters into care packages.

Step 8-Care packages will be sent off to Operation Homefront to be sent to soldiers.
Step 9-Students will arrange a celebration at the end of the year, write letters to local veterans, soldiers, family members, to invite them to come celebrate.

6)How do I plan on measuring the success of the project?

Since we will not actually get to meet the people who will be receiving our items and letters in person, there is no way of knowing for sure what happens to our items and letters once they are sent off.  However, some students may receive a letter back from their soldier.  We can write in a journal to reflect on how this project made us feel and how it may have benefitted others.  Also, some students may continue this on their own which will also show that it was successful.  If able, some students may be able to skype a soldier they have been communicating with.

7)How will we celebrate at the end of our project?

We will have an end of the year party to celebrate the success of the project.  Students can share any letters they have received from the soldiers since the project began.  We can invite local veterans, soldiers, and their family members to share in our celebration and show our appreciation for the service they have done for us as well. 

Video-Gotta Keep Reading!

This video is a song showing students getting excited about reading and explaining all the reasons why reading is fun.  It also lists many of the genres that students can choose from when picking out a book.  I plan on showing this video to my 4th grade students at the beginning of the year.  Hopefully it will get them excited about reading, also. 

Online Resource

 http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html
My online resource will have a permanent change on my teaching in a couple of ways.  One way is how much my lessons will now engage my students by providing fun ways to learn just about any concept.  Another way is by how much time it will save me providing already made Smartboard lessons and activities.  Before this, I would spend so much time searching various websites for different activities or even longer making my own.  Now I can go to one website and everything I need is right in front of me.

Lisa Taylor's Blog

Grandview Elementary
Hi.  My name is Lisa Taylor and I am a 4th grade teacher at Grandview Elementary School in Bellevue, KY.  I am going in to my 9th year teaching there and I love it!  We departmentalize in all of the intermediate grades.  I currently teach Math and Social Studies to my own homeroom and Reading to the entire 4th grade.  Marzano, the author of The Highly Engaged Classroom believes that student engagement happens as a result of a teacher's careful planning and execution of specific strategies.  I completely agree and I work very hard at engaging my students and getting them interested in learning so I look forward to learning more strategies in this class. 

Ways I Effectively Engage Learners
  1.  Smart Board:
In my classroom, I have a Smart Board that I utilize on a daily basis, especially in Math and Reading.  The Smart Board is an interactive tool for the students.  You can use it as a huge touch screen computer and play games on the internet but there are also lots of tools to use and create your own activities.  For example, for a Geometry lesson in Math, the students can manipulate various polygons to practice slides, flips, etc...  An example for teaching fact and opinion in Reading, the students can drag various fact and opinion statements to the appropriate column in a fact and opinion T-chart.  The students really enjoy using this interactive tool.

2.  Document Camera:
I also have a document camera in my classroom that I use often.  It allows me to place something that the students may not be able to see well underneath and a magnified version will be on the projection screen.  I use this often in Math while going over Math problems in their book or workbook.  For example, the following day after a homework assignment, we will go over the answers.  I will put the sheet up on the document camera and work out the problems they had done the previous night.  It makes it a lot easier for the students and me to discuss the problems.

3.  Literature Circles:
In my Reading class, students are reading at various levels, as in all classrooms.  Literature Circles allow students to make a lot of choices and have a job to keep them involved in the book.  They will choose a book that interests them and read with a small group.  While reading, students will have jobs that they will rotate throughout the duration of the book.  Some of the jobs are Summarizers (write a summary of the chapter), Illustrators (draw a picture an event and write a caption for it), Connectors (make a real-life connection to something in the chapter), and Story Mappers (choose a graphic organizer to map out elements in the story).  These are just a few but the students seem to enjoy them very much and it seems to help with the comprehension of the story on top of it.