Tool 11

1. What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox? Briefly describe a particular activity that you will plan for your students using at least one of these new tools. I will use the showme app in my IPC andf PHysics classroom. I am excited about this because it will allow me to see and hear a students cognitive process as he/she solves a problem. We use a specific set of steps to solve problems and this will allow me to find out if they have a break down in the process and how to fix it. I also like any of the tools that allow the students to create a product. Imovie, animoto, etc. 2. How have you transformed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom? How has your vision for your classroom changed? Are you going to need to make any changes to your classroom to accommodate the 21st Century learner? I have been leaning towards this type of learnig for a couple of years now. Last year I had a set of 20 ipods in the classroom and I was constantly looking for ways to use them in class. The newer devices with the cameras will allow even more possibilities for learning. I think the only resturucturing I need to do is finding the time for all the students to be able to get to each center during the week. 3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you? I cant say I was surprised by too much in this program, I did however learn of a few new tools to use. That is always a pleasant surprise.

Tool 10

1 The first thing I ask of my students so that they are good digital citizens is that they respect the work of others and create their own materials. The next thing I ask of them is to be wary of information "out there". Just because its on the internet doesnt make it true. Being a savy internet and technology user can help you sort through the junk. And finally I would ask that they are safe in the digital world by carefully choosing the information that they broadcast to the entire planet. I plan on reviewing the information in the ISAFE program offered by SBISD with my students so that they understand some of the pitfalls as well as wonderful oppurtunities the digital world has to offer. I think that digital citizenship is taught the same way as regualr old citizenship. Through clear expectations, instructions and a good example we can show our students how to use these resources in a responsible manner. Digital Citizenship can be introduced to the parents with all of our procedures and expectations for the classroom. We expect the kids to behave and treat each other a certain way and we exopect them to use the technology in a certain way as well. If expectations are clear, consistent and fair then they will almost certainly be met.

Tool 9

I think its important to tie tech into the objective because it is another tool that students can use and need to be able to use in the world today. Students should be held accountable for the stations and centers for the same reasons they should be held accountable for all school procedures, quizzes, homework and tests. these are tools used in the classroom to gauge a students progress and if you dont expect them to be accountable at the centers then their learnign will suffer. The classroom is also their place to learn so if they dont respect their own tools then they will use the priviledge of having/using them. I have used PHet for years in my classroom. I like that now instead of just having a demonstartion on the activ board the students can have a more individual experience at the centers. Interactivate seems to be similar. For the ipod and ipad I have found numerous apps for use in mu classroom. One of my new favorites is called show me. It is an interactive whiteboard app that allows students to drawe and record their voices for a presentation. I plan to use this in order gauge my students on their problem solving abilities in physics. I also like imovie for the ipad. I will use this to make my safety movies this year instead of the flip cameras and macbooks. I could also see my students using the ipads as a station to blog about new content, as a resource like the interactive periodic table or as an interactive lab intself by creating electric circuits, etc using an app.

Tool 8

I have used ipods, ipads and iphones for several years now. I also am proficient with most computers and applications so I am pretty confident in my use and understanding of the tools to be used in the classroom this year. I am constantly looking for new ways to use the tools and am excited about the possibilities these tools will create in my classroom. I plan to use the netbooks and ipads as a "station" in the classroom where the students can blog or use others applications to create meaningful products based on the content. I think they will be an invaluable resource in getting students, especially LEP students, talking, writing and reading about the content. As always we will have expectations for the use of the tools so that they are taken care of and available for educational and intructional purposes only.

Tool 7

Example : Objective : Calculate the speed of a cart down a ramp at varying slope angles, masses and lengths of ramp by measuring the distance traveled by the time. Implementation : September Tools : Google Docs to collect and graph colective data. Todays Meet for discussions on results. Brief :This could be a good way for science students across the school or district even to collaborate on a lab by gathering data individually, sharing that data and then collectively use that data to find the results. This would ghive the students a larger sample and probably a better understanding of the scientific process.

Tool 6

I have a twitter account and find it a useful tool keeping up with people and organizations.  I currently use facebook and will utilize twitter more to communicate with my athletic teams.  I think that twitter could also be useful in the classroom to promote discussions about the content.  My twitter is @CoachWheeler1.

Cross Country Practice

— Coach Wheeler (@CoachWheeler1) August 13, 2012

I also tried todaysmeet.  I didnt really see the difference between this tool and email to be honest.  I guess you could have multiple people weighing in on an issue but it seems to me that there are easier ways.

http://todaysmeet.com/Weightroom

Tool 5

I have used several of these tools in the past like animoto and story bird.  For my blog I tried a wordle and used my blog as the source of words. I like that you can put a writing sample into wordle and it creates a word wall for you.  this will be great for LEP students.
Wordle

I also used extranormal but was unable to publish because they want a subscription.  However I think this would be useful in my class especially when making our imovies for safety.  the students could use the generated voices instead of their own.

Tool #4

Google docs is another handy way of storing and sharing information.  It is useful to be able to access the information from anywhere with an internet connection.  I have found it a useful way of recieving special education information this past year.
Google Apps also has some useful tools for team planning and for the classroom.  The forms could be a useful way of gathering data or giving quizzes. I like the idea of the students being able to access a set of tools to create for the classroom with only an internet connection.

Tool #3: Online video Resources

In my classroom I mostly use discovery education and youtube in order to find content specific video clips.  I use these clips for video quizzes, ie Newton's LAws, and to show demonstartions of physics that are impracticle to show in the classroom, ie weightlessness in space.

I have used dropbox for several years now and it is a valuable tool especially in sharing materials and planning between different campuses.

Tool 2 : Building My Online Community

I dont think that building an online community is a totally new idea for most of us.  Almost all of us have a FB account and many of us have 2 or 3 in order to split up our personal and professional lives.  Sharing personal thoughts online is not a problem for most.  In fact some people share too much!  Using something like this blog could be a useful tool for staying connected to our students and other classrooms and ideas in the world.  Having an online presence and community geared towards the classroom can only broaden our global view and knowledge abse and make us all better at what we do.

The Physics of Angry Birds

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/11/physics-of-the-yellow-angry-bird/

This link is to a blogger who has used physics to describe the motion of the birds in the game Angry Birds.  I have created one lesson already using the plain red birds, but this guy is now looking at the other birds.  Be sure to check out the  "See Also" section at the bottom of the blog for more Angry Birds Physics.

Tool 1 : Setting up my blog

Today I set up my blog and added an avatar.  It was easy and straightforward.