Final Project

Matrix 

The lesson plan I chose is about the Rights and Responsibilities of a Citizen. The original lesson only uses notebooks, the board, and class discussion. The modifications I made here allow the students to interact with technology in the classroom and also appeals to students with Multiple Intelligences. The students will first receive a brief DO NOW quiz about terms (citizen, naturalize, immigrant, resident alien, civic virtue, patriotism, and jury duty) they studied the previous night for homework. Instead of giving them a quiz on paper, I can use the computer to project the questions on the board and have the students right the answers in their Interactive Notebooks. Not only does it incorporate technology but also it’s eco-friendly, which a lot of school districts are incorporating. I will then project the word ‘patriotic’ on the board and have the students think of words and symbols they associate with the concept. Originally I would only write the words and symbols on the board. But now by using a program such as Microsoft Word and a Smartboard I could add the words and symbols and create a Word Map. The students will use a graphic organizer to organize their thoughts as well. Students will then be broken into groups and each given a concept (Obeying Laws, Paying Taxes, Jury Duty, Serve as a Witness, Register for the Draft, and Voting). Each group will have to complete three tasks: 1. Describe the responsibility in depth, 2. Describe AT LEAST 3 reasons why this responsibility is important to the well being of America, 3. Formulate a small skit that demonstrates an example of this responsibility. The students could then use computers to create mini presentations of their findings before presenting them to the class via Smartboard. After all groups presented, the students will be given a prompt to answer a question: Which of these responsibilities do you find to be the most important and why? By using their Interactive Notebooks, the students will organize their notes and answers in such a way that will be helpful to studying for a future formal assessment.

Adding technology to this lesson not only incorporates technology into my curriculum, it also helps make accommodations for different types students. English Language Learners (ELLs) would benefit from working in groups with other students that could help with the language struggle/difference. By working in groups, ELLs can ask questions and also benefit from the informal conversations they are more confortable with. Often ELLs are overwhelmed by formal lecture language and working with peers often aids their understanding. Inclusions students could contribute to the group work in many different ways depending on what their strengths may be. Often inclusion students appear secluded from the class, especially if they have an aid. But group work makes sure that they are involved with the rest of the class. Students who learn better from lessons that incorporate multiple intelligences will benefit from the visual effects of technology in this lesson. Seeing the word map on the board appeals to Visual/Spatial intelligent students, working in groups appeals to Interpersonal intelligent students and the word web would appeal to the Verbal/Linguistic intelligent.

I can also benefit from using technology in the classroom. By using different technologies, my lesson is easier to plan and by using a Smartboard and computer throughout the whole lesson, I spend less time transitioning between each task. The students in classrooms today are technologically smart because they grew up with the current technology boom. Incorporating technology into the normal social studies curriculum only helps students learn the subject more easily. Students respond to technological advancements and by keeping yourself abreast of these advancements is crucial for teachers nowadays. Of course, teachers must be taught how to use a Smartboard and other technologies, which are skills now being incorporated into teachers’ professional development workshops. Many districts don’t use the Smartboard technologies, which is ok because other technologies can be substituted as long as there is a computer and some type of projector attached. 

This lesson as whole is much more advanced now that technologies have been incorporated into it. Both my students and I can benefit from the technological advancements of the lesson and can better work together to complete the tasks at hand. I will now incorporate the technology into the lesson the next time I teach it. 

Interactivity #5

     
 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsKmaqP7s6y1dFNqZVhrN3dxNkZIQWlwVVEzX3RyR2c


     I interviewed a friend of mine who works at Belleville Middle School as a Language Arts teacher. She teaches 7th and 8th graders. We have been friends for a long time and share stories about teaching and being in the classroom whenever we get together. Ms. F was hired in September of 2011 and recently worked in a special education school with autistic children. 

     I asked Ms. F if she was willing to be interviewed about the NETS. She just recently graduated from Caldwell College so I was surprised when she said she was unfamiliar. I explained that she did not need to know exactly what they were. I offered her the website to find out more about what we would be talking about.  

     Ms. F was obviously knowledgeable about the Core Curriculum Standards and we've talked many times about different ways of utilizing technology in the classroom but Belleville Middle School has yet to implement the NETS in the classrooms as of yet. She has been telling me that the main focus right now is the NJASK. Everything is about passing the tests and anything else is a far second. 

     I know Ms. F has been dying for a SmartBoard. That is what she feels most comfortable using in her classroom. She had one during student teaching and managed to use it in many of her lessons. Since she is a Language Arts teacher and teaches "lab" classes for students who did not pass the first test, a lot of her lessons focus around reading from books and practicing writing skills. Ms. F thinks the students might be more interested if they were reading from Kindles or practicing their writing on MacBooks but that is just not plausible with the budget. She says that the students have certain tutorials in the library for learning how to research but that is pretty much the extent of the technological initiatives at this point.

     Ms. F feels very strongly about technology in the classroom and about the tight scheduled curriculum. She feels that if she was not forced to teach to the test, she would have more time to add special things in to spice up the classroom. She says she's trying to at least use the projector for assignments like expository writing, etc.

     Like I said before, I was a little surprised that Ms. F was not more aware of the NETS. However, after we talked about it and after her interview she was very excited to find out more about it. She even said she was going to ask some of the other teachers if they knew anything about them. After spring break is over, I am looking forward to asking some of the teachers where I'm subbing if they know about the NETS and can help me in my education. After I get a job I'm sure the NETS will be more popular. Spending a lot of time in the teacher's lounge and the cafeteria and going to seminars about various subjects (including the use of technology) and consulting with my supervisor and other colleagues, I'm sure I'll discuss the NETS in much greater detail in the future.

SmartBoards

So I've been subbing every day in a high school since January and have begun to get pretty friendly with the staff. I get to hear about all the good and bad things in the life as a teacher. At some points it really frightens me while at other times I can't wait to get my own classroom and students.

While talking to some of the teachers, I've listened to stories about SmartBoards in their classrooms. Among the older teachers I chat with, some absolutely adore them, while others are nervous about the mere thought of them (and even checking their email!)

I try to put myself in the thoughts of the older teachers. They are probably set in their own ways and can't imagine how a SmartBoard can make their classrooms anymore helpful. As a new teacher, I hope to have a very long career in helping students. I pledge that not matter how difficult something may seem or close minded I might be toward a change, I will make a solid effort in keeping up with new technologies for the classroom. I've seen how students reacted to lessons when I use technology and how much it helps the learning process. I don't ever want to get "stuck in my ways" and stop learning.

So this is my pledge to stay educated, informed, and up to date (no matter how daunting the task) in order to help my students succeed!

http://www.youtube.com/user/edutopia?v=M_pIK7ghGw4
 I found this video on YouTube. It's from an educational site that I really like called Edutopia.

Interactivity #4

Lesson Plan Map Analysis

I chose this lesson plan because I feel most comfortable teaching middle school social studies. I have had a lot of experience in the middle school and high school level and I have come to find that I am meant to be a middle school teacher.There were some gaps between my lesson plan, curriculum goals, teaching strategies, and technologies. However, in my experience I've had with lesson planning and teaching, I've come to realize that you borrow resources from varied places, add your own ideas, and make the lesson your own. Although I keep the standards in mind, I frequently change/add/delete aspects of lessons I come across and make them my own. Since history can be boring for a lot of students, technology is essential in this lesson to spice it up. If students were just reading and answering questions from a text book they wouldn't be as engaged, they would probably not be learning anything, and they would have no way of expressing any creativity. I really thought using Skype was a great way to make history more interesting. I've learned how important it is that students learn from one another and Skype is a perfect way to connect with people in other cities and states with different perspectives. I really liked this lesson and how it seems like a pretty good balance of student centered and teacher centered activities. I enjoy being in front of a class and teaching students but like I said before I think students learn best when they are learning from each other.

Interactivity #3

I usually get overwhelmed with group work. Everyone works at different speeds. Some people like to get ahead of things, while others perform better under pressure. We all have busy lives and hectic schedules. This time around, the group work proved to be different than most of my experiences in the past. Everyone seemed to be open-minded and pleasant. And in the end, I believe the project came together nicely. I learned  about so many different technologies that can be utilized in a history class. Most times when I tell people I want to be a history teacher, they roll their eyes or groan. With these new techniques I've acquired, I believe I can make learning history a fantastic experience. Through all of my years of education, I never came across Google docs. I thought it was a great way for people who don't even know each other to come together and work on a project. I will definitely be using Google docs as well as many of the other technologies in my own classroom one day.

Interactivity #2

The Computer- Helping Social Studies students connect with people and cultures from all around the world.