My TechQuest project has been going quite well, overall. I haven't been able to get some areas completed as quickly as I would have liked to, but other areas have been going faster than I thought they would. If I were to do this again in the future, I think I would have a better idea of how long each task would take, and what order I needed to get each thing completed. Many teachers try to get organized in their classrooms, and there are a lot of books on how to make them organized. However, my classroom is a bit different than the "typical" classroom. One of the reasons I wanted to do this TechQuest project was so that I could organize and start a curriculum for special education teachers. There are so few special education teachers for students with emotional impairments compared to general education teachers. I hoped that by completing this project, more teachers will be able to have a resource to use in their classroom for a curriculum and organization tool.
In years to come, I plan (as all teachers do) to change, tweak, and update my lessons and curriculum. This will be much easier now that I have a baseline curriculum to get me started in my classroom. I plan to add more lessons and activities to this curriculum, and continue to update my organization tools. When I update my lessons in the future, I am now familiar with getting them into the computer and finding them online. I am also familiar with updating my schedules and organization tools that I have on my computer. It is always easier when you have a starting point to push off from.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Project Implementation Update 1
I feel that this project is going very well. I am getting myself organized using the Internet and my computer. I am able to keep myself organized with my lesson plans using Open Office. I have made about 4 different lesson plan templats since I have started, since I have such a hectic classroom. I have created each in Open Office and changed and tweeked them. Each has had a good part in it that I have tried to take from that lesson into the next lesson plan. My newest seems to be working the best.
My schedule on the board to immitate my lesson plans is working great. I was thinking of putting one on my SMARTBoard also. Then I will be able to easily tweak it and have students change and cross out things as needed. This could be done by 12/3/10.
I have copied about half of the lessons I would like to, and put them into groups. I still need to scan them and group them in the computer and SMARTBoard. I have been using the lessons in order so far, but haven't made my own curriculum to use with the students and been organizing it by subject area. I would like to get this done within the next two weeks.
All is going well so far! Hopefully I'll say the same soon!
My schedule on the board to immitate my lesson plans is working great. I was thinking of putting one on my SMARTBoard also. Then I will be able to easily tweak it and have students change and cross out things as needed. This could be done by 12/3/10.
I have copied about half of the lessons I would like to, and put them into groups. I still need to scan them and group them in the computer and SMARTBoard. I have been using the lessons in order so far, but haven't made my own curriculum to use with the students and been organizing it by subject area. I would like to get this done within the next two weeks.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Research for TechQuest Project
So far, I have been searching for a lot of information that can help me in my classroom with my organization problems. I have been getting a lot of help from the people I work with. From the research I have done online, my collegues and I have gotten together and adapted it to my individual teaching techniques and classroom.
For behavior charts, I tried to come up with my own, but searched for different kinds to look at on the Internet to get my ideas from. I typed "behavior charts" into http://www.bing.com/ and found http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/. While on this website, I also read other good information about controlling tempor tantrums and awesome resources for my curriculum I am putting together for my EI classroom.
When I search in http://www.bing.com/ or http://www.google.com/ for "behavior curriculum," "emotional impairment lessons," or anything within this nature, in the past, the searches have always come to a "dead end." I don't know what specific title to search for in the search engines. I have been able to come up with specific lessons (such as the ones in http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/), but haven't been able to come up with a person's curriculum that has been made in the past. I hope to make my curriculum available to others on the web so that they can have the access that I haven't had in the past.
When I look for simple lessons for my students with learning disabilities, I have had success in http://www.abcteach.com/. These are very simple lessons that I use for my students to use in time fillers in my room. These are worksheets I use to supplement my lessons I use in the classroom.
The website exchange.smarttech.com is very valuable in my classroom. I have successfully found color-coded flip charts to keep track of behavior in my classroom, spelling games to practice with my students who need more encouragement, and math lessons that give one-on-one help with encouragement to my students who have learning disabilities.
These websites, search engines, and ideas I have found are very helpful to my plan of organizing my classroom with the help of technology. I want to be able to get everything online and ready to go by January of this year, and so far I am on schedule.
For behavior charts, I tried to come up with my own, but searched for different kinds to look at on the Internet to get my ideas from. I typed "behavior charts" into http://www.bing.com/ and found http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/. While on this website, I also read other good information about controlling tempor tantrums and awesome resources for my curriculum I am putting together for my EI classroom.
When I search in http://www.bing.com/ or http://www.google.com/ for "behavior curriculum," "emotional impairment lessons," or anything within this nature, in the past, the searches have always come to a "dead end." I don't know what specific title to search for in the search engines. I have been able to come up with specific lessons (such as the ones in http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/), but haven't been able to come up with a person's curriculum that has been made in the past. I hope to make my curriculum available to others on the web so that they can have the access that I haven't had in the past.
When I look for simple lessons for my students with learning disabilities, I have had success in http://www.abcteach.com/. These are very simple lessons that I use for my students to use in time fillers in my room. These are worksheets I use to supplement my lessons I use in the classroom.
The website exchange.smarttech.com is very valuable in my classroom. I have successfully found color-coded flip charts to keep track of behavior in my classroom, spelling games to practice with my students who need more encouragement, and math lessons that give one-on-one help with encouragement to my students who have learning disabilities.
These websites, search engines, and ideas I have found are very helpful to my plan of organizing my classroom with the help of technology. I want to be able to get everything online and ready to go by January of this year, and so far I am on schedule.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
CEP 812-Project Description
The major need I have in my classroom is organization. I feel as thought I have 10 different jobs to do and I'm simply trying to put out small fires so that I can make it through my day. I want to have something set in place that I can have lesson plans for my EI program, schedules for my day as well as my 2 aides and 2 full pull out students, ideas for push in classes, and assistive technology ready to use in the classroom.
As far as the lesson plans for the EI program, I am going to start by looking in the books I have in my classroom, along with my online resources. I am going to make a main copy of every lesson I feel would be good to use in my program. I will then group them by subject. I will then come up with a curriculum timeline of how long I would like to work on what subject and what order I should work with them. I will then come up with dates for when I will work with them. I would like to get all of this done by 11/22/10.
I would like to scan the lessons into the computer so that they are ready to use on the SMARTBoard at any time in the curriculum. They will then again be organized on the computer. This I would like to be done by 12/6/10.
When I am done with this curriculum, I would like to pick out what lessons would be good to use in the push in setting, and also find other push in lessons to use in the classrooms. This needs to be done so that my students in the special education program along with the students in the general education setting can learn how to deal with their emotions. I would like this done by 1/21/11.
I would like to make a master schedule for what my students are doing when. I have schedules for each myself and my 2 aides, however I feel that we are missing a lot working our days the way we are. I would like to have a master schedule in the room and also schedules for each of us to carry them around with us so that we know what is going on. I would like to create individual schedules for each of us and then a master to use in the classroom. I would like this done by 11/19/10.
I need to find more assistive technologies to use in my classroom. I am having difficulties finding technology programs to help teach earlier reading skills to higher grade levels. I am also finding it hard to know where to look to find activities to use on the SMARTBoard. I plan to keep a list of programs and assistive technologies on my delicious page. I am currently looking, and will always look, but hope to have a good amount of sources by 12/17/10.
If you have any ideas, or help that you can think of, please let me know! Thank you for your time!
As far as the lesson plans for the EI program, I am going to start by looking in the books I have in my classroom, along with my online resources. I am going to make a main copy of every lesson I feel would be good to use in my program. I will then group them by subject. I will then come up with a curriculum timeline of how long I would like to work on what subject and what order I should work with them. I will then come up with dates for when I will work with them. I would like to get all of this done by 11/22/10.
I would like to scan the lessons into the computer so that they are ready to use on the SMARTBoard at any time in the curriculum. They will then again be organized on the computer. This I would like to be done by 12/6/10.
When I am done with this curriculum, I would like to pick out what lessons would be good to use in the push in setting, and also find other push in lessons to use in the classrooms. This needs to be done so that my students in the special education program along with the students in the general education setting can learn how to deal with their emotions. I would like this done by 1/21/11.
I would like to make a master schedule for what my students are doing when. I have schedules for each myself and my 2 aides, however I feel that we are missing a lot working our days the way we are. I would like to have a master schedule in the room and also schedules for each of us to carry them around with us so that we know what is going on. I would like to create individual schedules for each of us and then a master to use in the classroom. I would like this done by 11/19/10.
I need to find more assistive technologies to use in my classroom. I am having difficulties finding technology programs to help teach earlier reading skills to higher grade levels. I am also finding it hard to know where to look to find activities to use on the SMARTBoard. I plan to keep a list of programs and assistive technologies on my delicious page. I am currently looking, and will always look, but hope to have a good amount of sources by 12/17/10.
If you have any ideas, or help that you can think of, please let me know! Thank you for your time!
CEP 811 Bringing It All Together
I feel that I have grown a lot during this course in my masters program. I now have made a huge StAIR project that is helping my students deal with their emotions when they are at their most volnerable. I have started and kept up on a blog...something I never believed I would ever do. This class has taught me so much in growing toward being a technology educator. I can see myself teaching blogs, wikis, and online learning in my classroom. This class has taught me techniques, and given me ideas on how to do this in my classroom. I now know good ways to put effective technology lesson plans into place. I know what steps to put into place, before I set up a lesson plan. I need to make sure that the technology is helping the students' learning, not just sitting there being a distraction. I need to look at how it is influencing their learning and how they can use it in the future.
I feel that I have met my goal of getting my students more involved. My students are excited everytime I have a new technology-based idea that I bring into my classroom. The student are very excited about my StAIR design, and the wikis I have shown them. I have now learned more ways to get my students excited and involved in my lessons. I plan to keep this goal going in the future, and trying to motivate as many students with as much technology as possible (as long as it's relevent). Thank you CEP 811!
I feel that I have met my goal of getting my students more involved. My students are excited everytime I have a new technology-based idea that I bring into my classroom. The student are very excited about my StAIR design, and the wikis I have shown them. I have now learned more ways to get my students excited and involved in my lessons. I plan to keep this goal going in the future, and trying to motivate as many students with as much technology as possible (as long as it's relevent). Thank you CEP 811!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
CEP 811 Online Teaching and Learning
In the new Michigan Merit Curriculum, with the Online Learning, students now have to take some kind of online course. This is something that is hard for me to think about because I work with early elementary students. I believe my part in this is to get students used to the computer and Internet. I believe that I, as well as the rest of the teachers, need to incoorporate computer and technology into my everyday lessons. This gets the students familiar and expecting an online learning course in the future.
I believe that I would be able to start a blog with my students, so that they would get used to interacting with their teacher online over the computer instead of always getting feedback face-to-face. I feel that this is another way that I could get students ready for an online course that they will take later on in their educational career. Michigan Merit allows the students to take an online course and break it down to somehow equal 20 hours. I believe that they should take a complete online course, to get them ready for later on in life. There are many more online courses at alternative schools, colleges, and other learning opportunities.
At this point in my students' learning careers, I believe it would be very hard to have online classes. I think that I could work with my students at this age and get them used to blogs and online learning. However, I don't believe that early elementary students are ready to take full online courses this early in their education. I feel that they are too novice in their knowledge.
I believe that I would be able to start a blog with my students, so that they would get used to interacting with their teacher online over the computer instead of always getting feedback face-to-face. I feel that this is another way that I could get students ready for an online course that they will take later on in their educational career. Michigan Merit allows the students to take an online course and break it down to somehow equal 20 hours. I believe that they should take a complete online course, to get them ready for later on in life. There are many more online courses at alternative schools, colleges, and other learning opportunities.
At this point in my students' learning careers, I believe it would be very hard to have online classes. I think that I could work with my students at this age and get them used to blogs and online learning. However, I don't believe that early elementary students are ready to take full online courses this early in their education. I feel that they are too novice in their knowledge.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
TechQuest CEP 812
In my classroom, there are many problems that we deal with everyday. Teaching often looks like a job that is made to put out fires. One major problem that I have in my classroom is that I am having trouble organizing my time and day. I need to find my own curriculum to use with behavior, do push in sessions in the general education classrooms, do full pull out education with two students, and make sure these students are getting to all of their specials and other activities. I need a way to find resources to create lesson plans and curriculum for behavior. I need to have something put together that I can pull out on any given day a lesson plan for spitting, hitting, self-esteem, respect, optimism, and so on. I need to be able to have this ready so that I can plan the rest of my day. I need to be able to have resources available to take with me into my push in settings that won’t take up much of my very busy day.
This problem is something that stems all of the other problems of my day. I am unorganized about how to keep my behavior lessons together and what to teacher. Therefore, when a problem occurs with my students, I am merely putting out fires. I need to be pro-active and find ways to solve the problems before they happen. I would like to make files that would organize my lessons and actually find the lessons somewhere. I would like to organize my days, and state what I will do if each situation occurs (for instance, if _____ hits another student, _____ will happen). By not having in place what I will do in each situation, I am creating more stress on my students, staff, self, and classroom as a whole. I need to find a way to become more organized and keep the organization in the classroom so that the students can learn to prevent their mistakes instead of trying to learn from them.
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