Teaching with Technology

This last post is to showcase the classroom activity that I have worked on for the past eight weeks. It has come a long way, and is unique from any activity that I have seen on any of our student blogs. It is one of the only activities that spans a full grading period (roughly 8-9 weeks). I feel that this activity would be very effective in a fifth grade classroom, and with help from my mentors it progressed to what it is now. It is called "My Restaurant", and focuses on writing and basic math skills. If you'd like to take a look, click here.

Farewell!

1. What do you see as excellent features of the blog you participated in and why?
The features of the blog that I participated in that I found beneficial were the feedback from mentors and the conversation with classmates. I thought that the responses and constructive criticisms that I got from my mentors really helped me to determine what will and will not work in a classroom. They really helped shape my activity. Not only that, but they gave advice about future correspondence with parents, students, and peers. I also thought that the post 3 feature of this blog was very beneficial to me. I felt that chatting with my classmates gave me a break from the monotony of school-related posts. I also found out that I was not the only one who was struggling to keep up, and got encouragement to keep trying.
2. What do you want to see changed or revised as components or features of the blog you participated in and why?
I think that if I had to take this class again, I would beg that the blog project be only two weeks long. I had such a hard time not only keeping up with postings, but comments as well. The combination of keeping the blog going and turning in other assignments really put a lot of pressure on me. I felt that the combination of required posts was good, and I would keep that the same. I think that rather than having several different blogs for one class, it might help with organization and monitoring to have one blog for the entire class, especially since the class sizes are relatively small. This way we could pick from more posts to respond to, and view a larger variety of classroom activities.
3. What do you believe does not belong in the blog and why?
I felt that the blogs that I observed were incredibly well maintained this semester. Despite the fact that one of the posts was intended to be more personal, the postings were kept free of profanity and impropriety. I felt that the kinds of postings done were appropriate for the project in question. I feel that if these blogs are to continue, the links to assignments should remain, however links to outside pages (search engines, etc.) should be left off. To me, it is unnecessary advertisement, and has the potential for containing negative images, phrases, or ads.
4. What do you want to see added to enhance your blog and why?
I have to say that adding things to the blog project is probably not the way to go. As I mentioned earlier, the project itself is rather large, and adding to it would have to merit removing other assignments from the class itself. However, if the blog were shortened, I could see adding a section on layouts and changing templates to make the blog more personal. Doing something like this could also be used in other applications (personal webpages, home computer desktop, etc.)
5. Please comment on the quality of blog components an features:

• Content including student showcase projects and proposed classroom activities: The content of the student showcases and activities was alright. There were some aspects that left a little to be desired in the way of spelling and grammatical error. Some students think much faster than they type in an effort to post and get it over with!
• Interactions and exchanges between students: The commenting between students was (again) alright. Students commented because they were required to do so. I saw very little extended conversation going on outside of required postings.
• Interactions and exchanges between students and mentors: I felt that these interactions went very smoothly. Mentors were accomodating, courteous, and gave helpful hints without being pushy or overbearing.
• Overall visual design and layout of this blog site: I think that the site itself is aesthetically pleasing, but plain. It is easy to navigate and easy to update.

6. What stands out about this blogging and mentoring experience for you?

The thing that stands out the most was the amount of time that it took every week. Honestly, rather than thinking about doing things well, because of the amount of things to do every week I simply concentrated on getting it done. When I got sick in the middle of the semester, I couldn't even do that. I thought that the mentors were excellent, and that was another thing that really stood out for me. The fact that other people took the time out of their busy schedules to assist me in my education really struck me, and I am very appreciative of that.

7. How do you see yourself functioning initially in this context? Did that change as the experience progressed? Why or why not?

Initially, I saw myself doing well on this project. As it went on, however, that changed drastically. I felt myself slipping, and at this point I am nervous that I will not do well at all, especially because I was late in several of my postings. I still see quality in my postings, which is what really upsets me. Because my standard of writing is high, I felt initially that I would really succeed here. Despite all of this, I see myself not doing well because of circumstances beyond my control this semester.

8. What role should teachers and students have in the blogging experiences?

Students should post, comment and engage in discussion related to the class and assigned postings. They should be responsible for the upkeep and management of their site. Teachers should be there to ensure that postings are appropriate. They should also monitor as many postings as they can in order to provide helpful feedback that will supplement the comments of the student mentors. Teachers should also be there to troubleshoot, stepping in in the event of mechanical or technological malfunction.

9. What do you see as the educational value of blogs in the classroom? How about outside the classroom?

The educational value of blogs in the classroom is higher than educators can imagine. Blogs promote communication between students, as well as between students and mentors. Blogging can ensure that students spend time outside of the classroom on their education. Blogging outside of the classroom also allows parents to see what their kids are doing inside the classroom. They can help with postings, give ideas, and support their children despite the fact that they cannot be there in the classroom during the day.

10. In your view based on this experience, how can blogs be integrated appropriately and effectively in k-12 classrooms? Provide concrete ideas or examples.

Blogs can be effectively integrated in k-12 classrooms under a few concrete circumstances. First, students must be monitored extensively. Grade school aged students need more supervision than upper level students. Teachers need to be aware of the comments and postings that are being made to watch out for bullying and inappropriate material. Second, teachers must be clear in their guidelines for postings. Students must know exactly what is expected of them, and take responsibility for making comments. Lastly, students need ample time to make postings while in class. Many students do not have computer/internet access outside of the classroom, and teachers must be accommodating to those students of lesser means. Educators could create a classroom related blog dealing with an ongoing project. Students could make postings about their project, posting ideas and concerns.

11. As a teacher or future teacher, what issues or concerns do you have about using blogs in the classroom?

I feel that internet use in the classroom has always been and will always be a double-edged sword. The same goes for blogging. Pop-up advertisements and hackers are a concern. These concerns, however, are trumped by the concerns that I have regarding the posts of the kids themselves. With 25-30 students in every class making multiple posts, I worry that I will not be able to effectively monitor postings for inappropriate material. I also have an issue with blogging taking away from grammatical skills. While there is spellcheck, it is no substitute for knowledge. The same goes for MS Word.

12. How should school administrators, teachers, and/or parents manage and/or respond to the issues or concerns that you identified in the previous question?

The people involved with the children are most responsible for their well-being. Optimally, students would make postings during classtime. As a teacher, I would do what I could to ensure that they made the best effort possible and did not post anything inappropriate. I could float around, look over shoulders, etc. Parents would be given access to the blog site, monitoring the progress of their own children. In addition to monitoring, this would be an excellent way for parents to be involved in classroom activities and provide students with positive feedback. Maybe by making the blog a part of the school website, administrators could easily monitor the progress of students, as well as becoming an active part of the school community.

13. What surprised you about this blogging/mentoring experience? Why?

The thing that surprised me the most about the blogging experience was how involved the whole process was. I spent much more time on posting and comments than I really could. I am currently enrolled in four other classes, and these classes combined did not merit the workload that this blog project did. Another thing that surprised me was how great the mentors were. I felt that they honestly cared about not only the postings we did that were school related, but about what was going on in our lives, as well. The mentors were really wonderful, and I felt that they were the best part of the blogging experience.

14. What did you learn from this blogging and mentoring experience about yourself and about blogs as tools for teaching and learning?

I learned that I do not do as well under pressure as previously thought. I learned that I need to do things the day that they are assigned rather than waiting until the day that they are due to start them. As far as blogging as a tool for teaching and learning, I learned that blogs can be an effective way to enhance communication between students. I also learned that providing a means for reflection and an outlet for frustration is an effective way to control student disruptions in class. I also learned that blogging is more difficult than I previously thought, and I need to help students as much as possible.

Week 6, Post 1

Evaluation and Assessment:
Evaluation: The students will be evaluated on the math portions based on correct answers. The Excel portion will be graded on use of formulas to come up with answers as well as the answers themselves. On the essays, I will grade at home and offer a chance for rewrites with constructive criticism. The menu and commercial will be evaluated for creativity, originality, spelling, and use of adjectives.
Follow Up: The follow up for this project is the homework assigned as well as the handouts given during class-time.

Week 6, Post 2

While writing this book, the thing that stood out the most to me was the difficulty involved in coming up with a storyline that was more suited to a third-grader than a college professor. I have been so accustomed to writing upper-level work that coming up with an original creative story was actually quite hard. I was under the impression that because my major is elementary education, doing an assignment like this would come naturally. I suppose that like everything else, thinking like an elementary school student comes with some time and practice!
The above excerpt is from my Flat Stanley reflection. We had to write a storybook based on pictures that we took, and suit it to the third-grade level. As you can see, I found that a bit difficult. It's really amazing how accustomed we get to writing college level papers. Hopefully I can get the hang of things by the time I have to do my student teaching! If you'd like to read more, click here!

Week 7 Post 3

Well, it's finally over. I have to say, I'm not necessarily sad to see it go. I'm glad that I got the experience with blogging, and I honestly think that this type of application can go very well in the classroom. I think that taking this class was very helpful, because while I did have a very basic knowledge of the software that we learned, going in depth really gave me some good ideas for my future as an educator. I have to say that I agree with Lauren about blogging as a whole. Most of us just made comments and posted because we were being graded on it, and a lot of times it felt like when our posts were responded to, they were very cut and dry. I would have enjoyed this a whole lot more if it were only two weeks, because going for so long and with deadlines so frequent, I found it hard to keep up and do my other work. Overall, I feel that I gained a lot through this class, and I hope that it continues to improve for the next batch of future educators. Good luck all!

Week 7, post 2

"I never thought I could love any one person as much as I love him. The selfish feelings are gone. I live for him, to see him smile, hear him laugh. I would die for him, and I would give him the world if I could. My heart breaks when he cries, and I wish I could keep him safe in my arms forever. His daddy is good to him, and to me. I have to admit I’ve got it good. I look at my boys and I know, I am home."
The above excerpt is from the assignment titled, "home". This was by far one of my favorite assignments. I could be reflective without having to think about schoolwork for once! On top of that, I got to write about my absolute favorite topic, my son. Dr. B is out of town for now, but I'll get the link up and working as soon as I hear back from him. For now, you can all just imagine what the rest is like! Link coming soon...

Week 7 Post 1

Throughout this experience, we have used positive and negative feedback from our mentor to shape a classroom activity that will (hopefully) really work when we have our own classrooms. Our activities changed drastically every week, from a basic idea to a detailed lesson plan. I know that some of us have even scrapped our entire plans at least once. I personally have seen my activity go from a vague concept to a well thought out plan for a whole semester! I realize that I didn't get as detailed as some of the activities that were only scheduled to last for a day or a week, but I feel that the day to day plans that I gave were sufficient.
During week one, I gave a very basic idea for a lesson plan that focused on powerpoint and persuasion. Despite the fact that I got very good feedback on the whole idea (brittney f. said on 2/18: "NICE idea for an activity! I wish I was able to participate in an activity like this when i was in middle school.") there were some criticisms. For example, although I had a powerpoint activity planned, I assumed that they would know the basics of powerpoint. In response to this, Meredith said on 2/19: "I think you have a good idea here, but make sure you in your plans you include an introduction to powerpoint and the materials that you will use for your project."
I made adjustments accordingly, and saw my activity go from being a basic idea with a focus on language arts to a detailed plan focusing more on math. I made changes, and once again recieved positive feedback. Kelli said on 2/22: "Wow! What a difference from last week. You did an excellent job with making things more appropriate for the age group." Comments like these really boosted my confidence, and with some of the constructive criticism, I was able to further mold my activity.
I ended up with a final product that was detailed and student-oriented. Some of the final comments that I recieved from livesimply and meredith were, "I like how indepth your intructions are. Having your process and directions so thought out is the way to be. Good job! " (Meredith, 3/24/05) and "You are doing wonderfully, especially at being specific about timetable and tasks for the teacher and the student." (livesimply, 3/25/05)
Despite the fact that these were some of our last activity-related postings, Richard continued to offer suggestions for improvement. I really appreciated that a lot, especially since this is most definitely the kind of activity that I would use in my classroom. Thanks for the feedback everyone!

Week 6, Post 3

Ok, I know that this is really really late, but I promise there is a reason! Remember that eye infection I told y'all about last time? Well, it got worse...way worse. My eye swelled shut! It looked like I got into a barfight! It's better now, but I'm so far behind it's not even funny. So, hopefully in the next two days I'll be all caught up with my blog. I'd just like to thank everyone in advance for their patience and I hope that all is well!

Life as an Undergrad, Wk 5

One of the things that I hate the most about being a student is the lack of good health insurance. I'm too old to be on my mom's plan, but I don't have a good job yet that offers benefits without working like a million hours. It would have especially come in handy this week, when I simultaneously came down with the flu and an eye infection. Yuck. I hope I'll be able to make it to class this week. If not, you'll all know why!

Week 5, Post 1 Melissa

I hope this is right....
Objectives: 1. Be able to write a basic five-paragraph essay containing an introduction,
support, and conclusion.
2. Be able to visually represent a brainstorm using Inspiration software.
3. Be able to visually represent a floor-plan using Microsoft Word Autoshapes.
4. Be able to use the dimensions of their floor-plan to find area (feet squared.)
5. Be able to correctly use adjectives to create an original menu in Microsoft Word.
6. Be able to use the prices on said menu to calculate mean, median, and mode.
7. Be able to use the equations function on Microsoft Excel to determine percentages.
8. Be able to use Microsoft excel to create a table.
9. Be able to write an original script using Microsoft Word.
10. Be able to perform said skit for the class.
11. Be able to use their experiences to write a reflective five paragraph essay.
Process:
Week 1: I will begin by telling an anecdote about my favorite restaurant. I will use this to relate to the students, and begin a 20 minute question and answer session to inspire creativity. Day two will consist of instruction on the five paragraph essay. The rest of the week we will go over techniques for writing a good introduction, conclusion, transitions, etc. Their weekend homework will be to write a five paragraph essay about their favorite restaurant.
Week 2: Students will be broken into groups of 4-5. They will get instructions on day one. For day two, they will be given instruction on Inspiration software. Day three will consist of Inspiration play. Day four will consist of brainstorming without computers within groups. Day five will consist of groups getting together to commit their brainstorms to Inspiration. Week 3: Day one will consist of instruction in Microsoft Word Autoshapes, and they will be allowed time to experiment and play. Day two, they will design a floor-plan with their groups. Day three will be instruction on area. Day four will be practice with area. Day five, the students will calculate the area of their floor-plans. Each student will have his or her own copy of the group floor-plan and calculate the area individually.
Week 4: Students will break off into their groups. Each group will assign a recorder, a discussion leader, a word wizard, and a researcher. Together, they will come up with a menu for their restaurant with at least four items per student. They will write down entrees, appetizers, desserts, etc. on their own paper. Day two, students will be introduced to Microsoft Word Processor. They will learn about columns, backgrounds, word-art, fonts, etc. Day three, students will get together to work on their menus in class. The rest of the week will be dedicated to finishing the menu.
Week 5: Students will be introduced to mean on day one. They will receive homework on mean to be turned in on day two. On day two, they will learn median. Day three will be mode. On day three, they will get an overview worksheet as homework. On day four, students will be given an in-class quiz. On day five, students will break up into groups to calculate the mean, median, and mode of their menu.
Week 6: Students will spend the first two days of the week learning about Microsoft Excel. They will spend days three and four learning about tips and very basic percentage functions. They will use the equations function to determine the average tip based upon the mean, median and mode of their menu. This will be handed in on day five.
Week 7: I will give instruction on effective advertisement on day one. On day two, the kids will be broken up into their groups to create a commercial about their restaurant. They will get the rest of the week to complete it.
Week 8: The kids will use the first half of the week for presentations. They will get the second half of the week to write a reflective essay on their experiences. On day five of the week the kids will organize their restaurant portfolios and turn in their projects to me.
Evaluation: The students will be evaluated on the math portions based on correct answers. On the essays, I will grade at home and offer a chance for rewrites with constructive criticism. The menu and commercial will be evaluated for creativity, originality, spelling, and use of adjectives.

Week 5 Post 2, Melissa

Last week, I purchased my first car. As I drove home in my “new car glow”, I smiled as I sang along to my newly activated XM satellite radio and watched my shiny new toy zip down US41 on my spiffy new navigation system. I rushed home and offered to take everyone out for coffee in a not so discreet effort to show off my new baby. It was in the Starbuck’s lobby that I realized the extent to which technology has affected our lives.
For my post 2 this week, I decided to go way back to the beginning. The above excerpt is from A1, our technology autobiographies. I picked this particular assignment because I wanted to kind of contrast with the work that I have already done. You can look at this assignment, and then check out a few of my other post 2's and see just how far I've come. It's a pretty interesting read, so if you want to read further, click here!

Life as an Undergrad, week 4

I know that this is out of order (again) but I felt that this post was necessary. I just found out that a friend from high school passed away on the 9th of this month. His name was Matt Trude, and he was one of the nicest, most caring kids in my graduating class. He was fun to be around and could always make you smile. We hadn't kept in touch much since we graduated in 2003, but I remember him well and am heartbroken at the loss of such a vibrant young life. He had just turned 21 on February 21st. I just wanted to let everyone know in case any of my classmates by chance knew him. If not, I would just like to say please be careful. You are not invincible, and taking risks and chances does not pay off. Think about the people you love before you do anything you might regret. Matt was not here long but he will be greatly missed. I can only imagine the pain that his mother and father are feeling right now, and my heart goes out to them. This posting goes out to Matt and to anyone who has ever lost someone close to them. In loving memory, Matthew Aaron Trude, 2/21/85-3/9/06.

Melissa's Classroom Activity, Week 4

I know everyone is excited to read my classroom activity. It seems to just keep getting longer and longer...to make things easier on those who are reading this, I have highlighted all changes in red. If you like them, let me know! If I need work, feel free to throw small stones and hiss.
Title: Let's Eat!
Objectives:
The learner will:
1. Be able to write a basic five-paragraph essay containing an introduction, support, and conclusion.
2. Be able to visually represent a "brainstorm" of ideas using Inspiration software.
3. Be able to visually represent a basic floor-plan using MicrosoftWord drawing.
4. Be able to find area (feet squared) using their floor-plan .
5. Be able to create a menu on Microsoft Word using adjectives.
6. Be able to use the prices on their menu to determine mean, median, and mode.
7. Be able to use Microsoft Excel to determine percentages.
8. Be able to create a commercial script and perform it for the class.
9. Be able to use their experiences to create a basic reflective essay
Prerequisite Knowledge: The learner must have prior knowledge about: Basic typing skills, and basic knowledge about a restaurant (how a menu looks, basic layout.)
Materials Needed: Students will need: Computers (at least one per group), pen and paper, props for their commercial.
Software required: Microsoft Word (processor), Inspiration Software, Microsoft Word (Drawing tools), and Microsoft Excel.
Set Up: The grade level targeted is 6th. This activity will span roughly six to eight weeks, depending largely upon the number of students in the class and their knowledge base. This activity will take place in the classroom/computer lab.
Process: The kids will start by writing a basic five-paragraph essay about their favorite restaurant. They will detail why they like it, who they go there with, and their favorite food. I will then grade the essay and submit it back to the student for revision. Next, they will break off into teams where they will create an inspiration map about the design of their restaurant, with the off-shoots containing design ideas, color schemes, entertainment, etc. Then, they will design a floorplan using Microsoft Word Autoshapes. They will assign dimensions and calculate the area of their restaurant. Next, they will work to design a menu for their guests. They will include prices as well as detailed descriptions of each dish using adjectives. Then, they will calculate the mean, median, and mode price of their menu to get an idea of the basic cost for their patrons. Finally, in their teams, the kids will write a commercial script and assign jobs (director, actors, producer, etc.) and perform their commercial for the class. The commercial must be short and entertaining, but also detail why someone should visit their restaurant. They will be allowed (but not required) to bring in food for the whole class to try (given that an adult has helped to prepare it). Next, I would like to include a brief lesson on percentages and tipping etiquette. The kids will use Microsoft Excel to create a class table of menu averages. They will use the equations in excel to determine the proper tip for each restaurant's average meal. So, the table will include each group's restaurant, the mean, median, and mode prices of the menu, and an 18% tip based on the each. To finish the project off, each student will write a brief reflective essay on their experience as a restauranteur. All of their restaurant materials will be kept in a group folder that will be turned in at the end of the project.
Outcomes: The learners will submit their folders containing-
Individual: five-paragraph essays from day 1
Individual: rewrite of five-paragraph essay
Group: Inspiration map of ideas for decor, color scheme, entertainment, etc.
Group: Floor-plan with dimensions and total area in square feet.
Group: Menu containing food items with prices and descriptions created on Microsoft Word.
Group: Excel spreadsheet containing the mean, median, and mode prices as well as tip information. (I would like this submitted on a disc as to ensure that they used the equation functions in Excel rather than a calculator.)
Group: Script for commercial, as well as everyone's role in the skit.
Individual: Reflective essay on the experience.
Evaluation: By reading the first and second drafts of the students' essays, I feel that I will be able to provide them with constructive criticism as well as check their writing progress. I will use a presentation rubric for the presentations, and hand out guidelines for the menu, floor-plan, spreadsheet, and inspiration map. If the students can effectively follow the instruction set out for them in the guidelines, they will recieve full credit. By allowing for revision of the essay and working with the students as they complete the math portions of their assignments, I can be fairly sure that they will get good feedback and come away with more knowledge about writing, basic math function, and creative design.
Follow-up: The parts of the assignment that will be done for homework will be: the revision of essay 1 and the reflective essay. Throughout the eight weeks that the project will go on, I will also hand out various practice worksheets on area, mean, median, mode, and percentages.
Resources: For this activity, I have taken ideas used by my teachers when I was in school and modified them. I further modified these ideas given the hints from my peers and mentors. I have also consulted with my mom, who is a technology teacher for sixth graders.

Melissa's Post 2, week 3

This post is about family. Everyone has one, and most of the time they are kind of crazy. (At least I hope so, because I know mine is.) I couldn't include an excerpt for this post because it isn't exactly written. The assignment that I picked for this assignment was my family tree. Before you look, I think I should probably let you know, you're in for a treat. My family is big and loud and noisy. My mom is one of four children, and my cousins and I are all incredibly close.
One thing that struck me was how fun it was to do this assignment. As I used the organizational charts on Microsoft Word, I was kind of shocked at how many people are now in my family. With all of my cousins growing up and getting married, it keeps growing. Being able to see the visual representation of this growth was very cool. All I have to say is that I'm glad I didn't have to do my husband's family too, because his mom is one of 22 children and his dad is one of 19. Yeah, and I thought my family was big! Well, if you want to take a look at all of my crazy relatives and see how we are all intertwined, click here.

Post #2, A-7

The only two pieces of technology that he (my grandfather) owned were a car and a radio. The car was a Ford Coupe that ran on gasoline (which was no more than $.25/gallon back then!). He considered electrical appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, and toaster ovens to be technology along with what we think of now, like cameras and cars. One interesting story that he had for me happened when he went to pick up my grandmother for a date. He ran out of gas before he could get there, so he got his grandfather to help him out. The only problem was, his grandfather didn’t know how to work a car and put the gasoline that he used to clean his paintbrushes in the gas tank. Needless to say, the car was ruined.

The above quote is from my A-7, my intergenerational interview paper. I know I talk about my grandfather a lot in these papers, but you'll have to deal with it because he means so much to me! The thing that struck me about this paper was how much I learned about someone who I am already so close to. Talking to him about how things were when he was my age really helped me learn more about why he is who he is. He has given me so much in my life, and as he is getting older, I realize how important his stories are in addition to all of the material things that he has helped me with. If reading this excerpt makes you want to call your Grandpa, click here.

Melissa's Post 3

Ok, I know I'm going a little out of order this week, but I will not have my laptop until tonight to post #2 and I have some things I want to get off my chest. First off, my life as an undergrad this week has been the most hectic ever. Forget last week, last week was nothing! To start, I totally missed class on Monday because my son got an eye infection. Then, on Tuesday, I had some issues with the CCPD. Yep...that's the Collier Police for those who couldn't guess. I won't go into detail, but it involved me getting out of bed at 1 am to go and get someone from the pokey. On top of all of this, I have a public speaking midterm today at 5! I only hope that I don't get caught in traffic on the way up there, because I commute from almost Marco Island and I-75 is a pain. If there are any fellow commuters reading this, I feel your pain. Truckers need to stay in the right hand lane and people who aren't comfortable driving over 60 need to stay off the highway. Well, I know this has seemed like just a rant, (ok, so thus far it has been) but I promise that I'm studying too! Oh, and finally some good news-I got my midterm grade back for my history midterm...150/150!!! YAY!!! Suddenly I remember why I'm doing this!

Post 1: Lesson Activity Revision

Ok, we have some pretty specific new guidelines to go by for this one, so here goes! (By the way, I know it's long and I'm sorry, but we've all got to do it!)
Title: My Restaurant

Objectives: The learner will: 1. Be able to write a basic five-paragraph essay containing an
introduction, support, and conclusion.
2. Be able to visually represent a "brainstorm" of ideas using
inspiration software.
3. Be able to visually represent a basic floorplan using Microsoft
Word drawing.
4. Be able to find area (feet squared) using their floorplan
5. Be able to create a menu on Microsoft Word using adjectives
6. Be able to use the prices on their menu to determine mean,
median, and mode.
7. Be able to create a commercial script and perform it for the
class.
8. Be able to use their experiences to create a basic reflective
essay

Prerequisite Knowledge: The learner must have prior knowledge about: Basic typing skills, basic knowledge of Inspiration software, basic knowledge about a restaurant (how a menu looks, basic layout.)

Materials Needed: Students will need: Computers (at least one per group), Pen and paper, props for their commercial. Software required: Microsoft Word (processor), Inspiration Software, Microsoft Word (Drawing tools).

Set Up: The grade level targeted is 6th. This activity will span roughly five to six weeks, depending on the number of students in the class. This activity will take place in the classroom/computer lab.

Process: The kids will start by writing a basic five-paragraph essay about their favorite restaurant. They will detail why they like it, who they go there with, and their favorite food. I will then grade the essay and submit it back to the student for revision. Next, they will break off into teams where they will create an inspiration map about the design of their restaurant, with the offshoots containing design ideas, color schemes, entertainment, etc. Then, they will design a floorplan using Microsoft Word Autoshapes. They will assign dimensions and calculate the area of their restaurant. Next, they will work to design a menu for their guests. They will include prices as well as detailed descriptions of each dish using adjectives. Then, they will calculate the mean, median, and mode price of their menu to get an idea of the basic cost for their patrons. Finally, in their teams, the kids will write a commercial script and assign jobs (director, actors, producer, etc.) and perform their commercial for the class. The commercial must be entertaining, but also detail why someone should visit their restaurant. They will be allowed (but not required) to bring in food for the whole class to try (given that an adult has helped to prepare it). To finish the project off, each student will write a brief reflective essay on their experience as a restauranteur. All of their restaurant materials will be kept in a group folder that will be turned in at the end of the project.

Outcomes: The learners will submit their folders containing-

• Individual: five-paragraph essays from day 1
• Individual: rewrite of five-paragraph essay
• Group: Inspiration map of ideas for decor, color scheme, entertainment, etc.
• Group: Floorplan with dimensions and total area in square feet.
• Group: Menu containing food items with prices and descriptions created on Microsoft Word.
• Group: Script for commercial, as well as everyone's role in the skit.
• Individual: Reflective essay on the experience.

Evaluation: By reading the first and second drafts of the students' essays, I feel that I will be able to provide them with constructive criticism as well as check their writing progress. I will use a presentation rubric for the presentations, and hand out guidelines for the menu, floorplan, and inspiration map. If the students can effectively follow the instruction set out for them in the guidelines, they will recieve full credit. By allowing for revision of the essay and working with the students as they complete the math portions of their assignments, I can be fairly sure that they will get good feedback and come away with more knowledge about writing, basic math function, and creative design.

Follow-up: The parts of the assignment that will be done for homework will be: the revision of essay 1 and the reflective essay.

Resources: For this activity, I have taken ideas used by my teachers when I was in school and modified them. I further modified these ideas given the hints from my peers and mentors.

Post 3: Life as an Undergrad

Ok, this week has been horribly awful. First off, I would like to personally hit the person who thought up midterms. I am so tired from staying up all night with a 3 month old as it is, and this past week I have gotten even less sleep studying for midterms and trying to keep up in this class. I feel so overwhelmed with this class it's not even funny. My work in my other classes is suffering, and I'm so frustrated! Next year, they need to make this class either 6 credits or less work. It's too much!!! Maybe I'm just overstressed, but I want to pull my hair out. On top of that, my laptop (which contains all of my files) is with a friend getting fixed because yesterday as I was going to send post#2, it inexplicably decided to slow down and freeze, then not boot back up. Argh!!!

Melissa's Activity Revision #1

For my activity, I think I'd like to stick with the restaurant idea. I got a lot of good feedback, and a lot of helpful hints as well. I think that one of the problems with my activity before was that it may have been a bit too complicated for elementary students. I am hoping to gear it more toward fifth graders, and as such, I have simplified the requirements a bit. So, bearing all of this in mind, I have come up with my revised activity. To start, the kids will still write a basic five paragraph essay about their favorite restaurant. They will detail why they like it, their favorite dish, and who they go there with. The next task of the assignment will be to have the kids break up into teams. They will brainstorm ideas for a restaurant of their own. They will represent this brainstorm using Inspiration software. At the center of their web will be the name of their restaurant. Each shoot-off of their main idea will be basic information about that restaurant. (i.e. general type of food they will serve, a basic color scheme for the decor, entertainment for their patrons, etc.) Together, they will work to design a floorplan for their restaurant using Microsoft Word. They will use autoshapes and write down actual dimensions. When they submit this, they will need to include the total area in square feet of their restaurant. The kids will also design a menu for their restaurant. They will need to come up with prices for their food, and find the average price of a plate, the median price of a plate, and the price that occurs most frequently (mode). Finally, they will create a commercial for their restaurant to present to the class. They will write a script and assign jobs (actor, director, producer, etc.). To finish the project, the kids will present their commercial to the class. They will be allowed (but not required) to bring in an item from the menu for the whole class to try, provided that an adult has helped them to prepare it. They will complete their "restaurant portfolio" by writing a reflection on the whole experience. This assignment will target basic math skills (area, mean, median, mode) as well as language arts skills (script writing, reflective writing, and five-paragraph essay). With any luck, they'll have some fun doing it as well! All in all, the project should take about three weeks to complete.

Post #2: A-5 reflection

"My grandfather will be ninety years old in March. He is by far the wisest and most intelligent person that I know. One very valuable lesson that he has taught me is that learning is not limited to the classroom. A person learns in everything she does, every place she goes, and from every person she meets. Given this powerful information, I have chosen for this assignment five events that I believe helped to define me as a person and have contributed significantly to my educational growth. The interesting thing about each of these events is the fact that not a single one has taken place in a classroom."

The above paragraph is an excerpt from A-5, my reflection on the digital mapping activity that our class completed. First, we had to create a map in Microsoft Word. Then, we had to create a map related to our learning experiences in a software called Inspiration. I detailed various experiences in my life that I felt were important to my learning experience. At the end, I got to compare and contrast Inspiration and Word. I enjoyed this assignment because it asked me to reflect on moments in my life that I felt were important. I kind of wish that I was able to share the powerpoints we created towards the end of the project, as I was quite proud of everything that I had done! If you would like to see the reflection on this activity, click here.

Post #3: Life as an Undergrad

I feel like my life as an undergrad has been drastically different from the experiences of my peers. When I was a senior in high school, I fell in love. The week I turned 18, he proposed. I said yes, my mom said no. My heart was broken, but I decided that marrying my husband was the right choice for me, no matter what the cost. We struggled a lot. I worked full time for my first two years of college and maintained a 3.5 GPA. Then, I got pregnant with my son. I worked to keep up in school through morning sickness, backaches, and leg cramps. I was even in class on my due date! I'm still working toward my degree, and my life as an undergrad has never been more rewarding. I'm looking forward to graduating and making my family proud.

Melissa's Classroom Activity

An interesting idea for a classroom activity would be to do a restaurant proposal. Kids love going out to eat with their families, so the first step could be to have them type out a description of their favorite restaurant, detailing the reasons why they like it, the decorations, the atmosphere, etc. After that, they would break off into "management teams" to come up with a restaurant of their own. They would write out a proposal to potential investors detailing why they should invest their time and money into the restaurant. The kids would be responsible for naming their restaurant, designing the business cards, and creating flyers in Microsoft Publisher. Once that was done, they would use MS Word to create a menu. Wrapping up the project, each group would present their restaurant as a powerpoint to potential investors (their classmates). Each "investor" would then write up a short essay detailing the positive and negative aspects of each, and whether they would invest and why or why not. Each group would submit one CD with the work of all members, receiving an individual grade as well as a group grade.

Welcome!

Welcome to our classroom, where learning new things is elementary, my dear! You will find two interesting future educators of the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades.

Melissa is a junior at FGCU. She just moved to the Naples area from Deerfield Beach. She also has a little boy named Nicholas, who was born in November of 2005. Melissa would like to teach at the fourth or fifth grade level, hopefully somewhere in Collier County!

Lauren is a 19 year old sophomore at FGCU from Boca Raton, FL. She is attending FGCU to become a teacher. She cannot remember a time when she did not want to teach, and would love to be in a fourth, fifth, or sixth grade classroom!