Spinning Class

I went to a spinning class and I attempted to work out for 30 minutes.  It works out the cardiovascular system and the legs.  It was excrutiating.  My legs were so sore I couldn't continue.  I would stop for awhile and attempt again after I rested.  This is not an exercise I would choose to do.  I enjoy weights and dance centered exercises.  I was bored and frustrated by my lack of ability to keep up.  I will not be participating again and I doubt I would recommend it to anyone.

Sweatin' While I Work

I do not work out very often.  I tend to go in spurts.  Lately, I walk or do Zumba.  I haven't been doing Zumba for long but enjoy it.  It is a lot like dancing which does not seem like exercise to me.  I notice when I do work out my energy level is much higher.  I don't get as tired during the day but I do get hungrier.  I am also more fatigued at night.  It is easier to go to sleep and I sleep better.  I am trying to work out more often because I do enjoy the benefits of it.

Content Curation

  The vast amount of information on the internet can be not only overwhelming but can eat up hours of your time before you are able to get any significant amount of usable data.  Content curation is a way to get valuable information about a topic that is relevant and current without wasting hours of time searching the internet.  I downloaded Scoop.it to try content curation.  I was able to give a topic title and keywords for the site to search for.  It quickly came up with sites containing information I could use.  The applications for this in education are endless.  Students researching a topic for any class could employ scoop.it for a quick and efficient way to collect information to be used.  This tool will decrease the amount of time they spend on the computer searching for sites pertaining to their topic.

For more information on scoop.it, click the following link.
http://www.toprankblog.com/2011/10/scoop-it/

Learn to Game; Game to Learn

I searched iTunes store for apps related to Biology. There were several I felt I could apply to my curriculum.

• Mitosis:  The student follows cells as they move through the process of mitosis.  They can read about it, experience it through pictures and interactive content as well as quiz themselves on the process.

          dhttp://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mitosis/id348184626?mt=8

• Build a Bird:  Students explore different birds and the adaptations they use to survive in their environment.  After researching beaks, wings, etc. of specific birds, the student can then build a bird adapted to a specific environment they are given.

          http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/build-a-bird/id448759126?mt=8

• Leafsnap:  This game is uses visual recognition to identify snapshots of leaves. It is produced by Columbia University and is still in the process of adding additional field guides for more areas of the United States.  This would be a great tool to use when studying plants and applying the knowledge to classification.

          http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/leafsnap/id430649829?mt=8

Remind 101

Remind 101.com is similar to kikutext.comwww.kikutext.com.  Both offer a convenient way for teachers to communicate with parents and students without revealing the phone numbers of either party.  Both create classes so groups can be text at one time.  Kikutext also offers a progress report to inform parents of test grades and behavior issues.

QR Codes

I used www.qrvoice.net to create a QR code the students can scan with their phone to get their homework assignment. I also created one just for fun. I'd like to eventually use this for a new twist on the metric lab. Rather than having conversion problems posted around the room, the kids could scan the QR codes to get the problem.

Try scanning the QR codes and see what you think.  You will need a QR scanning app on your phone  to do this.

iBooks and iAuthor

Education is finally catching up with technology with iBooks and iAuthor. As the mother of three adults, I know well the weight of backpacks teenagers carry today. It is a huge problem. If they don't carry them in there backpacks,they get left at school and never used. iBooks not only offer convenience and accessibility but they provide students with the means to learn in a way that is natural for them. iBooks has some great applications. Students can highlight portions and transfer them to virtual notecards. They can use interactive software and manipulate 3-D models.

iAuthor enables students to create a book they can share with pride. They create the stories and illustrations then publish it to share with others.

Evernote

I came across Evernote a couple of weeks ago and love it. I haven't used it in the classroom yet but really like the idea of student portfolios. Having access to student work online would be very helpful for the teacher, the student and the parents. It would be a great tool for communication, conferences and documentation. I would incorporate it within my team of teachers so we could all contribute.

Instruction Using a Games Model

Helping students to see their progress toward a goal by achieving short attainable goals is the basis of the game model.  Using graphs and charts for visual evidence, mirrors the achievement of a new level in a game.  I would really like to use this to help my students see how a regular study time helps them do better.  I try to get my students that struggle to see that even though their grade is not what they want it does improve when they complete their work on time and study more.  By graphing the number of points improved on a test as they complete a goal toward a study time, they would be able visualize their true progress rather than a test score.  As a teacher of ninth graders,  I want my students to develop skills to be successful in any future class not just science.

This would also be easy to apply when doing teaching the metric system.  Students can make small attainable goals based on their math skills.

Narrative Game 2

The Covert Front was much more interesting to play.  I missed a lot of clues and had to use the walk
through for hints.  I was able to get into all the rooms once I had the crowbar and the key.  I attached the hose to the pump in order to drain the water and find the key.  I like the hunt for objects and the suspense of not knowing what is on the other side. It was still a little slow and no interaction with other people.

Narrative Games

The game Peasant's Quest causes flash backs (to the eighties).  I have never been into fantasy gaming but it looked familiar to games friends played in college.  It was hard to get use to typing in commands and to know what to type in.  The comments were pretty funny though.  I couldn't climb a tree because my hands would get sappy and it constantly told me "I wished I could get that".  Of special interest was the home of the single parent.  It was described as having a single parent stink.  I also found a burnt tree and some corn feed that I supposedly ate as a child. It was frustrating to move so slowly and not be able to see behind things or around them.  Finally, I ran into some creature who pounded my head and killed me. I don't know that I will be returning.

Back to the Future

There were several interesting similarities between what the video portrayed future education to be and what it is.  We are now able to complete group work and individual work over the internet in real time.  We can pull up information from places far away as if we were there and we can send information we have collected to others over the internet.  Voice recognition is another tool we have today but I don't think we use it as much as was depicted.

There were several differences also.  I would love to be able to video in my at home students but we do not have access to this technology.  Access would be the biggest difference.  As great as technology is not all students have access to the equipment or the information.  The economy has not kept up with our ideals of what the future might hold.  The fact many students lack internet use at home or a computer limits the teacher in what they can utilize.

FERPA

As a teacher, it is my responsibility to protect the privacy of my students.  Not only with information the school provides, but with information the student gives me.  As long as the given information is not a threat to the student or another individual, I keep it private.  Students sign FERPA notification sheets but I guarantee 95% have no idea what it is about.  I guess another responsibility as a teacher would be to ensure they understand what the document says.  I am also concerned about the number of letters I get wanting recommendations for students who exhibit leadership and intelligence for a special opportunity or acknowledgement.  Under these regulations, would I be able to give directory information?

"Biology will be reduced to computer science."

According to the following video, our genome will be available on a computer disc at an affordable price in about 10 years.  With this advancement, our medications and care will  be based on this information.  He also foresees great strides in the study of aging  by comparing an older persons genome with a younger persons genome.  The mitochondria being the engine of the cell is where he feels the breakdown first occurs.  With the new information, would we be able to fix many of the genes that fail due to aging?  Only time will tell.

Intervue

A website created for responses to questions through video.

• Discuss Darwin's finches and how they led to the theory of evolution.
• Is Global Warming a real phenomena?  How would you back up your answer?
• Pretend you are a cell organelle and describe what you do.

http://intervue.me/wall/intervues

Are Games Better Than Real Life?

It amazes me everytime I watch a gamer talk about his life how entrenched they are in the virtual world.  It also terrifies me when I realize how blurred the lines are between their virtual world and their real world.  There are positives and negatives to gaming.  Just like the internet it can be used for good and bad.  But at what point does gaming become a distraction to real life?  In the long run, are they creating better citizens for tomorrow or citizens who care less about the world they inhabit then the one they choose to inhabit?  We can harness so much of the gaming experience to inspire and draw viewers into a learning experience, creating experiences for growth and education.  But what controls are placed on any of this?  Is there a need for controls?  Is gaming an area where there are no laws?

Emerging Technology - Fantasy to Fact

The invisible cloak and shape shifting becoming reality is closer than we think.  Being pushed by Intel, programmable matter made up of tiny chips they call catoms are the answer.

FoldIt: Solving Puzzles for Science

This website was a bit confusing at first but challenging.  The premises behind it is to involve humans in the discovery of how proteins are folded.  By utilizing the problem solving skills of humans, they can compare their skills to the computer and teach the computer new ways to process this information.  Students will be drawn to the fact that by participating they can make a difference.  The game would be a great addition to the DNA unit when discussing protein synthesis.  Students will get the bigger picture of the complexities of proteins and the various sizes they can be.  By reading the site, students will further understand the role of proteins in the body but also in disease and the research behind the diseases.

Second Life - EdTech Island

At first, I was floating on the box - upside down.

Here I am sitting on my pink, glass box.

I'm very frustrated with Second Life.  I must have asked ten people to go with me to Ed Tech Island and no one would.  Some were even down right rude.  Boo Hoo!  I searched the Island by walking and flying.  Visited Dejavu floating island, rode a blimp, and saw a train.  I tried to enter a cave with no success and visit a building on a rock in the sky called Inova.  When I finally found the sandbox which is where I started without knowing it, I built a hot pink glass box.  I got a kick out of all the options.  

This was on Dejavu.

Second LIfe - Eagle Island

Spent the afternoon roaming around Eagle Island. Practiced flying, walking, running and basically just maneuvering. Watch a slide show and a video on producing eggs. Viewed the bird facility and the egg processing facility. I walked on the beach, rested on the hammock and went under the water. Under the water, I saw two walls which had people on them. Wasn't sure what to do with these.

Games Can Make The World Better

For someone who is not a gamer and has had some very negative emotions toward gaming, the recent readings and videos have cracked the door into my no gaming world. I definitely see games as a way to reach students. The drive to improve your score or your level is strong. This class alone proves that. I am constantly looking to see what my score is and what else is available to me. It provides an environment of self motivation and curiosity. What is next? What can else can I do? If this could be harnessed into my classroom, I might actually be able to grab some of those students who seem lost and bored.

Second LIfe - Moving Around

Well, moving around is not very easy. I can now turn and get to where I want to. I learned to fly, grab objects, move objects around and magnify things. I am headed to Help Island next to see what I can find.

Secrets of Video Designers

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/15/video-game-design-psychology

The above link refers the reader to an article discussing the positive attributes of gaming and the benefits of applying it to education. Gaming provides a learning environment where students feel free to try new things. It removes the fear of being judged while providing ownership and a sense of control. Gamers progress at their own pace and are rewarded by progressing to more advanced stages as mastery is acquired and by suprise rewards along the way. Beginning stages are short and inspire confidence and desire to continue. Games work in a way our brains understand.

Educational Tools

Two great educational tools are as follows:

http://www.brainpop.com/

This is site I have previously used with my classes. The site offers short videos and activities

aligned to state standards that are imaginative and entertaining. They are great for introducing

new material to reviewing before a test.

http://www.turnitin.com/en_us/home

Turnitin.com is a great tool for any teacher having to grade projects or papers. It always the

student or teacher to submit work and have it checked for plagiarism. It provides feedback

and suggestions to the student as well.

Second Life - A New World for Education?

Second Life is a virtual world where gamers can interact, converse or create a fantasy world. You choose an avatar and use it to explore the different environments. Opportunities for individual and group activities abound. I'm not quite sure how I feel about Second Life. I understand the drive and attraction of gaming but am not a big gamer myself. I do not see the attraction to fantasy worlds. After saying this, I do see an application for education here. Unlike most online classes, Second Life offers a more personal experience for interacting with classmates. Individuals who game can become very entrenched in their world and have noted that time flies when they are logged in. This would be a great way to reach students who would lose themselves in the process of learning.

Gaming to Learn

Ted Talks presents Tom Chatfield with his view on the positive side to gaming. Using small tasks with immediate feedback and frequent rewards many are hooked on gaming. They are able to collaborate with others on games to reach goals they could not achieve alone. The speaker applies these basic hooks for gaming to the worlds of business, education and government. In education, why not use the same concepts to catch the attention of the learning. Rather than grading in individual assignments, why not create an environment of collaboration and a reward system based on effort in achieving much smaller tasks that accumulate into a much larger goal.

India Offers Students Access to $35 Tablet

India will soon have doors open to its students that have never been available before with the new Aakash tablet for only $35. In a country where computer access is not a normal everyday occurrence, students will be brought into 21st century technology with direct access to spreadsheets, internet research, word documents and online communication with others. Not only will it open up opportunities for students in India but it will also open up opportunities for students here at home. Students here in the US will now be able to carry on conversations with students in India and can information first hand.

For full article, click here.