Challenge 13

Challenge 13 requires students to suggest or join a group of people to pursue a plan to create a global project.  My idea was to have students contact students in other countries, involved in World War II, and learn about their perspectives on the causes and consequences of the war.  As Americans, we have "our version" of the war as other countries have "their versions" of the war.  To me, this would open students' minds to not only perspectives on the war, but open their minds to different cultures in the process. 

Challenge 11
Revised Lesson Plan

 Project:
Researching the countries directly involved in World War II

Time Required:
Students will be given 3 weeks to complete the project. Students will also be given one class period (50 mins) to research their topics in the computer lab.

Grade Level:
9

Alabama Course of Study Standards:
1. Describe causes and consequences of World War II (ACOS 14). 2. Describe post-World War II realignment and reconstruction in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including the end of colonial empires (ACOS 15).

ISTE NETS Standards Addressed: 
1.       Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
          b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
2.  Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
          a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
          b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
          b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources

Description:

Students will choose a country directly involved in World War II. The students will research the countries and create either a PowerPoint presentation or a Prezi presentation on their chosen countries. The students will present their projects on the due date.

Teacher's Role:

The teacher will be responsible for:
1. Presenting a list of countries for students to choose from
2. Providing an outline of content requirements
3. Monitoring student research in the computer lab
4. Answering student questions on an "as needed" basis
5. Create a rubric for grading the projects

Students' Roles:

The students will:
1. Choose the country they wish to do their presentations on
2. Actively research their country's involvement in World War II
3. Develop a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation based on the criteria set forth by the teacher
4. Present their projects to the class

Assessment:
Students will be assessed according to their effort and in concurrence with the rubric the teacher creates for their projects.

Challenge 10

Lesson Plan

Project:  Researching the countries directly involved in World War II

Time Required:  Students will be given 3 weeks to complete the project.  Students will also be given one class period (50 mins) to research their topics in the computer lab. 

Grade Level:  9

Alabama Course of Study Standards:  1.  Describe causes and consequences of World War II (ACOS 14).  2.  Describe post-World War II realignment and reconstruction in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including the end of colonial empires (ACOS 15).

Description:  Students will choose a country directly involved in World War II.  The students will research the countries and create either a PowerPoint presentation or a Prezi presentation on their chosen countries.  The students will present their projects on the due date.

Teacher's Role:  The teacher will be responsible for:
    1.  Presenting a list of countries for students to choose from
    2.  Providing an outline of content requirements
    4.  Monitoring student research in the computer lab
    5.  Answering student questions on an "as needed" basis
    6.  Create a rubric for grading the projects

Students' Roles:  The students will:
    1.  Choose the country they wish to do their presentations on
    2.  Actively research their country's involvement in World War II
    3.  Develop a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation based on the criteria set forth by the teacher
    4.  Present their projects to the class

Assessment:  Students will be assessed according to their effort and in concurrence with the rubric the teacher creates for their projects. 

Challenge 8

I participated in a Wiki project set up by one of my classmates.  She had a GREAT idea for a project, so I chose to participate in hers rather than create my own.  Her idea was to research and report on the education system in other countries.  I chose to research education in England.  I found many interesting facts such as the length of the school year (September to July), male teachers in secondary schools are referred to as "Sir" such as "Sir Gray," and students also get two week vacations for both Christmas and Easter. 

I thought this was a great idea for a project because it allowed me to research and learn more about England's school system.  My classmate's wikispace also provided a list of multiple other countries that other classmates had updated with information about their education systems. 

Challenge 7

In my last blog post, I briefly discussed Edmodo.  In this blog, I plan on discussing how I use this tool.  This tool has is invaluable in both creating a network among several teachers on my strategic teaching/content literacy team and allowing students to discuss the happenings of our class.  I have the ability to post information for students and parents as well as create online quizzes, tests, etc.  By doing this, I have created a learning atmosphere in which my students have greater ownership of their learning. 

Our content literacy team, composed of six teachers, use this site to discuss strategies, set up observations, and make the information viewable to all team members.  We are the implementation team, so this year we are experimenting with different strategic teaching strategies before the strategies are implemented on a school wide basis.  This website allows for unlimited collaboration among members. 

The site also acts as a sort of virtual classroom within a classroom for my students.  Students who have internet access have the opportunity to check for information updates, see important topics from the day's class discussions, and take quizzes from the comforts of their homes.  The students also have the ability to interact socially within the parameters I have set up for them. 

Flat Classroom Challenges 4 and 5

Challenge 4:

For this classroom, I signed up for a skype account.  This communication tool is a type of synchronous communication.  It allows users to communicate via video chat.  I haven't activated my account yet (as in paying for the service), however, I have been researching the different ways that it can be used in the classroom.

One way that I could use this tool with my students, as I teach civics, is to allow my students to discuss political issues with students from other parts of the country. 

The second type of communication discussed in the chapter was asynchronous communication.  I have included a link for my edmodo profile.  This site acts as a Facebook for education purposes. 

Account link:
http://www.edmodo.com/home#/profile/8676156

Challenge 5:

Today's smart phones make it easy to use a cell phone for educational purposes.  Through my phone I constantly communicate with fellow teachers as well as my students' parents via email.  I also update parents on their students grades through the INOW online gradebook service. 

Connection Agency Review

     Today I reviewed a global connection agency - The Google Teacher Academy.  According to the website, Google says, "The GTA is a FREE professional development experience designed to help primary and secondary educators from around the globe get the most from innovative technologies. Produced by CUE, each Academy is an intensive, two-day event during which participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, receive resources to share with colleagues, and immerse themselves in a supportive community of educators making impact."  (Google, 2012).
     The academy takes place in Sydney, Australia.  Based on the information provided, this academy could be extremely helpful to educators wishing to further their knowledge in the area of technology.  The academy provides participants with the opportunity to attend live webinars, become more proficient at using apps, and even become a certified Google instructor.

Reference -
Google teacher academy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.google.com/edu/teachers/google-teacher-academy.html