The Tech Savy Teacher

I can remember a time in school when it was time to use a microscope. Our groups would have  to crowd around the microscope just to see what was on the slides. It was a long and arduous task.  In this class, we had the opportunity to use technology for a science class. 

The digital microscope is a great tool to use in the 

classroom. It allows the teacher to capture video 

or pictures of an object as it is being observed.  The microscope is connected to a computer, and the image is then shown on the screen for multiple people to see.  

This is an example of an experiment that was done using the digital microscope.

This experiment is designed for the 4th grade science 

class using Standard 3, Objective 1.

We predicted what we thought the salt would look like under the microscope.
We predicted what the sugar would look like under the microscope.
We predicted whether the salt or the sugar would dissolve first when mixed with water.
We observed salt under the microscope.We observed sugar under the microscope.
We noted the difference between the sugar and salt crystals
We added warm water to the salt and observed it dissolving.

We added warm water to the sugar and observed it dissolving.

We compared the difference in how fast the salt dissolved and how fast the sugar dissolved.

We looked at our predictions and compared it to our observations.

These are pictures of some salt crystals we observed:

We used salt from this packet for this particular experiment:

This is a view of the crystals at 60 times the magnification:

 

These are the salt crystals at 100 times the magnification:

This is a picture at 60 times magnification of water dropped on the salt:

Here is an amazing video of water being dropped onto some salt:

We used the sugar from the Sour Patch kids bag for this particular experiment:

This is a view of the sugar at 60 times magnification:

This is a view of the sugar at 100 times magnification:

This is a view of the water and the sugar at 60 times magnification:

Here is an awesome video of water being dropped onto sugar:

All in all, this was an excellent experiment that I think students will enjoy!

Kidsperation....truly inspirational!

Kidsperation is an excellent interactive tool for children to use. It allows students to learn about different subjects with a hands-on approach. 

Logger Pro is the way to go!

I really enjoyed using Logger Pro in class today to measure the temperature of the water. 

(Yes, I was fascinated by measuring the temperature of a cup of water).  I never would have thought to challenge the class to make a W, M, or even an O in the Logger Pro program. It really got everybody in the class to think about what they were doing and how to make the different shapes. As the class was learning while using these "hands-on" methods it made learning more fun.

TPACK is right on track...

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge is a very interesting way to approach education. I think that it is an excellent idea to integrate specific things you know (content), how you teach what you know (pedagogy), and technology together. As TPACK is used in the classroom, the students will be immersed in what they are learning, and in return will understand what they are learning even more. 

RSS Feed and Web 2.0

This week in class I learned about RSS feeds and Web 2.0.

After watching same informational videos in class I learned that Web 2.0 is a new kind of internet. It allows users to interact with the internet by being able to manipulate different web pages by editing them (wikipedia) and adding pictures (blogs). 

At first I didn't really know what RSS was. Then after learning that it means Really Simple Syndication, I learned how to link other web pages to a certain web page (like a blog). I also learned how to go to a website and see if it has an RSS feed, subscribe to that feed and then add the RSS feed to a blog.  

I think that using blogs and even a wiki in the classroom is a wonderful way to keep parents and students informed about happenings in the classroom. I think I could also use an RSS feed to link a blog to other educational websites that my students could use.  

My Memories of Technology...

Technology...oh how you have changed me over the years. I have always grown up using computers in school and at home. 

As a youngster, I loved playing Oregon Trail, Math Blaster and other educational computer games. 

As I have grown up, I have used technology to write papers, create power points, and for a year and a half, I used technology to make and edit hilarious movies, as a film student. 

Now, as a future teacher, I have the opportunity to be a better teacher by knowing how to understand and implement technology in the classroom.